Psalm 45

More of a comment than a full-blown blog posting.

My Sunday School class studied Psalm 45 this week. I have to admit that this was a great psalm for my reformed friends. You can't but help reading this psalm and seeing Christ at every turn. This psalm is a like a flashing neon sign pointing to Christ. As far as I'm concerned, it might as well have been placed in the New Testament (OK, maybe that is stretching it a little.)

I did have to admit to those in my class that it was a struggle to study this in the same way as I had studied the preceding psalms. The other psalms had a direct interpretation and application to the historical context in which they were written. I told the members of my class that, as a dispensationalist, this psalm was a mind-bender. This psalm can only be completely fulfilled in Christ. At least that's how I see it.

Christmas 2008 -- Part 2

Christmas 2008

Just a brief rundown of our Christmas Day.

The kids slept in until 8AM this morning. What a great way to start off this special day! Celane and I were actually awake before they were. We have definitely reared our children properly.

Kids then had a bath and then their special Christmas breakfast of Pillsbury cinnamon rolls. This has become a family tradition.

With breakfast out of the way, the kids opened their presents. Christopher had a slow start, but he finally got the hang of it. Sofia helped him along the way-- sometimes a little too much.

We did a short clean-up and then got ready to head over to La Casa de Rivera for Christmas dinner. Excellent as always! There was more than I could eat.

The kids then opened more presents with their cousins. Of course, this was a continuous photo session from multiple angles. Then, on to dessert! Apple pie, chocolate cake, cheesecake, and Christmas cookies. I limited myself to a small piece of apple pie and a couple of Christmas cookies. I may try a slice of cheesecake later on.

Now, I am just uploading photos so others can view and keep up-to-date.

The Kids

This is not a commentary. More of a pictorial review of the kids from the past couple months.

Consider the Poor

This week's Bible study will be from Psalm 41. As I have taken some time to read over and try to understand this psalm, I have been struck by the first verse. The first phrase of this psalm says, "Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble."

What does it mean to consider the poor? Does it mean to simple be aware of the poor in society? I decided that I needed to have a better understanding. After all, the first three verses of this psalm proclaim some promises for the one that "considers" the poor.

I did a short word study on the word "considereth". I found that this Hebrew word was used quite a bit in the Old Testament. This same word was often translated "wise" or "wisdom", "skill" or "skillful", "prudent", "understanding", "teach", "instruct", and "prosper". The vast majority of the time this word was translated "wise", "wisdom", and "understand", or some derivation of these. It became obvious to me that in order to "consider" the poor I must do better than simply be aware of them. I must understand, learn, and use wisdom in regards to those who are poor.

Now I must ask myself some other questions. Do I understand the poor? Do I know what it is that they struggle with on a daily basis? Do I have a grasp of what it means to be unable to meet my own physical needs, and to have to rely upon another? Before I can expect the blessings mentioned in Psalm 41 I must have an understanding of the poor -- who they are and the circumstances of their condition.

How well have I learned about the condition of the poor? Do I understand the larger picture of poverty-- its root causes and societal patterns? What are the major issues that the poor around me face? Obviously one issue is financial, but poverty often is interconnected with other issues that must also be understood and addressed.

What does it mean to be wise toward the poor? Does this mean that I need to put some thought into my charitable giving? Is it not enough to simply give some food or money? Is giving food or money always the best thing to do? If I fail to understand and learn the true state of those in poverty I can never expect to make wise choices in my interactions with them.

Needless to say, I did not make it much past the beginning of Psalm 41 this week. Thankfully, my fellow classmates will have spent some time on other parts of the psalm and can help me tomorrow as we study together.

Musings from Psalm 39

Psalm 39 is an interesting psalm. It is a look into the thoughts of King David-- likely near the end of his life.

The psalm starts off with David thinking about his thinking. He is obviously really eaten up with what he is thinking about. Then, he offers up a prayer to God.

Basically, David realizes two things about himself. First, David realizes his life is short (vs. 4-6). Second, David realizes that his life has been full of sin, and thus brought upon him the reproof and chastening of God (vs. 8-11). It is no wonder that David was troubled in the first few verses of the psalm.

With these thoughts heavy on his heart, David finds solace in one thing-- his God. Verse 7 seems to be the keystone of this psalm. When the sad state of life stares you in the face you must place your hope in God.

As you now consider your own life, what do you look to? Do you look to yourself? What good is that. Life is short. What have you ultimately been able to accomplish with your life? Have you not daily struggled with unrighteousness that only leads to the consequences of sin in your life? What real good have you been able to accomplish on your own? No, looking to yourself has not gotten you very far. The only hope you have is in the Lord.

Fame

I had a very interesting experience this weekend. I attended a hall of fame induction ceremony for several local athletic legends. This year's inductees included Johnny "The Jet" Rodgers, who won the Heisman Trophy; Greg Olson, who had a 14-year MLB career and was selected the AL Rookie of the Year in 1989; and Joe Orduna, who helped take the Huskers to a national championship in the early 70s and played 3 years in the NFL.

As most of these inductions go, you shake hands with a bunch of locally-important people, eat a nice steak dinner (medium rare, of course), and then listen to the inductees talk about themselves. This is all to be expected since the whole point of the night is to celebrate the human accomplishments of these individuals. I was fully prepared to settle in for a night of small talk and polite clapping at the appropriate times. What I was totally unprepared for was to spend a night getting to know someone who has decided not to measure their life based upon athletic accolades from days gone by, but to measure their life by a different standard.

Joe Orduna, you see, is a graduate of the high school where I work. His high school football jersey is one of only four others that hang in a prominent place in our gym lobby. His name still graces some spots on our school's list of record-holders. He was also previously inducted into our own school's hall of fame several years ago, and thus his plaque hangs conspicuously with others upon Central High's hallowed halls. But, what Joe spent the most time talking with me about on Saturday night was his love for Jesus Christ. Joe shared his testimony with me and wanted to let me know about the great opportunities his athletic fame grants him to share the gospel.

Joe and I talked for quite a while both before the dinner and after. Joe went back to school after his NFL career and finished his degree. He now teaches high school biology in California. He told me about the wonderful Christian principal that he works for and the great group of believing, creation-oriented science teachers he works with. While most everyone else was hob-nobbing with Omaha's movers and shakers, Joe prayed with me off in a corner.

