Cease and Desist!

If you have ever read Psalm 46, you know that one of the sons of Korah is declaring how the Lord is the shelter and refuge of us. The psalm contrasts turbulent times and the stability of an eternal God. This psalm speaks volumes to me personally. Our family sold our house after five days of being on the market in Chattanooga, and so now we are in the midst of a 73-day "journey through the wilderness" of staying in a 400 square foot hotel room... yes, all four of us! You can imagine that this can be a little stressful at times, and life is a blur! This morning I came upon this psalm again, and it is still speaking to me. Here is the main verse to me (verse 10):

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Other versions translate "be still" as "cease", "stop striving", "give attention to" and "desist".

I picture me (and I am sure others to) running on a treadmill trying and trying to accomplish, and yet God says, "Stop and notice that I am in control." That is quite a lesson to learn. I hope it helps you to! Have a blessed week! Our family is excited and eagerly looking forward to being at EHCS.

For His Glory,
Jack Exum

Christ-Centeredness at HVCS

A handful of teachers, a board member, and I recently had an excellent discussion that I believe will help you understand the core of what we do and who we are at Hickory Valley Christian School. We were evaluating our Bible curriculum. Instead of reviewing various curricula, we started out with one basic question: When a student graduates from HVCS, what spiritual qualities and characteristics should he or she demonstrate? This question brought forth an hour's worth of fruitful discussion.

At the conclusion of the meeting, we agreed on four characteristics that we want our students to have when they leave HVCS:
(1) Our students should be Biblically literate
(2) Our students should demonstrate a godly character
(3) Our students should begin to take ownership of their faith in Jesus Christ
(4) Our students should demonstrate the ability to apply Scripture in their own lives

These four characteristics will define what we teach in Bible, how we interact with each other, parents, and students, along with what curricula is selected.

Based on this discussion, our next meeting will involve defining what "Biblical literacy", "godly character", and "apply Scripture to their own lives". We need to determine what those mean at HVCS. These four ideal goals are the primary reasons why those who serve in the capacity of faculty, staff, and administration do what they do at HVCS. We strive to help our children develop a strong foundation in their faith in Christ by partnering with families. We see ourselves as here to help families as they raise their children.

I hope your Thanksgiving was a great one! May the Lord bless you as you seek Him!

Globalization at HVCS

We are in our second year of what I call our "global perspective" at HVCS. Our global perspective began as a desire to expose our students to a variety of cultures because we recognize that the world in which we live is getting "smaller" and more "flat". By smaller and more flat, I mean that our world is much more connected than in prior years, and our children are exposed and interact with various peoples and cultures much more than the generation before the one now coming through K-12 schools. Technology is the primary factor that has moved the world in this direction. This will continue for the foreseeable future. Given this different world, HVCS is and will be taking steps to address what and how children should learn.

Over the past two years, we have celebrated India and Brazil. Our students have learned songs in Hindi, Indian cultural dance, received henna tattoos, learned greetings in Portuguese and Hindi, and they have celebrated holidays from both cultures. These countries are integrated into the classroom experience and each grade learns about one continent per year. Our fifth grade has partnered with a school in Mexico to create a proposal to make an impact on global poverty. Our service organizations focus on poverty in other countries and in our own country.

What is my dream about where HVCS goes from here with our global perspective?
(1) Over the long-term I would like us to weave global issues into our curriculum. In this way content is taught with these key issues in mind that our children will face in the future
(2) Continue to celebrate at least one country per year to learn more in-depth about its culture and people
(3) To increase respect for cultural differences that exist in the world
(4) To develop the skill of collaboration and to believe that one can make a significant contribution to the world
(5) To use our existing and future technology to enhance the children's global perspective

Globalization has and is impacting us; however, in the future, it will have an even more significant impact for our children. We want to prepare our children for the world they will live in not just the one they live in now.

Academic Excellence at HVCS

There are many Christian independent schools in Chattanooga, and each school serves in reaching students for Jesus in its own way. HVCS strives to develop each child's maximum potential. Today's blog post is one way we pursue our mission. Over the next several weeks, I will introduce how HVCS influences the development of each child.

 

Our mission is "We strive for the development of each child's maximum potential: intellectually, spiritually, socially, physically, and emotionally, within a warm and caring environment through an individualized program. We exist to enable students to become productive, contributing citizens with Christ-like faith and Christian commitment."

