Family, Faith, and Freedom

This summer, my dad went home to be with the Lord on Father’s Day.  His heavenly body was rejoicing in glory as we laid his earthly body to rest in the bucolic grounds of Middle Tennessee Veterans Cemetery.  Dad spent most of his life outdoors and, aside from church, that’s where he felt most connected to God; I know he would have loved the setting.  The headstones of a veterans cemetery are simple and uniform, resembling acres of tiny white soldiers standing at attention.  After the required information is inscribed, there isn’t much room for customization, but my brother and I were allowed to select three words to appear at the bottom of the headstone.  How does one sum up the measure of a man and his 75 years of existence in just three words?  The task seems insurmountable, but I must tell you, the words came quickly and easily - faith, family, and freedom.  My father was a humble man with simple pleasures but he was hardly simple-minded.  He knew what was of eternal value and he chose to focus on that - and that alone.

Those three words came back to mind this past week as I enjoyed several days in the woods of Cleveland, GA with our middle school students on their annual retreat.  Like many summer camp settings, our students enjoyed the freedom to swim, zip-line, kayak, and much more.  But unlike many camps, they also grew in their faith as they enjoyed worship, chapel devotions, and small-group Bible study.  Retreat is an ideal setting for each grade to bond as a family as they build a deeper relationship with the only One who loves them more than their parents and teachers - their Holy Father.  Family, faith, and freedom, it would seem, are just as important here as they were to my father.

There is another thing that happens at retreat; something of great significance to our entire school - the selection of our annual theme verse.  For many years, our eighth grade students have been charged with this responsibility and time and again, they have risen to the challenge.  This year was no exception.  Drawing inspiration from Paul’s words to Timothy, it is my pleasure to share with you here for the first time, the theme verse for our 20th anniversary school year:

Sure, our students are still young with most of their lives still ahead of them.  But don’t believe for a moment that they can’t have an impact in their grade, in our school, and in this world.  In fact, our future as “one nation under God” depends on it.  I’m looking forward with great expectation to what God does with and through them this year.  I hope you are as well.

Blessings,