The ceremony began with a video homage to the inductees. Included were highlights from Joe's high school, college, and NFL career. Each inductee spoke. They all ceremoniously thanked their family, high school coaches, and others that helped them start their careers and then recounted their shining achievements. Joe also recounted some fond memories of his high school days and his time growing up in Omaha. He then shared a very clear testimony of how Jesus Christ saved his life and how this has meant more to him than any award or honor he could ever recieve. He also invited any that might want to talk to him or just might need someone to pray with them to find him at the end of the evening. While it was evident that not everyone was comfortable with what Joe said during his speech, it was also interesting to see those who approached him after the ceremony and wanted to share something with him that was on their heart. Joe simply asked if they would mind if he prayed for them. Joe has a knack of being very disarming. I was truly taken back by how simply he was able to share his testimony to those he had just met.

I am sure I will recount the time I met Johnny Rodgers, Gregg Olson, Gayle Sayers and others. Their fame has earned them a spot with my other fleeting memories of interesting things I have experienced.

I don't know if I will ever cross paths with Joe Orduna again. He has, by now, gone back to California where he will be teaching high school biology and serving in his church. I know I will remember Joe Orduna. He will be more than an interesting personality I once had the fortune to meet. He is someone whose testimony and faith will have a lasting impact upon my life.

The message Joe put on the football he signed for me sums it up best:
As God made me
So I am
As He wills
So will I be
A life dedicated
To Jesus Christ

November 1

I love early fall Saturdays. The weather is usually not too cold, and schedules are not overly hectic.

Today, the kids and I went for a little adventure. First, we stopped at our favorite donut shop for a special Saturday breakfast. Then we headed off to see what we could find.

Our travels first brought us to a gravel road that ended on the west side of some bluffs overlooking the Platte River valley. The vistas were great. I found several promising sites for a cozy house. We also found some land where they raise horses. Of course, we had to get out and look at them. Too bad we didn't have any apples. We couldn't quite coax the horses close enough for us to pet them.

Eventually, we found a road that wound us down the side of the bluffs and into the valley. We ended up right on the Platte River. Soon, we happened upon a spot that we could turn off the road and we climbed down to the riverbank. We stayed for almost 30 minutes. Once we had thrown in all the available sticks, the kids turned to playing with the sand. Next time we will bring some provisions so we can stay longer.

Our last stop took us to a little park in the heart of Elkhorn. The kids climbed the old WWII tank and then played for about 45 minutes. Naptime finally forced us back to the car and then home.

As soon as I finish here, I might just start planning next Saturday's adventure!

Life without TV

No, this is not a sermon on the dangers and pitfalls of owning a TV. I am sure you could do a quick Google search and find several of those if that is what you are looking for. I am simply commenting upon the recent expiration of our TV and the change it is having for me.

Our TV was one of those nifty models that had a built-in VCR. This was actually very useful. For the past 8+ years (it was a wedding present), we have not had to set a VCR timer, nor make sure the VCR and TV were on synchronized settings in order to watch a video. We could simply pop in a tape and we were immediately off to a night on the couch with a good movie.

My son had previously stuck things into the VCR slot which, I believe, caused the VCR function to stop working several months ago. Because most of the movies we now own are on DVD, this did not create much of a problem for us. The TV still worked fine.

Earlier this week, my son was again caught sticking small objects into the slot on our TV designed for VCR tapes. Very soon after, our TV began working improperly. Being the analytical type, I made the connection that if these objects were removed from inside the TV we would have a working set again. I removed these objects and our TV did begin to work properly.

Thursday, the TV again did not work properly. When you would go to turn it on it would switch back off in about 3 seconds. This happened no matter if you were trying to turn it on with the remote or directly on the TV itself. A few good bangs to the set seemed to rectify the problem. Thursday evening we were able to watch some TV with no further incident.

Last night, the TV again was having trouble staying on. Banging alone was not effective. I had to hold in the power button for an extended period of time before it would stay on. This time, though, instead of a clear picture on the screen we had a very narrow vertical line in the very center of the screen. The entire picture had been squished from the sides to the center and was displayed as a glowing ribbon about 1/8th of an inch wide. No amount of continued banging, adjusting, button pushing, or otherwise exasperated effort improved the situation. The verdict was in... Time of death: 4:47PM, October 10, 2008.

Celane was off to work. Sofia was off to the farm with her grandparents. Christopher and I were now at home with the sun quickly setting. We had passed some of the evening playing outside, but now were needing to head in. What were we going to do? We could not sit in front of the TV. Actually, we could sit in front of the TV, but that would have been strange. There was not much else to do but get in the car and go to a high school football game. The game was already in the 2nd quarter when we arrived, and we left near the end of the 3rd, but we had a good time. We watched some football, watched the marching band at halftime, and shared a hot dog.

Today, Celane had to go into work again. Christopher and I might have watched some cartoons on a typical Saturday morning. Instead we headed off in the car again. We walked around the mall to get some exercise and then Christopher played in the mall's play area for about 30 minutes. We came home to eat lunch and then I actually found time to read and now publish this second post of the day!

How long will we go without a TV? I don't know. We haven't really got a "new TV" section in our current budget. It might be a few weeks or even months. Will I miss watching some shows? Sure. The new TV season just started and there appeared to be some interesting shows I would have enjoyed. How will I fill my time? Well, I used to think I didn't have much time. Now, I will see how much time I might have been wasting. I have obviously already found new time to get some exercise, read, and update my blog. All this and it's not yet 2:30 on a Saturday afternoon. Wow, I probably have about 4 more hours or so of daylight with no TV interruptions! If I'm not careful I might just discover that life without TV is more like without TV, life.

How Very Creative

In a recent Wednesday night Bible study at my church, the study centered on the Creation. The interesting part about this was that we did not spend too much time going over the work of God in creating the physical universe. Instead, we talked about three creative ordinances that God established during His creative work. These three ordinances being labor, rest, and marriage.

Pastor posited that just as God designed natural laws that govern the physical world, He also designed at least these three ordinances that govern our human existence. These ordinances apply to all generations and all peoples just as physical and natural laws apply to the entire universe.

