thank you & an addendum.

I just wanted to say a huge thank you to all of the encouraging, constructive comments on the previous post. The truth is (as you "real" teachers know), teaching children--on any level--is an exhausting, sometimes daunting task. I believe it is that way because it takes all of you.

Jordan and I are not the best teachers. Wednesday nights are not easy. We are tired, and I have no doubt that it shows. But we are trying, and your thoughts reminded me to keep trying. These kids deserve and need excellent, so that is what we will continue to strive toward. We hope that baby step by baby step, we are making a difference. We are praying that is the case.

--

I did want to take care of some "blogging business." One thing I love about blogging is the opportunity for open dialogue, the chance to hear others' opinions on my thoughts and to get honest feedback. However, from here on out, I won't be allowing anonymous commenters on the blog. This will cut down on some comments, but I'd rather know who you are so I can address your comments individually--especially if something I say comes out wrong and needs to be explained in a different way! I can't address your comments if I don't know who you are!

I did, though, want to respond publicly to an anonymous comment I received this morning, and so I felt the need for an addendum to last week's post.

--

The previous post was a hard one to write. It's hard to admit that your church has a high number of divorced families, and that the youth group you grew up in was less than perfect.

But it's the truth.

That's the beauty of the church, isn't it? That we're all so very imperfect, but that we have grace to cover us?

I stepped on some toes last week, and I'm sorry for that. What I write on this blog is my own personal opinion, and when it comes to matters that are spiritual in nature, I think our first impulse is to get defensive. I'm guilty too.

I stand by what I said, but with one caveat: I don't know the state of the heart. These kids could be growing by leaps and bounds. Each class may be dragging them deeper and deeper in love with the Savior. We don't know, and we may never know.

The same is true of their parents.

And the same is true of the people I grew up with.

I honestly don't know who still goes to church, who reads their Bible every day, who prays every day, who is in love with Jesus. The "statistic" I gave in last week's post is true: To my knowledge, only four or five people of the 11 or 12 I graduated with still attend church. But I don't know what they do on their own time. I don't know the state of their spiritual walk, just like they probably don't know the state of mine.

The point of that blog post was to show that going to church isn't where your spiritual walk ends; it's where it begins.

I want these kids to go deeper, just like I want to always be going deeper.

I hope that explains things a little.

My intention is never to hurt people with the words I place here. I hope that much is evident.

I post here what is on my heart, and what has been on my heart lately has been those kids.

Those 15 faces we see each Wednesday, the faces we're trying to point to the Savior.

That was the point of last Friday's post. To ask for help in how to reach these kids, to get feedback on whether or not I'm the only one who feels this way.

I received that, and I thank you for it.

But for those who read "high schoolers & jesus" and were upset, or offended, or hurt, I apologize.

My prayer is that this clears things up, that this will help you--whoever you may be--understand the intent and thought behind last week's post.

--