MY BLOG POSTS

When I teach characterization in literature, I use Edgar Allan Poe’s classic, “The Tell Tale Heart”. The narrator in that story starts out by saying, “I’m not crazy!” He repeats that throughout the story – as he’s recounting, in graphic
detail, how he murdered, dismembered, and buried the old man with the “evil eye”. He says, “I’m not crazy!” as he talks about stalking the old man for EIGHT nights, watching him sleep, laughing at how he scares the old man, and pridefully explaining how he committed the murder.

Readers of this story all agree that the narrator is, in fact, crazy. We don’t care what he says. His actions prove otherwise, and we all listen to actions more than words.

Today, we call that “judging” and many get angry. We behave in cruel, selfish ways, and when we’re called out on it, we say, “You have no right to judge me!!” and walk off angry and hurt.

But, folks, “judge” means “to form an opinion.” And if you have a brain in your head, you form opinions! And how do we form opinions? By watching what people do.

I know people who go around saying they love Jesus, that He is first in their lives, that their New Year’s resolution is to know Him better. Great words! But I see how they spend their time, their money, what they talk about, who they talk about, what makes them angry, what makes them excited…and I can tell if their “I love Jesus” statements are just empty words or if they really mean what they say.

And others do the same with me.

As believers in the One true God, we are called to stand out, to stand up, to be lights in a dark world. We are called to have our actions match our words so we aren’t just another hypocrite.

Yes, yes, none of us is perfect, and we need to bear with one another’s weaknesses. I know. And I agree. But I think the pendulum is swinging WAY too far, so far that we allow each other to do and say whatever we want because, to call someone out on sin is “judging” and we have deemed “judging” a far worse sin than anything else. 

But, if we believe the Bible, the worst sin we can commit is refusing to acknowledge the supremacy of Christ in our lives, refusing to submit to His authority. And the greatest gift we can give to others is to remind them of that truth so they can walk in it. And, on our part, to be open to hearing from others when we are falling short. Because we will!

Do you love Jesus? Then act like it! Stop justifying your sinful behavior, stop getting angry when/if people “judge” you on it. Be who you say you are. 

“Work hard so God can say to you, “Well done.” Be a good workman, one who does not need to be ashamed when God examines your work. Know what his Word says and means.” 2 Tim. 2:15

2015 was a BIG year for the McGee family: BIG birthdays, BIG move, BIG changes.

We started out 2015 knowing we’d need to move, but not knowing where. I prayed…and prayed…and prayed that we wouldn’t have to leave Florida. That’s home! Our friends and family are there, the familiar is there. We love it.

At the end of January 2015, Emma and I celebrated BIG birthdays: 16 and 40, respectively. We were gifted with the ability to go to NYC for a long weekend. We were blessed to go with some of our closest friends. It was an amazing weekend. If you HAVE to turn 40, I highly recommend doing it in The Big Apple! (for more about our trip, read this blog post)

By March, no jobs were opening up in Florida, so we had to open up the search…we sent applications out to schools as close as Georgia and as far as South Korea. I teach high school English and Dave teaches high school Bible. There aren’t many Christian schools looking for both those positions.

In May, we accepted positions at Calvary Christian Academy in Chula Vista, CA (for more info on that, read this blog post). We had a month to say painful goodbyes and prepare for this BIG move. Leaving Florida was difficult, but we knew God directed us to California, and we trusted His plans – even if they were VERY different from ours!

You can read this blog post for info about our cross-country drive and house hunt. Both were long and arduous, but ended well. We loved getting to see family along the way, but we are in NO hurry to make any more long drives for a long time!

Adjusting to life in southern California has been a roller coaster. Lots of BIG changes! The weather is amazing. But millions of people know that, so the roads, the stores, the malls — everywhere — are all ridiculously crowded. We’ve lived in large cities before – San Jose, Madrid, Tampa – it’s not like we’re “small town” people. But having EVERY parking space in a mall full, long lines EVERY time we go grocery shopping…not fun.

The beaches are (sorry Florida!) SO MUCH better than those on the east coast. Huge waves, beautiful sand, tall cliffs. And the sunsets…wow. LA is just a couple hours away (with no traffic…which, sadly is an oxymoron here!). Two hours east is the desert – and Dave’s old stomping grounds. And there are mountains all over the place – some even get snow in the winter!

Our new school is on a year-round schedule, so Dave and I started July 7 — less than two weeks after we moved into our house! The first term flew by, and we settled in better than we expected (for more on that, read this blog post). The kids got involved in sports, the school musical, and made some great friends.

The second term was more challenging – primarily, I think, because the “honeymoon phase” ended right about the time the holidays started. Thanksgiving without family?? We haven’t had that in almost a decade. Christmas was better because friends came to visit. But it was bittersweet — reminding us of what we’re missing and how, though we have friends here, they are “new” friends. We love them, but we miss our old friends!!

We never expected, at the beginning of 2015, to be in San Diego by the end of 2015. We have seen God do mighty things, and we have come to depend on Him in new ways.

2016 will see our oldest begin her senior year and our youngest become a teenager. What else does it hold? Who knows! I have learned enough to know I shouldn’t even try to guess. But I do know who holds 2016, and I will trust in Him.

It’s Finals Week at schools across the country. Students are stressing, staying up late, and kicking themselves for not paying better attention in class this semester.

Many students feel MAJOR pressure to deliver exceptional grades. However, sometimes, students just don’t “get” certain subjects. Some teachers are ridiculously hard. Sometimes, stress at home or with friends takes over your life, leaving little time to study the way you need to study.

It’s stressful, I know. This is your GPA! Potential scholarships are affected. College entrance requirements don’t take into account your tougher-than-nails Calculus teacher or your parents’ divorce. You don’t get to put an asterick on your college entrance essay and say, “That Chemistry class? The teacher spent the entire year discussing his favorite movies, then tested over formulas we’d never seen before.”

So how do you deal with the unfair? The frustrating? The less-than-good-enough’s?

Remember that God is in control. My friend, Laura, reminds her AP English students that “Your grades do not define you.” We are the children of Almighty God. We are not a 3.2 GPA or an 800 on the SAT. And God’s plans for our lives are not thwarted by a terrible math teacher or a D in Biology (I speak from experience!).

That doesn’t mean we don’t try our hardest. Paul commands us to “Work hard and cheerfully at all you do.” But here’s the key: “Just as though you were working for the Lord and not for masters”. (Col. 3:23)

There are some things you just can’t control: whether or not your teachers are fair, whether or not you “get” a subject, whether or not your college-of-choice accepts you. If you focus on those things, you’ll be constantly frustrated.

But if you focus on working hard and cheerfully, on pleasing God, then you can experience joy. Even in difficult times. When you remember that your History grade doesn’t define you – Jesus Himself does – you can breathe easy. When you know that God loves you and has a purpose for you – even in that class that seems impossibly hard – you can rest.

When your identity is found in God Himself – not your grades – you are free. So do your best, but don’t get sucked into the thinking that the grades posted reflect who you are. They don’t! You are a beloved child of God. Period.