Of course, most of us have heard sermons on the importance of marriage and that marriage was instituted by God from the beginning. We surely can look at our society and see the negative consequences that have come from our general failure to follow the creative ordinance of marriage and what it should look like and accomplish. I will not take much time here to go into all of this since I am assuming we all are very familiar with what the Bible says about marriage.

I had not put forth much thought, though, on the implications of God's decrees for labor and rest. The ideas of labor and rest are not new to me. I am sure I could have answered, if questioned, that God ordained a place for labor and a place for rest within his creation, and that these were ordained for a purpose. What I had never taken time to ponder was the depth to which these two ordinances of God shape my life and society as a whole-- whether for ill or for good.

Just contemplate the recent economic crisis that has come upon our country. What are the causes of this crisis? Most experts, and common-sense folk, agree that major causes were greed on the part of lending institutions, greed on the part of governmental officials charged with overseeing certain sectors of the market, and greed on the part of individuals who spent more than they had and took out loans they could not really repay. What does the principle of labor as established by God in creation have to do with any of this? Once you stop to think for a moment it becomes quite clear that attempting to gain material possessions (houses, cars, dividends, stock options, payouts, inflated quarterly numbers, etc.) through quick and easy means is to circumvent the principle of labor that God Himself has established. Is it necessarily wrong to be materially wealthy? No. It is necessarily wrong to gain material wealth through deception and fraud? Absolutely yes!

The principle of rest has also been lost on our society as a whole, and, sadly, on much of the modern Christian community. Why did our society, in the not-too-distant past, have laws regulating activity on Sunday? Was it simply because a large portion of our society had been brought up with the notion that Sundays are "the Lord's Day"? That notion was certainly a part of it. Yet, I think there was more to it than that. I think that the original regulations on business activity and the like were formulated because at one time our society generally understood the principle of rest. God ordained one day in seven to be set aside to rest. This does not mean to simply not go to work. The idea of rest is clearly tied to putting off our usual daily cares and routines to focus on and worship God. What implications does our society now face because of the constant disregard for God by not giving Him His proper due?

As Bible-believing Christians strive to be salt and light in this world, we must remember the importance and necessity of clinging to the teaching of the Creation. I firmly believe it is important for us to defend the teaching of Creation from the atheistic\humanistic teaching of evolution. I have come to believe that it is just as important for Christians to defend the decrees of God set forth in His creative work on a daily basis. If we, as Christians, fail to uphold these three principles in our own lives, how will the world around us see what is lacking in theirs? The church of our generation cannot expect to be blessed by the Creator when we fail to abide by the Creator's decrees.

Change.

Much has been said regarding "Change" in this election year. Yesterday, I put a little change of my own into action. After 8+ years of sporting a beard (with only 2 very brief breaks during that stretch), I decided it was time for change.

Saturday morning I looked into the mirror and thought to myself, "What can I do to shake up my image this year?" For the last several years, I have asked myself questions at the beginning of the school year. These questions usually revolve around how I want to do my job. Each year I want to improve and make adjustments so that I can continue to do my part to reach toward the professional goals I have set for myself. The aforementioned question was one of those such questions for this year. I have to admit. I think this is the first time I asked a question that involved my personal appearance. So, this was new territory for me.

My answer to the question came quickly. The most immediate, drastic, and yet subtle changes I could make was to my facial hair. The beard needed to go. For anyone who has never worn a beard for any length of time it is difficult to convey exactly what this change means. Beards worn over long periods of time begin to define the beard-wearer. When the beard goes, an element of the individual's personality goes with it. It is necessary to account for this and to plan ahead. In my case, I felt it necessary to replace the beard with something else-- or, more specifically, something less.

No less important than the decision to discard the beard is the manner in which this is done. One cannot, or at least should not, simply slather on a handful of shaving cream and attach the face with a razor. While you can effectively rid your face of hair in this manner, it shows little respect for the beard. True beardsmen realize that the beard is part of you. As mentioned before, it helps define you. The beard shearing process must be thoughtful. The first step should be to trim down the beard to about a 3-5 day stubble before shaving. In my case, I needed to go over the beard 3 times with my electric clippers. Two different length guards were needed and then a final pass with just the bare clippers. There are two reasons for this. First, it is much easier to take a razor to stubble rather than longer hair. Second, you are able to visualize the departure of the beard. This second reason is psychological. As the beard becomes less and less and your face begins to emerge, you are able to see a "new" you emerging. This all ties into the beard being "part of you". Non-bearders will just have to trust me on this.

For me, I left myself a goatee. Some would argue that this means that I have not fully made a break with the beard. I would argue that this is not the case. The goatee is a separate entity. It brings its own grooming habits and idiosyncrasies different from the beard. Its "look" is of a different kind than the beard. This is my change for this year. I am at peace with this change. I think it will have a part in defining the course of the new year for me.

Summer Break

It's been a whole month since my last post (and that was just a few pictures). I thought it was finally time to update the blog.

I am officially on summer vacation. I taught summer school during the month of June. It was a success. I only had one parent call me to contest a grade. It never ceases to amaze me. First of all, you have to complete a semester's worth of curriculum (at least the bare bones of it) in 20 days. I try to stress this fact to the students the first few days so they understand that they really cannot afford to get behind. There is no going back. Second, you have to complete a whole semester's worth of curriculum in 20 days! Oh, did I just repeat myself? Why some kids think that they can do all or most of the work in the last 3-4 days is beyond me. I tell them daily what they need to accomplish that day and that week to be on track, and still some kids sit idle until the last week. The mother that called me was reasonable. She understood why her son did not earn a credit. She admitted that he waited until the end to try to pull everything off. Actually, she admitted that she sat up with him and did some of the work for him the night before! I think she was more upset that she probably spent several hours of her precious time doing his work and then he still did not pass.

I also interviewed for a new position the end of June. I am still waiting to hear word on that. They anticipated having to interview 3 or 4 other candidates. Since they thought 1 or 2 of those might be from out of town they weren't exactly sure when they would finish up the interviews and make a final decision. I will hopefully know by next week (or the 3rd week of July at the latest). If I get this job I will likely have to attend some meetings the first part of August. It is hard to plan the rest of your summer when things are up in the air like this.

