Character Moment #19 – February 13, 2008

I sat in chapel yesterday and listened intently to what Mr. Grasz shared about the several incidents of stealing that have occurred here at Orange Lutheran over the year. I wish I could say to folks that stuff like that doesn’t happen here, but in reality it unfortunately does.

It made me think about what I learned as a young boy at the Lutheran school I attended in Topeka, KS. When we learned the commandments, we also learned their meanings from the small catechism. Stealing is addressed in the seventh commandment.

The Seventh Commandment.

Thou shalt not steal.

What does this mean?

We should fear and love God that we may not take our neighbor's money or property, nor get them by false ware or dealing, but help him to improve and protect his property and business [that his means are preserved and his condition is improved].

The meaning to this commandment addresses the fact that we should not take another person’s property, or trick them out of their property. The thing I think that is so significant though is what it says next…really two commands.

We should help our neighbor to improve and protect his property and business. What it is really saying is that not only should we not take it by any means, but we should also help in any way to make it better. It is not only about the negative act of taking, but it addresses the positive…make your neighbor’s property or business better. We don’t always think of that.

I can remember on our honeymoon, my wife and I went to a nice restaurant up in the Monterey area. After we left the restaurant, my wife noticed that they had not charged us for the additional side order we had asked for later in the meal. It may sound silly, but I turned around and went back to the restaurant and took the additional money to our waitress. She was so thankful, because it was their policy to have the servers pay for any mistakes they made on their customer’s bill. In a way, we made her business a little better.

I don’t share that to be pious or holier than though. I share it because I will never forget her reaction. Let us be a school that makes each other better, not taking from one another.

Character Moment #18 – February 6, 2008

This weekend is Winter Formal.  It will be a great celebration at The Grove in Anaheim.  I know that our Student Leadership Team with Mr. Odle and Mrs. Webster has worked very hard to plan a wonderful evening.  It will be a night that culminates much preparation by the committee and the attendees.

 

I will always remember the second Winter Formal I chaperoned here at Orange Lutheran.  Two couples arrived late, and after speaking with folks at the gate where they entered, it was apparent they obviously had been drinking.  When their car was searched, several alcohol bottles were found and marijuana was found in the glove compartment.  It did not turn out the way they had hoped their evening would have when they planned it.  The students were removed from school under the zero tolerance policy.  It really was a sad day for so many concerned.

 

Ladies and gentleman, I do not want that scenario to happen to any of you.  I want our Winter Formal to be alcohol and drug free.  I would hope that all of you want the same thing for your friends and anyone who attends the dance.  If you are concerned about anyone in your group planning on using, please tell an adult (your counselor –a teacher – an administrator) before it is too late.

 

Saturday night should be a fun time.  We can honor God by our words and our actions.  We must be conscience though, that Satan would delight in nothing more than really messing up a good night, by encouraging bad decisions.  Let your character shine through by being an example of what God desires for you to be: before, during, and after the dance.

Character Moment #15 – January 9, 2008

Arthur Friedman once said…

"Men of genius are admired.
Men of wealth are envied.
Men of power are feared, but
only men of character are trusted."[1]

To be a person others can trust is an admirable thing. We all know those people in our lives that we can’t trust. It is typically because their words and their actions are inconsistent with each other. They tend to say things one way and act entirely different.

Trust is so key to our relationships in life. Many of you will one day marry, and trusting your spouse is key to a successful, lifelong marriage.

Over Christmas break, I went back to Kansas and celebrated my parents’ 50^th wedding anniversary. It was a special day. To celebrate 50 years of marriage a lot has to happen. First, you have to live that long, and some couples don’t make it. Then, if you are fortunate to live that long, you have to be fortunate enough to endure the various bumps in the road that life brings to relationships. My folks shared that they always tried their best to communicate to one another. They also said that they trusted each other fully.

Think of your friendships here at school. Your closest friends are those you trust the most. To be trusted as a friend, a son, or a daughter, an employee, or a student is so critical for success in life. The most successful people, I believe, are those who are the most trusted.

