Back to School - some guidelines

"Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility ... He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service.

"Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.

"But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way" Daniel 1:3-8 (NIV)

Alice and Matthew go back to school tomorrow. They are so excited. I recall being miserable the day before I would go back to school at their ages. I started thinking about some of the guidelines that made life in school more productive and probably would have made my experience something to look forward to in contrast to my misery. I starting searching out some websites and thoughts finding Carol's list in "5 Minutes for Faith":

1. Do more listening than you do talking. If you are talking at the same time as the teacher, you may miss some very important instructions.

2. Follow directions. Don’t question what you have been told, just get down to business and follow directions the first time. It will save you much heartache in the long run.

3. Stay on task. Your teacher is smarter than you. Guaranteed. Each task serves a purpose in your overall education. Stay focused on what you need to do and don’t be distracted by others.

4. Come prepared. Don’t show up to school without your homework. Be sure you’ve put thought into what you might need each day.

5. Be flexible. Things will not always go the way you think they should. Smile anyway. Some pizza days could easily turn into fish sandwich days. Make up your mind to be happy no matter what.

I think all of us would do well to take these five guidelines and apply them to everyday life. We must commitment to Daniel's example and not defile ourselves. It is our job as Christ-followers to be the leaders in compassion, integrity, and in growth. So, we make it our goal to please Him, the perfect example for us all.

You know I love ya...and happy back-to-school. Don