On another front, church has been very good lately. Pastor has recently focused on what it means to demonstrate the love of God to others -- especially others who claim to be Christians. He definitely has hit on a point that is not talked about too much in many places today. God's love is demonstrated differently in different situations. For instance, Pastor asked, "How do you demonstrate the love of God when your 4 year old disobeys you?" "How do you demonstrate the love of God when a Christian brother is involved in an adulterous relationship?" "How do you demonstrate God's love when someone shares some gossip with you?" Too often we tend to think God's love is demonstrated by "turning the other cheek". Or, we think that it wouldn't be loving to point out sinful patterns in someone else's life because we would then be "judging" them. Pastor has been reminding us that God's love compels us to speak truth to people-- even when that truth may not be easy to share. He has also reminded us that we must speak the truth in love, but we must speak the truth. This has been a good reminder for me.

Well, I am sure this leaves much to be desired as far as updates go, but I need to sign off for now. Hopefully, it will not be a whole month before I am again able to add a post.

Recent Pictures

Reflections

Educators work on a different schedule than most other people. Our calendar year ends around the end of May or beginning of June when school gets out. We are then able to focus on the many things we have been forced to put off for the last 10 months. We also can take time to reflect upon the past year. In a sense, it is almost like having two New Year's seasons. Personally, I even make some resolutions regarding my career and school life for the coming school year.

Last year at this time I sat down for about 45 minutes and wrote out a summary of the school year. I never have shown it to anyone, and I never intended to. It was strictly for me to reflect on what went well, what could have been better, and to make sure I didn't forgot some of the more memorable moments.

One of "resolutions" I came up with last year was that I would take some intentional steps to actively pursue a new position. I purposed to complete my school district's leadership training institute, begin to network with other administrators in the district outside of my building, and to do what I could to increase my name recognition among the movers and shakers of the school district. To one degree or another I have accomplished all three of those things. I completed the training institute. While doing so I was able to meet and get to know not only other future leaders, but also to meet current district leaders and get a broader perspective on what goes on. Hand in hand with this I did get increased name recognition. I cannot take much credit for the name recognition part. I have truly been blessed to work for some excellent administrators that make a point to give me and others opportunities. Specifically, the athletic director at my school, Darin Williams, has gone out of his way to make sure people are aware of me and what I could bring to potential administrative positions.

I need to tell you a little bit about Mr. Williams. He came to my school 3 years ago from a middle school. He came into a bad situation. The athletic department had no discipline and was regularly in the local press for less than positive things. Another staff member at the school had worked closely with the outgoing athletic director and was confident that they would inherit the job. Many staff members at the school thought the same thing. When Mr. Williams was selected for the position he was immediately viewed as the enemy and outsider. Needless to say, he did not come into the most ideal of situations. Mr. Williams did not set out to win over the naysayers. He did not sit back and "get a feel" for the job for the first year or so. He just came in and did what he thought was right from day one. He didn't really care what people thought. He cared whether or not he was making right decisions and doing what was best for the program. Many people thought he was a fool. A number of people purposely tried to sabotage him during his first year. At the end of that first year, the basketball program won its first state title in a long time. Everyone tried to write Mr. Williams off. They tried to convince themselves and anyone who would listen that he had nothing to do with the success. Mr. Williams didn't care. He frankly was not bothered that he received no credit whatsoever. He just continued doing his job and making the difficult decisions that many before him would not make. Year two came around and the boys basketball team again won a state title accompanied by a state track title and a state wrestling champion. This time it was harder for people to be convinced that Mr. Williams had no hand in the success of the athletic program. The difference was becoming clear that ever since Mr. Williams started holding coaches accountable, the various programs quickly rose to meet his high standards. This had trickle down effects in state championship rings. This last school year, we added a third straight basketball title and a football state championship. We were also named 10th most successful high school athletic program in the nation by Sports Illustrated.

Mr. Williams allowed me to play a vital and visible role in the athletic program for these last three years. As the success of the athletic program has gone, so has gone my name recognition. The funny thing is, many people see me at the majority of the sporting events and think I have a larger role to play than I really do. Several have even commented to me that I seem to be more of an athletic director than Mr. Williams. Of course, I appreciate the fact that they recognize that I put a lot of time and energy into what goes on. Yet, they have no clue as to the way things really are. While I get to show up and make sure game night runs smoothly and get seen by parents, students, staff, and district personnel on a regular basis, I don't have to make the tough and unpopular decisions that truly set the course for the program. And, as much as I try to explain to people, they just could never truly understand the full magnitude of this unless they were in my position. I guess that is the way it is for most things. What is seen on the surface is not the whole picture.

So, as I look back and reflect on what I have been able to be a part of and what goals I was able to meet, I am also thankful for the opportunity to work with and learn from one of the best leaders around.

Call Me Crazy . . .

I have had a strange thought in the past couple days. I have actually considered -- just marginally, mind you-- taking some Human Resources classes. I have come to realize that all industries have some form of human resources department that is vital to their operation. In the school district I work for, for example, the HR department makes all the hiring and firing (oops... should read "termination of contract") decisions. In doing this, they handle disputes between staff and administration, and they deliberate complaint and grievance issues from parents and students .in cases of alleged employee misconduct. In short, these individuals make decisions that have major impact on everyone in the district.

As I have contemplated possible career advancement the thought of working in this department has intrigued me.

I would love to write several more paragraphs on this subject, but my son is getting restless and will not last much longer on my lap. It's time to pack up the laptop, head out of Panera, and get home. I can almost remember a day when my time was my own.

Bursting the Bubble

No, this posting is not about the "mortgage crisis".

Today was the Nebraska state high school track meet. Among other things, this meant that my school (Omaha Central High) again vied for another state title. You see, we have won 5 state titles in the last 3 years. We have won state basketball the last 3 years in a row, the boys' state track title last year, and the state football title earlier this school year. We were the first class A school in the state to hold 3 major state titles in the same calendar year. This is primarily due to the class of student athletes that have come through the school the last few years.

Early in the year expectations ran high. Would we continue the tradition? Would we win a second boys' state track title in a row? Would we finish out the year winning football in the fall, basketball in the winter, and track in the spring? We definitely possessed the talent to pull it off. All but a couple major players from last year's track team had returned this year. In fact, we were faster than ever. Just before track season, though, two of our key components declared that they would not be participating in track. They both signed to play football for Iowa State next year, and they wanted to focus on preparing for that. This made our almost sure state title a virtual pipe dream. We still had speed, but our relay crews were decimated.