 

This week's focus is on our honors critical thinking/reading class offered to fourth and fifth grade students. HVCS attempts to individualize its program. In light of this, we group students by ability and/or skill in our core subjects (math and reading). The reason behind this approach is that a teacher better meets each student's needs by teaching to a homogeneous group as opposed to a setting where the children have a wide diversity of acadmic abilities. As a part of this philosophy, HVCS created an honors course for those who scored in the 85% on the SAT 10 test in the area of critical thinking. This group has been reading The Count of Monte Cristo, The Chronicles of Narnia, and they will be reading King Arthur soon! Students complete five-paragraph essays and work on a multitude of writing activities.

 

Mrs. Carlone teaches this course. Mrs. Stynchcombe teaches those not attending the honors class. In Mrs. Stynchcombe's reading course, the students experience a thorough study of vocabulary, grammar, and literature where the group is further divided into three groups. She has them debate topics, try various countries food, along with other fun and exciting opportunities. Both groups are currently writing an argumentative essay on whether leadership is innate or developed based on certain readings.

 

Next school year, if the Lord wills, we want to have an honors math course for fourth and fifth grades to go hand-in-hand with the critical thinking course. More information on that as the school year continues.

 

HVCS offers the National Elementary Honors Society to our fourth and fifth grade students who have a 90% average in their school work for at least three semesters consecutively. This is a prestigious club to be involved in that not only focuses on academic achievement, but also focuses on community service and leadership- two aspects I will discuss in a future blog that focuses on developing a different part of the whole child.

 

Academic excellence at HVCS is strewn throughout the grades. In this blog I want to give you a picture of the end result or product of the education your children receive at HVCS. This week's blog focuses on one way in which we strive to meet our mission. This blog focuses on developing the intellectual potential of our children.

 

Over the next two weeks, we will continue this discussion by focusing on what we do to fulfill our mission by helping students develop socially and spiritually.

Who are we (HVCS)?

It has been quite a while since I added a blog post to the Hickory Valley Christian School blog! I am excited to get moving on this on a weekly basis. We have 39 new students this year who God has blessed us with at HVCS. Our enrollment is up in an unstable economy and last year we saw the greatest amount of funds raised on behalf of the school in its history!

We have introduced an honors course for fourth and fifth grades and a chapter of the National Elementary Honor Society! HVCS continues to offer a leadership class for fifth grade, K-Kids for grades two through five and a global perspective school-wide. This year we are delving into the culture of Brazil (Brasil)!

Who are we (HVCS)? We are more than a private nonprofit institution and there are several qualities that distinguish us:
- Christ-centered staff and instruction- Christian principles are integrated throughout the school day (not just the curriculum)
- Learning is centered on the child- We do not use one particular curriculum. Our teachers use a multitude of approaches based on the needs of the children. I call this their "tool belt" of instructional strategies and materials.
- We stretch, not push- We believe in challenging each child to his or her greatest potential- not to drive the child to the point of frustration. This leads me to the next point...
- Learning should be fun!- I want our children to leave HVCS after fifth grade LOVING school...not dreading it.
- Global perspective- As a school, we explore one country's culture per school year. In each grade, children are exposed to a continent per year. We want our children to understand that being global is certainly a Christian concept where we maintain our distinctiveness yet embrace the diversity that exists in our country and the world around us.

Please visit our website: www.hvcs.org or our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Hickory-Valley-Christian-School-Official-Fan-Page/113606058657458

Have you "liked us" yet???

Did you know Hickory Valley Christian School is on Facebook?  There is a lot of good information, photos, and videos of the great things happening this school year!  We would love for those currently involved in the school, alumni, and future families to take a look at our Facebook page!  Here is the link:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Hickory-Valley-Christian-School-Official-Fan-Page/113606058657458

The link is a little long, but certainly worth a look!

I pray you will have a great Thanksgiving!

David vs. Solomon

It has been a while since I last posted a blog.  Occasionally, I take a break to rejuvenate and to look for things to post a blog about.  Have you ever looked at the lives of the above father and son--- especially the end of their lives?  Recently, I did and, wow, what a difference!  Solomon was given unlimited wisdom and perspective and riches in his lifetime.  His father, David, grew the kingdom of Israel to great boundaries.  David committed adultery, murder, and ran away from his son and became an extremely passive dad.  However, David repented and changed and was God-focused at the end of his life- "Now the days of David drew near that he should die and he charged his son Solomon saying, "...be strong; therefore, and prove yourself a man. And keep the charge of the Lord your God to walk in His ways, to keep His statues, His judgements, His testimonies..." I Kings 2:3. 

