Kindergarten Memories

Dear Timmy,

It's only two more weeks and your first year in Kindergarten will be over. I still remember a year ago, how we nervously took you in to see Ms. Wassins for the test because you were too young for the class. We worried for nothing, because you passed with flying color. In some areas like math, you even equaled kids at 6 years old level. Not bad for a 4 years-old. Your grandma would be really proud of you since she taught you to count. We were proud of you too.

Then you started school. We often had lunch together for a few weeks, until I began to worry if that would make you not independent enough. Your mom used to make lunch for both of us. And I drove over your school for lunch break at upper-playground. It was good having lunch with you every time. I still remember that first lunch we had together. I was so surprised that the first day of school, and the whole class had already know how to line up waiting for lunch, chanting "Rock, jock, Jay-hodge, Go K U!" Your teacher, Ms. Shears were the best Kindergarten teacher in the whole world!

Then the schoolwork. I never realized that there were that much work for Kindergarteners. Remember the first celebration project we did together? We were supposed to make a space pack. I didn't put enough effort on it with you, so we had a rather plain space pack. When we got to school the next day with your mom, she was sad because many of your classmates had really nice and elaborate space packs. And God used your mom to remind me that I should put more energy in to be a good dad. Your teacher taught me well too. I remember in one of those lunches I was about to squash a bug under my feet, only to be reminded by Ms. Shearers that we were supposed to respect all God's creatures. I knew then that it was worth it to invest in your childhood at a Christian School.

For the whole school year, we were worried a lot. We didn't know if you could keep up with your class or not, because you were younger than everyone else a year. We also weren't sure how would you relate with other people. After all, you were the kid who got a principal's report home within the first three weeks of school for biting your classmate "because he was trying to hug" you. And then toward mid year you threw a rock at Jeremy? I am glad that your mom discipline you by taking all your piano’s allowance money to buy him a peace offering gift back. Then remember that you had problem finishing your work in class in the first quarter? I am so glad that you've corrected it and finished the work everyday now. You are awesome.

For the whole year, you are surrounded in love. Your mom called to talk to you everyday when you get out of school. She specifically pack the right kind of snack for you every night when you asleep, and prepare breakfast for you every morning before you wake up. May anh may chi at church also loved you a lot. Cyndi, Hoa, Quynh, David, Chelsea, Roselyne, Niki, and many others had all been to your classes. Some had lunches with you, some helped teach you, some went with you to parks and field trips. We all loved you and wanted you to experience love so you will love others well in life.

Everyday as I dropped you off and picked you up, I really enjoyed talking to you about what’s going on, who was flipping the color cards, and listening to many of your stories. The best thing that your mom and I so proud of you this year was the time you had to retract your timeline story. You told your friends that you were six, because you don’t want them to know that you were only five. But after we discussed with each other about it, we’ve got Mrs. Shearers’ permission to retell your timeline story truthfully. God must be proud of you too.

There are just so much more memories about this year that I want to remember them all. The time that you threw-up and they tried to get a hold of us, the line “I am good – but not that good” from Ms. Shearers, our family travel to Japan and Canada, being your teacher’s teacher, the Deep Ocean’s musical, your desire to stay back in “daycare”, how you learned so much about God at school, the library books we read together almost every night, etc. These are all wonderful memories I thank God for.

Eventually you will grow up and have your very own life to live; and I will grow old into eternity. But then that day we meet in heaven, when I’ve finished my race and you’ve finished yours; may we look back to these days and thank God that we have lived fully in the blessing God had entrusted us with the lives of each other.

Your dad.

Stumble on Split...

I picked up the book “Preaching that Changes Lives” from Michael Fabarez this last weekend. I like the book a lot that I wants to check out the church to study more from his sermon. His church is only an hour south from me, in the same town with my homiletic professor’s church. I heard that pastor Mike grew his church from 100 to 1200 congregants over the past 15 years.

And you know what I found? By the time I got to the church’s website, pastor Mike was no longer there, but there were a “transitioning team” in place. So where did he go? Did he fell away in disgrace? Or did he move on to even bigger place? Some more digging and I found a painful situation. Pastor Mike’s church is going through a church-split. He spoke the last message there at the church in late March, only two months ago. Apparently he wanted to fire an Associate Pastor of his, and the whole administrative conflict boiled to a big explosion, ending in his departure. Pastor Mike is heading up a new church and it will open for its first service two weeks from today.

Who’s right and who’s wrong? I don’t know because I am just a web surfer stumbled upon the whole thing. My speculation is that parts of the problem would be on his shoulder. He was just too gifted, with many ministries, and a lot of success: perfect environment for a collapse. After all, why would anyone like to have a PastorMike.com for a web site for a church? But hey, this is purely speculative judgmental from an outside web surfer any way. It’s sad for the insiders though...

Tod B. was talking about pastor and church split over on his blog. I want to raise the question of "How far does the Shepherd be from the flock if he was to lead them?" We know that he shouldn't push the flock, but leading too far off and the flock will lose sight of him, and too close won't get anything moving either... Yesterday, I finally met Elijah over lunch, what a delight!