In the district meet we did well and a larger than expected group of our runners qualified for state. A glimpse of hope remained. If everyone stayed healthy and really stepped up we still had an outside shot at brining home the title. If nothing else, we looked good to make a convincing run for runner-up.

Day one of the state competition was positive. Our runners did great in the preliminaries. We had good lane assignments going into the finals. We had enough individual and team competitors to earn the points necessary to win the gold.

Day two was beautiful. Clear skies. Sunshine. A light breeze. Then, things began to turn against us. One of our fastest relayers hurt his leg in the triple jump the day before. He also was slotted to run the 110-meter hurdles early today and exacerbated his injury. He was knocked out of the relays for the afternoon. Our other "lock" for event points in the 300-meter dash false-started and was disqualified. We did walk away with several individual wins, but our team points suffered. Our wave of state title victories crashed upon the rocks. Stunned, we packed up and headed home.

Thus another chapter in great high school sports history has come to a close. Yes, I will still look up at the 5 trophies in my office from the last 3 years with satisfaction. But, the expectant conversations of, "Where will you put the next trophy," will not be heard any more this year. We must reflect on what was -- and almost was. And, if you listen closely, you can almost hear the distant din of preparations for next season. A month from now the dormant turf will once again be alive with football camps and endless drills. August will arrive and 11 tough and readied bodies will take the field. The crowd will look with anticipation and dare to dream again. Then you will hear the chant. Faint at first, but slowly growing, "Just like last year... just like last year... just like last year..."

Biblical Interpretation

My Sunday School class is currently going through the Psalms. It has been a very rewarding study. A discussion from this past Sunday's discussion sparked a question in my mind.

First, you must understand that I attend a reformed Baptist church. Among other things, this means that the entirety of Scripture is seen as one unified story that culminates in the person and work of Jesus Christ. "What is wrong with that?" one may ask. Nothing is terribly wrong with that view. It must simply be recognized that not all Christians have that exact view. Many Christians see the Scripture as the unfolding of God's plan for mankind to bring Him glory. In other words, not everyone views the Old Testament in exactly the same way. Reformed Baptists would tend to read the Old Testament and look for things that point to Jesus Christ. While there are definite passages that do this; those of the Reformed stripe would tend to do this to the Nth degree. (Of course, this is a gross simplification for purposes of space.)

Anyway, we were studying Psalm 16 this past Sunday and we were asked how that psalm applied to Christ (or if it did apply to Christ). One of my fellow classmates asked an interesting question. He asked if David -- who wrote that psalm-- would have "seen" Christ in the words he was writing. His point was that Psalm 16, like any other OT passage, had a real and imminently applicable meaning to those who originally received it. It was commented on in class that during the Middle Ages it was common to view Scripture as having several dimensions of meaning: Literal, Spiritual, Mystical, etc. The downfall there was to not know which "meaning" was accurate. My classmate wondered if by seeking to "read between the lines" to find references to Christ if we could fall into a similar trap. He reminded us to start by simply reading the Bible as it is written and not to be too quick to find "deep" meanings in the text.

This is one reason why I truly enjoy this class. There is a spirit of openness and a freedom to challenge each other. Needless to say, the discussion was very interesting for the remainder of the class.

31

I turned 31 earlier this month... Actually, a week ago today. This didn't seem to phase me until about two days ago. I was listening to a Ravi Zacharias broadcast and he was telling the story of a missionary to India that translated the New Testament into 3 Indian dialects before he died at the age of.... you guessed it -- 31.

What a humbling thought when I look back on my life and evaluate what I have accomplished with the time I have been given. I have definitely not translated large portions of the Bible into several languages. In fact, I have none but a minutely crude grasp of one language beyond English.

When I consider all of my "best" accomplishments -- the ones I list on my resume and brag about at a job interview-- they appear almost meaningless next to the accomplishments of so many others. This is a humbling thought. Yes, I will still "sell myself" as I strive to attain a larger sphere of influence in my career field. But, I will also remind myself that only what is done for Christ will last.

If I am blessed with 31 more years what will be accomplished? Will it be said of me that I had influential career as a well-respected educator? Or, will it be said that I was a man that sought after God?

The Charge of the Light Brigade

Please enjoy the following poem (which has always been one of my favorites). I happened to be discussing it with someone the other day and thought it would be an excellent addition to the blog.

Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
"Forward, the Light Brigade!
"Charge for the guns!" he said:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

"Forward, the Light Brigade!"
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Someone had blunder'd:
Their's not to make reply,
Their's not to reason why,
Their's but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred.

Flash'd all their sabres bare,
Flash'd as they turn'd in air,
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while
All the world wonder'd:
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro' the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian
Reel'd from the sabre stroke
Shatter'd and sunder'd.
Then they rode back, but not
Not the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro' the jaws of Death
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.

When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wondered.
Honor the charge they made,
Honor the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred.

Copied from Poems of Alfred Tennyson,
J. E. Tilton and Company, Boston, 1870

Eyewitness

Today I had to go to court. I was a witness in a case against a parent of a former student at my school. The parent had come up to the school in December because she was upset with how a situation was handled with her daughter. She ended up having to be handcuffed and taken out of the school by police officers. She was charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and several other charges.

It was definitely interesting to see the legal system at work. The questions that both the prosecuting attorney and the defense attorney asked were basically the same. The way in which they were spun, though, was very different. For the most part, the prosecuting attorney simply asked me who, what, where questions. The defense attorney tried to ask several leading questions in which I had to answer very carefully.

One question in particular was asked about why the parent had come up to the school on that day. I was asked, "Did Ms. Allen ask you to leave a copy of the information regarding student searches in the office so that she could pick one up?" I answered yes because the parent did tell me that she would like a copy of this information provided to her. The next question was, "Why was there not a copy of this information left for her in the main office?" I made sure that I responded that multiple copies of that information is always in the office, but I personally handed a copy to her myself. Several following questions from the defense attorney continued to try to make the issue the fact that the parent was provided the information in my office rather than the main office. Needless to say, I felt that I needed to remain alert and answer each and every question strategically so as not to be backed into a corner.

The other interesting part of my experience involved me using profanity with the judge. Now, before you get the wrong idea let me explain that I again was clarifying some information pertaining to this incident. I had to repeat to the judge the various obscene and vulgar statements that were made to me by this parent and another individual that was with her. I am fairly certain that I am one of the few people who have ever made any of these comments directly to this judge in court and been dismissed with no reprimand. Let's just say that if I had to say these same things to my mother I would definitely blush.

So, that was a taste of my first experience testifying in a court of law. Oh... the defendant was found guilty. The sentencing was set for a later date. I was told by the prosecuting attorney afterward that this was done because he is asking for some jail time in this case. Because the defendant had 22 prior charges on her record (some of which include disorderly conduct) the judge was going to review her file before handing down a sentence.

Stranger Than Fiction

I am not sure how this post will turn out. This week I had, as far as I can tell, the most surreal experience of my life thus far. I was made aware of some details of a police investigation that were straight out of a box-office thriller. Because this is an ongoing investigation I cannot really reveal any details at this time.

What I can tell you is this. I not only personally know the individual that allegedly was in the processing of committing some heinous crimes, but I also personally know at least several of the intended victims. That is what makes this whole situation stranger than fiction.

I have always said that one day I will write a book accounting the varied experiences I have had in the field of education. This will definitely be included. In fact, this may span several chapters in that book.

Since I can say no more regarding this strange and scary situation I will bring this post to a close. But, watch your local theater for a psychological thriller based upon a screenplay yet to be written.

Hats Off!

This week was spring break for me, so my wife picked up some extra hours at her job. That meant that I spent the whole week home with my two kids. I just have to say, "Hats off to my wife and all other stay at home moms."

Don't get me wrong. I loved spending time with my kids. We got to play and do things that I usually don't get to do with them. Yet, I do have to say that I was completely worn out at the end of each day.

Just trying to get out of the house was a feat in itself. I had to time everything just right. I had to strategically shower while the two kids were occupied doing something else. I then had to coordinate getting them both dressed, diaper bag packed, meals eaten, etc. There was a lot of analytical thinking that goes into that type of production. In fact, if someone would take the time to diagram the process on paper it might look like something you could find in a biochemistry textbook. (see diagram)

I have discovered that there is both an art and a science to wrangling children all by yourself. The science aspect deals with thinking through your game plan and developing an efficient flow of events. The art is getting a feel for the proper timing and knowing what motivational factors will be effective in keeping the troops moving and on schedule. Trust me, if you say, "Time to use the restroom," but the proper directive should have been, "You need to use the potty," then you spend an extra five minutes just overcoming that one obstacle. Even your phrasing needs to be intentional and on point. Losing five minutes at the wrong point along the chain of events could actually end up costing you twenty minutes!

The other daily event that requires the precision and dedication of a master orchestra conductor is in putting the kids down for a nap. The goal is to have both of them go down at the same time so that you actually have 5-45 minutes to do something that you would like to do -- like use the restroom yourself! I have found that getting them to lay down and fall asleep at all is an accomplishment. Getting it to happen for both at the same time is akin to a miracle. I am happy to report that I was successful in this endeavor more than once this week (though not every time).

Well, Sofia now wants dessert and Christopher is screaming for some yet-to-be-determined reason. My 4 minutes of allotted freedom is up.

It Could Never Happen To Me ...

I finished my hard day of work. I grabbed what I needed to head home and got into the car. I turned on my cell phone and called my wife to find out what was up for the afternoon/evening. I was definitely not prepared for what I heard.

The voice on the other end of the line said, "Sofia got her ears pierced today." Huh?! Did I just hear that right? What is the date, because it's a little early for an April Fool's joke.

"She got her ears pierced?" "Yes," was the reply. I honestly don't remember most of what was said for the remainder of the phone call. All I could think of was the fact that my little girl was a little less little. She had pierced ears!

Growing up, pierced ears were reserved for girls who were about to enter womanhood. Sure, call me old-fashioned, but this is a big deal! These are not some temporary decoration that can be discarded at a later time. This is kind of a permanent thing. It's right up there with getting a 30-year mortgage, saying "I do", or getting a tattoo. This is pretty much irreversible.

The scary part is not so much the irreversibility of the physical aspect, but the irreversibility of the emotional aspect. Whenever I look at my daughter from now on I will see her pierced ears and be reminded that she won't be my little girl forever. That one day she will grow up. Today, she grew a fairly measurable amount and a little piece of my little girl is gone forever.

Yet, I am trying to deal with this as best as I can. I remind myself that she is still only 3 years old. She still orders off the kid's menu at restaurants, and sits in a car seat. There are still many more milestones to pass before my little girl is but a distant memory. No one told me that fatherhood would be like this.

Right now, I can just look at my not-so-little girl and say, "Your earrings are pretty. I like them a lot."

Say What?!

My local paper ran a story today focusing on one aspect of poor, black community in Omaha, NE. The aspect it focused on was the seemingly endless cycle of unwed, teenage mothers in this community. The story features Samona, 31, and Keyana, 16. Samona is Keyana's mother. They both just had a baby this year-- Keyana her first, and Samona her 12th. The following is a quote from the news article:

Of the seven men who fathered Samona's children, only one is steady on child support and another pays occasionally. Three were last known to be in jail. One remains married to someone else. All drop in and out of the kids' lives.

Samona's current beau, Tony, is the father of her youngest four.

Samona loves him but can't envision them married.

He cooks and helps watch the kids. He also has a criminal record, which hurts employment prospects. Even if he had a job, Samona says, his five children from a previous relationship would share any child support.

What benefit would marriage bring, she asks, if the husband can't offer her a higher standard of living?

Say What?!

OK... forget the fact that Samona has had children from 7 different men. That last line hit me like a ton of bricks! "What benefit would marriage bring ... if the husband can't offer ... a higher standard of living?"

Let's see....
Marriage could possibly offer at least the following things:
1. A stable family structure for the children.
2. A second adult at home to provide moral support and encouragement when times are tough.
3. An example of adults taking responsibility for their actions (i.e., the kids).
4. At least some measure of second income to help provide for physical needs.

I took all of 25 seconds and came up with those four benefits that a marriage could provide. Do we as a society honestly only view marriage in terms of what we can get from it?!

Samona very clearly defined the problem of not only unwed mothers in the black community, but in any community. The cycle of unwed mothers continues because we have a very wrong view of marriage. Of course, if marriage is only there to give us a "higher standard of living" then why should someone get married -- unless to someone rich? It is clear to me that if any community is going to break this cycle they must first change their view of what marriage is all about.

Read the full article here:
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10296434

Going Mobile

My 13-month-old son crawled today! Finally!
He has been making attempts at crawling for the past month. He finally got everything working together. This means we have to re-baby-proof the house. So, my wife dug out the gate for the stairs.
Stair gates are both a blessing and a curse. The obvious blessing is that they keep the kids from tumbling down the stairs. The curse is the fact that it becomes inconvenient to go up and down the stairs. You find yourself doing strange things to keep from having to use the stairs. For example, the TV is downstairs. This means that I will likely go days without watching TV just to avoid going downstairs. For some reason, my wife doesn't think that this is just cause to spend money on a flat screen HDTV for the upstairs.
We must also move books, magazines, and other odds and ends high enough off the floor so that they are out of reach. We find that we quickly run out of shelf space.
The biggest concern comes from the small particles of food and other items that often end up on the floor and go unnoticed. Stray cheerios are not so big an issue. Aside from the disgust factor of eating something that has lain in a shadowy crevice for 3 days, not much legitimate harm can come from them. The bigger concerns are in the form of forgotten play-doh peices, shards of plastic wrapping, and the rare- but highly interesting- toenail clipping. These, and similar dangerous nuisances, are a bane to the parents of a mobile child.
So, if you read a blog in the next few weeks that seems disjointed and possibly unfinished, be sure that I have had to drop my train of thought to do immediate intervention for my son.

Interviews

Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to interview for a new position with the school district. It was both exciting and informative. I had been seeking an interview for the past two years. Here are some observations I drew from my experience.
Observation 1: Always be prepared. I received a call on a Friday and was asked if I would like to interview the next Thursday. I tried to take some time to prepare for the interview, but it quickly occurred to me that I did not have as much time as I would have liked. The evening before the interview I came to the conclusion that my last-minute preparations would not do me much good anyway. It was like cramming for an exam in undergrad. If I did not know what I was talking about by now, I wouldn't know any more just be reading and looking over a bunch of material a few nights before.
Observation 2: What you say is important, but how you say it is just as important. The interview was set up as a series of 5 stations. Each station allowed me to demonstrate my readiness for a different aspect of the prospective position. At several stations I did some written work and then was asked some oral questions regarding the information. It became quite apparent that how I was presenting myself was just as important as the content of my words. It was clear that the interviewers were looking for poise, clarity, and good eye contact.
Observation 3: Don't overthink it. This interview process was not as harrowing as I had expected. Don't get me wrong. I wasn't given just a handful of softball questions and then I was done. But, the majority of the questions were things that I had expected and already deal with on a daily basis. It would have been easy for me to over-analyze the questions and become redundant and verbose in my answers trying to impress the panel. This would have simply demonstrated my ability to be a windbag. Instead, I found it much more relaxing and effective to give clear and brief answers. Often I would give just enough of an answer to allow the interviewers to deduce that I knew what I was talking about. If they wanted expansion they would ask follow up questions. This allowed the interview to be less one-sided and more interactive. It also allowed me to simply be myself and not get too uptight.
Observation 4: Leave them something to remember you by. This is obviously a no-brainer. I interviewed with a group of at least 10 people that day. We all went through the same 5 stations and were staggered throughout the day. I was right in the middle of the group. There was at least one other day that another group of candidates went through the same process. I had to give them something to remember me by. I was prepared to do this (see observation #1 above). I made sure to work in the fact that I was probably the only candidate they interviewed that day that had the educational background that I do. I made sure they were aware that I not only attended public schools growing up, but also private schools, and was also homeschooled. I delivered this tidbit purposefully, and it was immediately apparent that the panel found this interesting. I could also tell they wanted to know more, but were restrained because of the format of the interview process. I know they went away wondering about my particular experiences and how they would be an asset to the district.
I have yet to hear back on the results of the interview. I was told that they would be making decisions starting in the middle of March through the end of April. I also know from past experience that they could call me the day before school starts next year and offer me a position. So, we shall see how well I fare.

Books, books, books...

Lately I have allowed much of my free time to be eaten away by reading some new books. I know, I know ... I haven't even finished all the other books I had already started. Actually, I did finish "By His Grace And For His Glory" and "No Excuses: Closing the Racial Gap in Learning" and "The Cross-Centered Life". Those were each informative and motivational.
I went to a new book store that opened up a couple weeks ago. They buy and sell books, so you can find a whole bunch of hidden treasures there. I bought two books. One is a small book called "The Cathedral and the Cube". It looks at the differences in the American and European worldviews. The premise is that the difference stems from the fact that Europe has largely become secularized while the U.S. still has a modicum of Judeo-Christian sensibility left. It was written by a catholic so the author's idea of "Christian" doesn't always fall exactly in line with me, but overall it is a very insightful book.
The other book I picked up is titled, "No Excuse Leadership: Lessons from the Army's Elite Rangers". Of course, after seeing the title I just had to pick it up. It was only $7 after all. While some rough army language appears from time to time in the book, the principles are sound and thoughtful. The special forces have always intrigued me. I always thought that if I had joined the military I would have wanted to end up in some type of special forces unit. If you are going to do something you might as well go all out and be the best you can be. The military has been very successful in developing leaders so I knew I would find some useful nuggets in the book.
The men's group at church have also started a new book -- "The Joy of Fearing God" by Jerry Bridges. I know several people that have read this book previously and they all highly recommended it. I am looking forward to starting it.
Don't worry. I am still making my way through "The World is Flat."

