A Dose of Winter January 30, 2012

The sun is shining brilliantly and the way the snow reflects the light warms the heart.  The large flakes of snow that gracefully fell yesterday cover the ground and it puts a bright white blanket on the damp and soggy ground.  It is a dose of winter; it is a reprieve from the dark, grey days that have become so prevalent these days.  We have not had many days like this during our current season.  It reminds me of a number of truths that are relevant to our community and our students.  It first reminds me of God’s forgiveness, being washed whiter than snow.  It is a good reminder that we are a community of grace and how we interact with each other.  Secondly, as the snow reflects the sun shine outside we are called to reflect the image of Christ to the world.  We are made in His image and some of our characteristics testify to that fact and as Christians we are called to be like shining stars in the universe. It brings me to the third truth of which I was reminded.  This sunny day brings a vivid light and a stark contrast to the dull grey days we’ve experienced numerous times this winter.   We are called as children of the light to shine in the darkness.  As in Proverbs 4:18 “The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.”  I encourage you to talk to people you know who could be a part of this community of grace shining like lights in the darkness as we reflect the image of God’s son, Jesus Christ. 

Celebration and Thanksgiving

How do we celebrate 50 years of God's grace to Dundas Calvin Christian School? Well, there is a weekend set aside, May 26-27, for the school community to give testimony to God for His faithfulness to DCCS for the past 50 years and to ask His Spirit for guidance for the next 50 years and beyond. At the beginning of the school year we read over Psalm 100, a psalm of thanksgiving, because our theme verse for the year is found in verse five. “For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.” The verse is fitting not only for speaking to the generational faithfulness that is evident at the school but it also sheds light on a proper way to celebrate. As stated, it is a psalm of thanksgiving. Grateful adoration is the only response; it is the only way to celebrate His goodness, His love and His faithfulness. So in this fiftieth year we acknowledge that we worship and praise God with happy hearts full of thanksgiving. Please join us in giving thanks to God for this school and His faithfulness for the past fifty years. Keep this school's future in your prayers as we continually seek to serve the Lord. May others see this school and its graduates and say the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.            ~ Mr. Bouwers

A Snapshot of Community - January 16, 2012

Yesterday I had the privilege of being invited by a family to come and be a member of the cloud of witnesses that agreed to support both the parents and their child as they raise him in the fear of the Lord. In one of the vows they expressed that with a reliance on the Holy Spirit and with the help of the Christian community, they would do all in their power to instruct these children in the Christian faith and to lead them into the life of Christian discipleship. As the body of Christ we agreed to receive them in love, pray for them, help instruct them in the faith, and encourage and sustain them in the fellowship of believers.  After the service there was a light luncheon. The din of many conversations filled the room as the time of fellowship overtook the space. It was not only a social time; it was also a sacred space. Following the luncheon a celebratory cake was brought out and the family stood behind it for pictures. I happened to be sitting with a few other gentlemen and we jokingly decided that the four of us should get ourselves into the pictures. After many pictures had already been taken, the four of us ended up behind the couple and their children.  We had a bit of a chuckle and so did they. It was while I was there, standing behind them with the three others, that it struck me how appropriate it was. In that picture was a family, supported by two members of their congregation as well as the principals from the Christian grade school and the Christian high school. It shows the commitment of the family to do all in their power to instruct their children in the Christian faith and the commitment from the Christian community to support them. It represented three major influences coming together to support that child: the family, the church, and the school. I wanted to share that moment as it has, once again, a wonderful reminder of how the community of Christ works together. We take our role in instructing the children in the way of the Lord seriously and enjoy our partnerships with families and the churches.  ~ Mr. Bouwers

Resolutions and Freedom January 9th, 2012

The start of a new calendar year usually brings a host of resolutions.  New Year’s resolutions are varied and can include the serious, the frivolous, and anything in between.  Losing weight, kicking a bad habit, starting a new trend or reinforcing varied disciplines or principles are common themes in regards to the resolutions we tie to the New Year.  Some see resolutions as goals they hope to attain in the coming year while others resolve to change some aspect of their character or a habit that they have picked up.  And still others see no point at coming up with a resolution just because it is a new year.  A resolution, a goal or taking up a discipline comes down to expanding our freedom.  When we make a commitment to change through the power of the Holy Spirit we give up the freedom to make perpetual self-serving choices.  The development of disciplines in our lives, resolving to give up serving ourselves, leads to a greater freedom in the end.  It may not be a school resolution but we do want our students to see that by developing disciplines and practices they will be better equipped to serve as a faithful presence in this world as they put the necessary time and effort into developing the gifts God has given them.