Whispers of Truth

I have to confess that often during the end of April each year I spend more time reading English research papers I've assigned to my 11th and 12th grade students than I do God's Word. I don't do this because I have a twisted longing to read a lot of less than ideal writing about subjects that are trivial or worldly. I do this because it is part of my job to train students how to write--and they cannot learn to write without writing. However, there's always a lesson in there for me, even when I'm sixteen hours into grading research papers about topics such as a lottery to benefit education... This year I asked my 11th graders take a stance on the often hotly debated topic of establishing a lottery that would benefit education in Alabama (somewhat like neighboring states). Due to the fact that they know very little about the subject up front, all but three chose to write on the pro-lottery side. It is interesting (and often scary) to get inside the heads of my stude

Recently I have been thinking a lot about the idea of being redeemed. The old hymn by the same name has always been one of my favorites; in addition, what Christian cannot help but ponder the idea of redemption this close to Easter? The point where these thoughts that seem rather random intersect is what has been on my mind. To redeem something is to buy it back, which implies that ownership had been established at a prior time. I belong to Him and have from the beginning, and Jesus gave His precious life blood to redeem me. So why wouldn't I "love to proclaim it," as the song proclaims so joyfully yet reverently? I have always known there was a price for redemption paid by Christ, but I haven't always given enough consideration to the prior ownership of my soul...it is God's right to redeem me, and my job to bring Him glory. Honestly, relating the idea of redemption to a coupon helps me somewhat, strange as that is. When I go to the grocery store and have a co