If you have things in your life that cause others not to trust you, ask God to remove them. David did in Psalm 139: 23-24…

“23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”[2]

[1] http://www.myfavoriteezines.com/ezinedirectory/quotes-about-character.html

[2] New International Version (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

Character Moment #14 – December 19, 2007

This is the last Character Moment of 2007 and I have one wish for all of us in 2008. As I have all year, it has been my hope to encourage the building of character within our school community. To truly build our character I believe that there is one source, and that is God’s Word. It is in His word where we find story after story about how God’s love restores people.

The Bible really is a love story. The more you know its words, the more you are reminded about how much God does love us.

With the New Year coming, I would like to challenge you to do something for maybe the first time. Before January 1, go find a bible. It might be the one you have for school use, but it can be any version. I have enjoyed, The Message, in the past. Then get a guide that gives you a daily reading. My wife works at The Bible House at Tustin and Katella and they have guides (and bibles) there. The guide should take you through the Bible in one year. An online source is www.backtothebible.org It offers many options to get you through the bible in a year.

Finally, take the 10-15 minutes max to read a little bit every day. I am getting ready to start my 11^th year of this, and this daily ritual has truly changed my life. God’s Word is power. It is hard to explain, but your life will change!

Merry Christmas!

Character Moment #13 – December 12, 2007

One of things that I feel God calls us to be here at Orange Lutheran is different for Him. This does get acted out in many ways. Our conduct at games when we cheer for our team in a positive way instead of putting the other team or the officials down is one way. Another way is how we celebrate certain holidays.

With Christmas coming up soon, I think it is so important to use the words “Merry Christmas” instead of “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings.” We are inundated by all of the secular thoughts for the season. Think about the day after Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a day set aside to thank God for all the blessings He has bestowed upon us. Throughout the day we are bombarded by commercials that tell us that our favorite stores open the next day at 4 am for special sales. We are reminded all day long on the day we are to be thankful, that we don’t have it all. We need more. And, what do we now call that Friday? Black Friday. Incredible.

The Christmas season is that time we set aside to celebrate Christ’s birth. What has happened over the years though is that we take the Christ out of Christmas. I had an aunt that signed everything Merry Xmas. Merry X mas? Why?

Today we hear that people may be offended if we say Merry Christmas. I say, we should never compromise who we are. Christmas is about Christ. It should never be separated.

We get enough Santa and Happy Holidays outside of school. Let’s commit to wish each other Merry Christmas, thankful that Christ is in Christmas!

A Great Article

By now you may have seen the article in the Tuesday edition of the Los Angeles Times titled,

Coach knows it's first and life to go

Here is the link. It truly captures the character and honor of our head football coach, Jim Kunau.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-parsons4dec04,1,6752567.column

Special thanks to the author, Dana Parsons.

Character Moment #12 – December 5, 2007

How important is it to admit a mistake? What about if no one would ever know, would you still admit you have messed up?

A friend of mine recently told me the story of a young man who works in the race car industry. The boy had been promoted to a very important position on the pit crew of a race team and had the responsibility to make sure the right tires went on the car in the right location. It seems simple enough, but it is critical because of the high speeds that the drivers travel in the cars.

Well he did not have a lot of training in this, and during the very first race he inadvertently put the tires on the wrong side of the car. Doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it could have been tragic.

After the race, which the driver lost, the boy mentioned to his other crew members that he had made a mistake. Their encouragement was that no one would know, kind of like “no harm – no foul.”

He couldn’t keep that inside though. He went to the driver and admitted his mistake and apologized for costing the driver the race. His teammates thought he would be chewed out for sure, maybe even lose his job. The driver though, thanked him for his honesty. The driver knew he had learned through his mistake and that he would never make that mistake again. When your life rests in the hands of others, you want to know that they take their responsibility seriously.

Ephesians 4:25 from The Message[1] says, “What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ's body we're all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself.”

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[1] The Message (MSG) Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson