In our first blog post for this school year, I would like to take a chance and highlight the character program we have begun in chapel. This past week we completed our fourth character quality by discussing perseverance. I am amazed at how even our young students have grasped the concepts of what we are studying. We have spent time discussing compassion, hope, citizenship, and perseverance. Many of you have already shared with me how your children have come home and put into action some of what we have said. There is nothing that brightens my heart more than to know that what we are doing is making an impact in the lives of our students. We will continue to discuss the character qualities of responsibility, respect, courage, excellence, and honesty over the coming weeks. Each week we are posting the character quality of the week on the school website along with the link to the Focus on the Family website where the program we are using originates. I challenge you to take a look at the Focus on the Family website and use some of the materials that go along with the weekly character quality to foster discussions at home. This is a great way to connect learning at school with learning at home!
It is again my plan to post thoughtful discussions to my blog every few weeks. I hope that you will read along as we try to explore various topics that have an impact on families and parenting. As a parent myself, we are in this journey together. The hope is that we can generate discussion and help each other along this wonderful journey! Please feel free to comment and share your thoughts on the blog!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Creating A Modern Day Maiden
In today's society, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to protect the innocence of our little girls. As a father of two little girls, my wife and I are becoming more alarmed at the continued pressures that society and pop culture are placing on our girls to grow up and mature at an alarming rate. I recently found some sound advice on ways to protect little girls from the pressures that seem to be coming ever so swiftly to steal away their innocence.
I share these ideas with you because the only way we can protect the innocence of our daughters is to work together as a community to do so. It is much easier to raise Godly, pure, and innocent girls if everyone is together in the values they feel are important. Culture is pushing our children in a direction that stands in direct opposition to our values and beliefs. We cannot let our guard down for one minute, or our daughters can be snatched from us.
- First and foremost, we must pray for our daughters. Our daughters must be bathed in a lifetime of prayer, as they are young we must pray for their innocence. It is never too early to pray for a Godly husband for our daughters. My wife and I began this prayer the instant we knew God had given us a little girl.
- Secondly let them be a little girl for years. Encourage little girls to play like little girls. Give them dolls, a kitchen, and GREAT BOOKS! Be careful of the television shows that they watch. If your children are watching television, watch it with them so that you know what they are seeing. The same word of caution applies for the internet. As soon as your child begins to explore online, make yourself aware of what they are looking at, and install software to monitor their use.
- Don't make a big deal about body image, natural curiosity, or accidental innuendos. Attempt to cover these topics, when they arise, with grace as to not draw attention to them. Try to protect them from premature information.
- Enjoy dressing modestly with your daughter. Mother's the best gift you can give your daughter is to teach her to dress in a modest way. You don't have to break out the turtlenecks and embroidered sweaters (sorry if there is anyone reading this who loves a good embroidered sweater or turtleneck!) My point is that the best gift you can give your daughter is to teach her how to be fashionable, but at the same time modest. You are protecting her image!
- Teach her the difference between real beauty and "airbrushed" beauty. Help your daughter to understand that the women on Cosmo and other magazines are not real examples of beauty. Click on this link to see a great way of explaining this to your daughter.
- Celebrate the beauty of her inner self.
- Plan activities and conversations that tie your heart to hers. Have mommy and daddy dates with your daughters, establish bed time traditions, talk to her at dinner time, enjoy her personality, and love her no matter what.
I share these ideas with you because the only way we can protect the innocence of our daughters is to work together as a community to do so. It is much easier to raise Godly, pure, and innocent girls if everyone is together in the values they feel are important. Culture is pushing our children in a direction that stands in direct opposition to our values and beliefs. We cannot let our guard down for one minute, or our daughters can be snatched from us.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Where Have all the Knights and Maidens Gone?
As we begin to conclude the first decade of the 21st century, many things have changed. We were well on our way to change as we ended the 20th century, but in the past 10 years it seems that societal changes have begun to hit us at light speed. Unfortunately we have come full circle since the Industrial Revolution when children were expected to act like adults and find a job in a dangerous and often deadly occupation like factory work. Now we do not expect our children to perform physically deadly work, but our society has again removed the innocence of childhood by pushing our children into the spiritually deadly realm of forcing them to grow up and behave in ways and be exposed to material and discussions that should be reserved for adults.
When I was a middle school teacher, I felt that my students were being exposed to information by the media that I did not have any knowledge of until I was in late high school or even college. Now in elementary, I am seeing that same knowledge creep down to even lower levels. In many government schools, students are discussing sexual education in lower elementary grades and even kindergarten. The goal and aim of the current public school leadership is for schooling for ages 0-5 with sexual education beginning as low as kindergarten and junior kindergarten, with an emphasis on seeking one's own sexual identity. What kindergartner even needs to have knowledge of what sexual identity is at this age?
The dilemma we face as parents in preserving our children's innocence, is that these influences are everywhere. Many agendas are being slipped between the pages of children's books, and often, we as Christian parents are having our values attacked even in how we raise our children. Mainstream media does not support our efforts in teaching our children the values and beliefs that we hold so dear. It is important as we fight in this often toxic environment to remember to do as we are called and be "in the world, but not of the world". We cannot create a bubble for our children, as much as we would like to, but we must try in every way to shelter their innocence as long as it is healthy and appropriate. There will come a time when we as parents must begin to explain the dangers and pitfalls of the world to our children, lest they become ensnared in its temptations. As parents we must each individually decide when that time comes. It is also important for us to teach the values that are so important to our children as they grow, and to begin at an early age in order to have the most significant impact possible.
Over the next two entries, I will explore how to create a "knight" in your son and a "maiden" in your daughter in this difficult world that we now encounter. Look for each of these two entries over the next few weeks. Please feel free to leave a comment below and share your thoughts on how you have fought to preserve the innocence of your children.
(Comments may take up to 24 hours to post!)
When I was a middle school teacher, I felt that my students were being exposed to information by the media that I did not have any knowledge of until I was in late high school or even college. Now in elementary, I am seeing that same knowledge creep down to even lower levels. In many government schools, students are discussing sexual education in lower elementary grades and even kindergarten. The goal and aim of the current public school leadership is for schooling for ages 0-5 with sexual education beginning as low as kindergarten and junior kindergarten, with an emphasis on seeking one's own sexual identity. What kindergartner even needs to have knowledge of what sexual identity is at this age?
The dilemma we face as parents in preserving our children's innocence, is that these influences are everywhere. Many agendas are being slipped between the pages of children's books, and often, we as Christian parents are having our values attacked even in how we raise our children. Mainstream media does not support our efforts in teaching our children the values and beliefs that we hold so dear. It is important as we fight in this often toxic environment to remember to do as we are called and be "in the world, but not of the world". We cannot create a bubble for our children, as much as we would like to, but we must try in every way to shelter their innocence as long as it is healthy and appropriate. There will come a time when we as parents must begin to explain the dangers and pitfalls of the world to our children, lest they become ensnared in its temptations. As parents we must each individually decide when that time comes. It is also important for us to teach the values that are so important to our children as they grow, and to begin at an early age in order to have the most significant impact possible.
Over the next two entries, I will explore how to create a "knight" in your son and a "maiden" in your daughter in this difficult world that we now encounter. Look for each of these two entries over the next few weeks. Please feel free to leave a comment below and share your thoughts on how you have fought to preserve the innocence of your children.
(Comments may take up to 24 hours to post!)
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
31 Biblical Virtues to Pray for Your Kids
First, let me give credit to Bob Hostetler for this list. This list came from Pray magazine. I have begun praying for these virtues daily for my own children, and I want to share this list with you if you are interested in doing the same. It has been a great way for me to focus on specific ways to pray for my children, and it is great because it gives you a specific virtue through scripture allowing you to pray scripture for your children.
May God bless you and your famiy!
- Salvation. "Lord, let salvation spring up within my children, that they may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory." (Is. 45:8, 2 Tim. 2:10)
- Growth in grace. "I pray that my children may grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Pet. 3:18)
- Love. "Grant, Lord, that my children may learn to live a life of love, through the Spirit who dwells in them." (Gal. 5:25, Eph. 5:2)
- Honesty and integrity. "May integrity and honesty be their virtue and their protection." ( Ps. 25:21)
- Self-control. "Father, help my children not to be like many others around them, but let them be alert and self-controlled in all they do." (1 Thess. 5:6)
- Love for God's Word. "May my children grow to find Your Word more precious than much pure gold and sweeter than honey from the comb." (Ps. 19:10)
- Justice. "God, help my children to love justice as you do and act justly in all they do." (Ps. 11:7, Mic. 6:8)
- Mercy. "May my children always be merciful, just as their Father is merciful." (Lk. 6:36)
- Respect (for others, self, and authority). "Father, grant that my children may show proper respect to everyone, as your Word commands" (1 Pet. 2:17)
- Biblical self-esteem. "Help my children develop a strong self-esteem that is rooted in the realization that they are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus." (Eph. 2:10)
- Faithfulness. "Let love and faithfulness never leave my children, but bind these twin virtues around their necks and write them on the tablet of their hearts." (Prov. 3:3)
- Courage. "May my children always be strong and courageous in their character and in their actions." (Dt. 31:6)
- Purity. "Create in them a pure heart, O God, and let that purity of heart be shown in their actions" (Ps. 51:10)
- Kindness. "Lord, may my children always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else" (1 Thess. 5:15)
- Generosity. Grant that my children may be generous and willing to share, and so lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age." (1 Tim. 6:18-19)
- Peace-loving. "Father, let my children make every effort to do what leads to peace." (Rom. 14:19)
- Joy. "May my children be filled with the joy given by the Holy Spirit." (1 Thess. 1:6)
- Perseverance. " Lord, teach my children perseverance in all they do, and help them especially to run with perseverance the race marked out for them." (Heb. 12:1)
- Humility. "God, please cultivate in my children the ability to show true humility toward all." (Titus 3:2)
- Compassion. "Lord, please clothe my children with the virtue of compassion." (Col. 3:12)
- Responsibility. "Grant that my children may learn responsibility, for each one should carry his own load." (Gal. 6:5)
- Contentment. "Father, teach my children the secret of being content in any and every situation, through Him who gives them strength." (Phil. 4:12-13)
- Faith. "I pray that faith will find root and grow in my children's hearts, that by faith they may gain what has been promised to them." (Lk. 17:5-6. Heb. 11:1-40)
- A servant's heart. "God, please help my children develop servant's hearts, that they may server wholeheartedly, as if they were serving the Lord, not men." (Eph. 6:7)
- Hope. "May the God of hope grant that my children may overflow with hope and hopefulness by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Rom. 15:13)
- Willingness and ability to work. "Teach my children, Lord, to value work and to work at it with all their heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." (Col. 3:23)
- Passion for God. "Lord, please instill in my children a soul that 'followeth hard after thee' (Ps. 63:8, KJV) one that clings passionately to you."
- Self-discipline. "Father, I pray that my children may acquire a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair." (Prov. 1:3)
- Prayerfulness. "Grant, Lord, that my children's lives may be marked by prayerfulness, that they may learn to pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests." (Eph. 6:18)
- Gratitude. "Help my children to live lives that are always overflowing with thankfulness and always giving thanks to God the father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Eph. 5:20, Col. 2:7)
- A heart for missions. "Lord, please help my children to develop a desire to see your glory declared among the nations, Your marvelous deeds among all peoples." (Ps. 96:3)
May God bless you and your famiy!
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Christmas Message
Dear Parents,
As we near Christmas, it can become very easy to lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas. At church and at Briarcrest we are constantly reminded of what Christmas is about, the birth of Jesus Christ, our Savior. However, many times we still go about our everyday business of buying gifts and making out our own wish list.
The other day I received a true reality shock in the mail. As I was walking back up my driveway from my mailbox, I stood looking at two Christmas catalogs that could not have stood in a starker contrast. In one hand, I held a catalog for a moderately expensive gift company. These gifts are beautiful gifts of jewelry and art, and I have used this company many times to purchase special gifts for my wife. However, in the other hand, I held a catalog from World Vision, a non-profit organization in which our family sponsors a child in Africa. In the World Vision catalog, one could purchase a milking cow for a family or a package of farm animals for a family. The price of the gifts were amazing, $100 would buy a cow for a family or $250 would buy a few chickens, a pig, and a goat for a family. To look at the two catalogs and realize that I could have bought my wife a nice piece of jewelry for $100, or I could supply a poor and needy family with milk everyday for the same price astounded me. I stood there and thought about how mixed up our priorities can be many times. I also stood there amazed and blessed at what the Lord had given to me and my family. I often ask God, "Why did you allow me to be born in this wonderful country? Why have you blessed me with three wonderfully healthy children? Why am I able to send my children to a school such as Briarcrest?" I have yet to figure out why God choose to bless my family and me in this way, but I do know that since I have been blessed in this way, it is important for me to do something with this blessing.