Political Musings as of Feb. 14

I was talking with one of my acquaintances recently who is a huge politophile. This guy loves talking politics. Actually, this guy loves talking anything. He just loves hearing himself talk if you want to know the truth. Anyway, I enjoy getting him going on politics. He is a self-proclaimed traditionalist-- a.k.a. O'Reillyite.
The topic of our conversation was the current race for the candidacy of the GOP and Democratic tickets. I personally like Huckabee. He is the strongest conservative candidate out there. My acquaintance doesn't think Huckabee can pull it out (which it is beginning to look like he can't) and really likes Obama. He thinks Obama is more conservative than Hillary. This is a perfect example of Obama's success at painting himself as the candidate of "change". This acquaintance of mine really knows nothing about what Obama stands for. If he did, he would realize that he stands pretty much with Hillary on almost all issues.
Anyway, here are some thoughts on what could happen in the coming months. 1) Huckabee receives a huge surge from conservative voters because he begins to pick up those that were backing Romney. Huckabee then becomes the VP nominee on the ticket with McCain. 2) Obama ousts Hillary as the Democratic nominee and energizes a large independent bloc of voters. 3) Michael Bloomberg waits until the Democrats and Republicans begin beating each other and then announces his run as an independent. Bloomberg makes a decent run for office because a vast majority of voters are sick of the political games.
My colleague said he would buy me Jimmy Johns if Huckabee makes a real good showing in the GOP race. He also said he would buy me 10 Jimmy Johns if Bloomberg becomes president. I didn't set out to gamble on the election, but I will definitely take some free sandwiches if some of my musings turn out to be pretty close.

Happy Valentine's Day

It's that time of year again. Time to show the significant individuals in our lives how much they mean to us. In my case, I needed to let my lovely wife know how much she means to me.
Not only has my wife been a good spouse, but she has also been an exceptional mother to our kids. She tirelessly tends to their needs while I spend a lot of time away from home. This weekend basketball season is over. That means that I am ending a 2 and a half month stretch of 4+ nights a week out until 9 or later. My wife has had to deal with the kids single-handedly for most of that time. She not only has survived, but she has kept the kids healthy (at least as healthy as can be expected for two young kids in the dead of winter), kept up with the laundry, and kept the family on track.
Oh, did I also mention that she has also been working a part-time job?
So, here's to you, Celane. Happy Valentine's Day!

Currently Reading...

I like to read. I have always enjoyed reading. In fact, I have always enjoyed reading almost anything. There are always about 3-5 books that I am making my way through. Do you remember having to do book reports in grade school? I never did understand those at the time. Interestingly enough, they may have been one of the best preparations I had going into graduate school. It sure does seem that higher one goes up the tier of education, the more one must educate oneself. This is where not only reading, but being able to analyze and synthesize what you read comes in handy. Therefore, hats off to you, 6th grade book report. You were invaluable.

I recently finished a very interesting book titled "By His Grace and For His Glory: An Historical, Theological, and Practical Study of the Doctrines of Grace in Baptist Life" by Nettles. While the thrust of the book dealt with the influence of Calvinistic teaching in the Southern Baptist Convention, the book also had great sections dealing with Baptists in general in an historical sense. I came away with a greater appreciation of my Baptist heritage. I also came away with a greater understanding, and appreciation, for Calvinistic thought. While I still am struggling with the whole issue of "Limited" or "Direct" Atonement, I would definitely classify myself as a staunch 4-point Calvinist at the conclusion of this book. I won't venture any further on this subject at this time. There are entire communities of blogs devoted solely to the critique or defense of Calvinism, and I have neither the time nor the wisdom to begin down that path in this posting.

I am about halfway through an interesting book on chronicling the globalization factor in our times. "The World is Flat" by Friedman, details the many factors that have come together in recent years to "flatten" the playing field between developed countries and much of the rest of the world. Friedman discusses technological innovations, business models, economic models, international trade issues, and Wal-Mart. At first glance, a book on these subjects might seem to be latest cure for insomnia, but Mr. Friedman quickly gets your attention and keeps it. He has a knack for taking these highly complex issues and making sense of them in a way that the average guy, like me, can understand. I am currently beginning a section of the book in which he discusses the changes that will need to occur in the way we educate in this country if we want to stay ahead of the game. If you think that the trend of outsourcing jobs overseas is an important issue you need to read this book. It will give you a new perspective to consider on this and many other issues that not only affect the U.S. economy but also the economy of your family.

For pleasure, I am beginning to read through the Chronicles of Narnia again. For this I must thank my wife. She brought Lewis' classic series home one day recently and I couldn't resist. I know that I must frustrate her because I am constantly stealing her book. I haven't read this series since I was about 13 or 14, and I am thoroughly enjoying the read. I might even get through Prince Caspian before the movie comes out later this year.

Finally, I am about to start a very small book titled, "The Cross Centered Life." I will keep you posted.

Just Cognitizing... For The First Time

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

What better way to launch my first blog than to borrow one of the better opening lines in literature? That line pretty much sums things up. I could just go ahead and wrap it up right here. But, I've never been one to quit while I'm ahead.

In case you haven't figured it out, the title "Just Cognitizing" is just my way of humoring myself. I could have titled my blog "Just Thinking", but that's a little too vanilla for my taste. I decided to add some chocolate syrup and sprinkles so it has some extra appeal (at least to me). I tried to title this blog several different times before settling on this one. Unfortunately, all of those were already in use.

So, what can you expect to find at Just Cognitizing? My grand plan is to offer (on a somewhat regular basis) my thoughts on sundry subjects. I will try to offer rational and reasoned thoughts, though an occasional rant may slip in. We all need our soapboxes once in a while. You may often find thoughts on coffee, politics, theology, and education. Education because it is my profession, politics because I want to sound sophisticated, theology because it shapes my worldview, and coffee because it is my passion. Of course, I may also throw in sporadic references to my family-- my gorgeous wife and two kids, who are the cutest you can find. (No, seriously, they are cuter than yours.) The above will not be an exhaustive list, but these themes will return with regularity, I am sure.

I do not want to drag out this introductory posting, but I must share a bit of good news. Just previous to posting this I finished up my taxes. We will receive a nice refund! Of course, this means that I probably should make some adjustments on how much Uncle Sam takes from my paycheck each month. From the time I first started receiving a paycheck people told me to try not to have more than necessary withheld from my earnings. To this point it has never really seemed too terribly important to me to do this. Every year I receive some amount of refund and have viewed it as a "bonus". Now that I have a couple of kids I am realizing why being intentional with my withholdings is important. $100 or more each month that we are able to use to buy food, diapers, clothes, GAS, etc. Goes along way. So, let me leave you with a final thought. (I do realize that by making this statement I will sound old and boring to anyone younger than 21.) Do not just blindly pay your taxes. Know what you should pay and adjust your monthly withholdings to reflect that. Getting money back from the IRS does not equate to a "bonus." It equates to a refund of YOUR money that YOU could have been using to accomplish YOUR goals.