Compare this to Solomon in I Kings 11- "For it was so that when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord, as was the heart of his father David..." (v.4)

When I look at this I see a couple of things:
(1) It is not as important how we start as it is how we finish our lives.  What kind of legacy for Christ will we leave?
(2) Both made mistakes in their lives and yet God called David a man after His own heart and He was displeased with Solomon. How we learn (or if) can make all the difference in whether God is pleased or displeased with us when we go to stand before Him.

Be blessed this week!  I hope to write more soon and give you an update on the covered walkway HVCS is building... this is from the generous donations from our Holy Smoke BBQ and Golf Tournament.  Thank you to all who gave!

Are you short-sighted or visionary?

Tonight we had our last small group study from the book Sun Stand Still by pastor Steven Furtick.  This session dealt with how we often receive a calling from God and if we choose to walk in this calling we will face those who want us to just keep things the way they are and not rock the boat.  I hope that I will be obedient to God's calling on my life as He calls me to various things and sometimes the one who wants to keep things the way they are is me...kind of ironic!

Here are some areas God might be calling you to a new, higher level of living (and me too):
- Marriage- serving and loving your spouse as Christ loved the church sacrificially
- Family- leading your children toward a greater vision of what Christ can do in their lives and raising them to be ready for that calling
- Finances- being generous with what we have been given
- Prayer- praying with fervency and audacity
- Sharing our faith- making this a regular thing in our lives and not waiting for the perfect moment

With HVCS I believe God has given me the vision of working towards a school where we lead children and families closer to Christ with intentionality.  I believe the He wants for us to honor Him as we grow to our maximum number of 200 students.  I believe He wants us make it to where tuition will meet our operational costs so that fundraising will be for capital expenditures and projects.

This takes time, perseverance, and for our faculty, staff, and school families to be committed to a cause bigger than themselves and for them to believe that the school is a part of what God is doing in Chattanooga.  Will you partner with us in praying for our school that He will use it for His glory?

Carving only done here!

Recently I have wondered what it would be like if God took the microwave, fast food approach to character--- we ask, He changes, we walk with a new character.  I used to wish for this often.  In the past year or so, I have changed my mind and prefer the actual way God changes us--- He carves our character rather than changing it in an instant.

Carving requires a humble spirit and a genuine desire to change and sometimes for these to come about difficult people and/or circumstances come and come and come until we begin listening.  Oftentimes I joke about being 40- young to some, old to others, but I see God working in me in a way He has not before- probably because of me getting in the way. 

Now I look forward to the time He has allotted for me and to what He will do in and through me.  However, sometimes what He shows me is difficult for me to accept.  He transforms us and refines us similar to a silversmith who places unrefined silver in a crucible.  He turns up the heat and as the silver melts, impurities rise to the top.  The silversmith scrapes off the impurities, looks at the silver to see his reflection.  If he can't see it clearly, he turns up the heat slowly and incrementally until he at last sees his reflection clearly.  I believe Jesus works the same with us.

Look at difficulties as opportunities for Jesus to bring about maturity in you and to make you further into the image of Christ as Romans 8 puts it.

The Real You

Today is Saturday.  Tomorrow I will go to church at Christway.  Later my wife might go shopping somewhere and then I will go back to school on Monday for a wonderful chapel service and a day spent with the children of HVCS!  In the midst of all the activity, I will meet people whether friends, acquaintances, or strangers.  With each person I meet, I will see one of 3 levels of that person.  The 3 levels are described in the book that I have been reading mentioned in prior blogs.  The 3 levels are compared to the areas of the temple described in the Old Testament:
- Outer courts
- Holy Place
- Holy of Holies

In each person, the outer courts represents the public you.  It is the me that everyone sees.  This one is the one that when asked "How are you?" says, "I'm great!".  Everyone has access to this person.

The holy place represents the level of which only friends and family see.  Not many are allowed in this place and there is a greater level of intimacy.  I decide who I allow in to this area and who I will not.  Someone might hold power or authority over you, but they have not control over if they are a part of this inner circle who you allow to get to know a more real version of you.

The most holy place represents a deeper intimacy that we keep away from everyone else.  It is the you that only you know but even you do not know this person completely.  Here lies the me that only God sees clearly--- some I am conscious of and some is subconscious.  Here lies the you that is the real you where childhood influences, parents, and many others have shaped you for good or bad.  Here is the you that God wholeheartedly accepts and loves and longs to embrace. 

Jesus said in Revelation 3 to a particular church an invitation for us to open our "holy of holies" to Him and let Him come in- "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me." 

I challenge you and me to allow Jesus to peel back the levels of our lives so that He can make us transformed into His image.