As we look at this Christmas season, I hope that we can all put things in perspective. Let's find ways to teach our children that giving is far more important than receiving. The blessing of taking gifts to a needy family, or taking a Christmas meal to someone will leave a far more indelible impression in our hearts and the hearts of our children than any new video game or Christmas present that we receive. I pray that you all have a wonderful Christmas and are truly blessed during this marvelous time while we celebrate Christ's birth. Merry Christmas!
Dr. Bryan Williams
As we near Christmas, it can become very easy to lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas. At church and at Briarcrest we are constantly reminded of what Christmas is about, the birth of Jesus Christ, our Savior. However, many times we still go about our everyday business of buying gifts and making out our own wish list.
The other day I received a true reality shock in the mail. As I was walking back up my driveway from my mailbox, I stood looking at two Christmas catalogs that could not have stood in a starker contrast. In one hand, I held a catalog for a moderately expensive gift company. These gifts are beautiful gifts of jewelry and art, and I have used this company many times to purchase special gifts for my wife. However, in the other hand, I held a catalog from World Vision, a non-profit organization in which our family sponsors a child in Africa. In the World Vision catalog, one could purchase a milking cow for a family or a package of farm animals for a family. The price of the gifts were amazing, $100 would buy a cow for a family or $250 would buy a few chickens, a pig, and a goat for a family. To look at the two catalogs and realize that I could have bought my wife a nice piece of jewelry for $100, or I could supply a poor and needy family with milk everyday for the same price astounded me. I stood there and thought about how mixed up our priorities can be many times. I also stood there amazed and blessed at what the Lord had given to me and my family. I often ask God, "Why did you allow me to be born in this wonderful country? Why have you blessed me with three wonderfully healthy children? Why am I able to send my children to a school such as Briarcrest?" I have yet to figure out why God choose to bless my family and me in this way, but I do know that since I have been blessed in this way, it is important for me to do something with this blessing.
As we look at this Christmas season, I hope that we can all put things in perspective. Let's find ways to teach our children that giving is far more important than receiving. The blessing of taking gifts to a needy family, or taking a Christmas meal to someone will leave a far more indelible impression in our hearts and the hearts of our children than any new video game or Christmas present that we receive. I pray that you all have a wonderful Christmas and are truly blessed during this marvelous time while we celebrate Christ's birth. Merry Christmas!
Dr. Bryan Williams
Friday, August 29, 2008
Welcome!
Dear Briarcrest Elementary Parents,
First of all, I would like to thank all of you for the opportunity to serve your children and your family by being principal of this campus. It is a wonderful blessing to me to be able to serve all of you and to serve a school that is as wonderful as Briarcrest Christian School. Your children are a blessing to me every day, and I think you for allowing me to be a part of their education.
One of my goals as principal is to strive continuously to explore new ways to enhance the educational experience of our students and our families. This year, you will see many new experiences for our students, along with all of the wonderful opportunities that our students have always had at Briarcrest. One area that I have chosen to focus on is communication with parents and students. This blog is one of the first steps that I have chosen to undertake in the realm of parent communication. The purpose of this blog and any blog is to create ongoing dialogue between myself and the parents of our students. Every few weeks, I will post a new article on the blog, and you as parents will have the opportunity to respond to the blog and share your thoughts. Remember, as you post your entry, all those checking the blog will be able to view your thoughts. I will try to offer a variety of thoughts ranging from education to parenting and everything in between. I hope that you will find this a useful tool, and something that will provide you with an enjoyable and intellectually stimulating experience. While our main business at Briarcrest is to educate our students, our goal is to challenge them to be lifelong learners. It is my hope that as I strive to be a lifelong learner, we as parents can share in the experience together. As a parent of a 4 month old, 2 year old, and 3 year old, I long for any tips I can gain from parents who have already traveled the road I am going down. Thank you for your time, and I hope you enjoy this new experience!
Dr. Williams
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