A game of excellence

I am a huge baseball fan. Although I only get to go to one or two games a season, there are in my mind few better places to spend a summer evening than at the ballpark. There is just something almost magical about watching a game live with 40,000 other fans.

I've always been an Angels fan. I went to my first game as a wee little lad, and have loved the team through thick and thin. They've had some rough seasons in the past, so I haven't always been too vocal about my devotion to the team. But the last month or so has been a really exciting time to be an Angels fan. They're the best team in the Majors at the moment, and I love watching them play.

Their manager of the last eight or nine seasons, Mike Scioscia, has a brand of baseball that has proven to be highly effective in winning games recently. It's what they call a "small-ball" game. His team doesn't have the big slugger or dominating pitcher to win games for them. Instead, his team is dedicated to good fundamentals and executing clutch plays. They manufacture runs and win ball games by playing fundamentally sound baseball. It's not a one-man show; it's a team effort to win each game. And they've been winning a lot of them.

I've been thinking a lot about the idea of excellence lately, both on a personal and professional level. Personally, I want to be an excellent husband and father. Professionally, I want to be an excellent teacher and department chair, and I want to push my students and colleagues to strive for excellence as well.

In my musings, I have come to realize that excellence in these areas - in all areas - doesn't come through the bold moves or grand gestures. It's in the little things. It's sticking to the fundamentals of loving and serving my wife and kids. It's in putting forth my best effort in every lesson and in grading every paper. It takes a lot of hard work, and that hard work is not always fun. It takes discipline.

As this summer rapidly comes to an end, I look forward to the upcoming school year as one of excellence. I want to push myself to be excellent in my relationships at home, in my teaching of my students, and in my interactions with colleagues. I want to push my students to strive for excellence and not settle for second best from themselves.

While my wife thinks watching baseball is a waste of time, I have learned something from my hours in front of the TV. I have witnessed a dedication to discipline and excellence. And I have seen my favorite team reap the rewards of that dedication. They're most likely headed to the World Series if they keep playing like they are. It is my sincere hope and prayer that if I devote myself to discipline and excellence in all I do, that I might reap a similar reward. Not a World Series ring, but a life well lived.

Am I a Christian?

This past weekend, I was installing a doggy door in our back slider, when Emma, my four-year-old, came to me with a question. She asked, rather excitedly, "Am I a Christian?" She saw the word in her new young-readers Bible, and had heard it used before, but wanted me to tell her if she was one or not. So I hurried up to finish the job and went with her to look at what her Bible said about being a Christian.

Her Bible, one we had just recently bought for her, has a page that describes in rather simple terms what Christians believe and how to know if one is a Christian. I went right for that latter part of the page. It said that Christians believe in God and believe that Jesus died for their sins and want to love Jesus and obey His commands. So I turned each of the points on the page into a question for her. She answered that she did believe in God, that she understood what sin is and that Jesus died to forgive them, and that she loves Jesus (she loves him "a hundred thousand;" quite a lot for a four-year-old). Being satisfied with her answers, Emma concluded that she was indeed a Christian.

It didn't feel like the typical salvation experience. We didn't pray the sinner's prayer or anything like that. It seemed more of a confirmation of her faith than a conversion. She's always been a smart one, but I am impressed with her understanding of spiritual things even at her young age.

I have been praying, and will continue to pray, for her to grow in her understanding of her faith. I know her journey of faith will take many twists and turns, and she may have to revisit those questions to affirm her faith. As young as she is, I really hope she remembers this day. I know I certainly will.

Camp Food

I spent a week in a place that is near and dear to my heart. Forest Home. I spent most of my early twenties working there. I met my wife there ten years ago. And last week my family and I were there for Family Camp.

It was a wonderful week. Their mission statement claims they exist to provide a place away from the distractions of the world so that people can hear the voice of God. For me, it was not so much a get-away from the stress and distractions as it was a time to just relax and enjoy God's blessings. God did speak to me. Nothing earth-shattering or life-changing. Just a few simple reminders. But those thoughts need to simmer a little longer. Right now, I want to talk about the food.

The food was amazing. No cold cuts and corn puppies on my plate that week. There was grilled steak, poached salmon, sesame crusted chicken. Oh, it was wonderful. The menu could have easily found a comfortable place on a luxury cruise ship or in a four-star restaurant.

The chef came out several times to introduce the meals, and every time stated that his goal was to simply be a blessing to the guests by providing top-notch cuisine. I'd say he was pretty successful in reaching that goal.

One thing he said that I found particularly interesting was that the Forest Home kitchen is now a home for culinary interns. Some of the top culinary school graduates from all around the country go to work at Forest Home to train for jobs in big hotels and restaurants. A camp kitchen training the next great chefs! That's incredible! These people are being taught cutting edge culinary techniques under the guidance of a man who is not only a great chef, but a deeply committed follower of Jesus. I think that is really cool.

This got me thinking. Aren't I, as a teacher, in basically the same position? My job is to equip the next generation for the next step in their lives. I need to give them the reading and writing and thinking skills necessary to be successful in whatever path they choose after graduating. And as a follower of Jesus, I can also instill in them the character and integrity to make a real impact in their worlds. An awesome responsibility, but also a huge privilege.

I remember D'Arcy, the head chef, had such a joy and passion for what he does. Not only for the food he creates, or for the blessing he gets to be to a couple hundred campers each week, but for the chance he has to invest in the lives of the next generation of chefs. He kinda inspired me to take a new look at what I do. As a teacher, I can impact the world through the next generation of students. And as the new department chair, I get to invest in the lives and teaching of some of my colleagues. And it's not just about reading and writing. I can help shape their character.

I know it's all a little cheesy (and I am usually anti-cheese), but I am thankful for this new perspective. Who'd have thought it would come from the guy who poached my salmon.