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Back to School
By Orvada Churchill
 There is just something exciting about the first day of school. The smell of the crisp morning air, the magical colors sailing in the air as leaves float toward the ground, the early morning lights shining from kitchens as moms make breakfast for their little ones, the laughter of the school children as they cluster on the sidewalk, and greeting friends not seen all summer. There is an almost tangible wave of excitement, anticipation, and curiosity wafting through the air.
There's a feeling of newness, the feeling of a fresh start which permeates the heart and mind of most students as the school bells ring once again. For the elementary and high school students, who have been shopping for new clothes and shoes, new notebooks, new pencils and erasers, and new crayons and bookbags, there will be a new classroom, a new teacher, new books, and a fresh chance to do well in class. Everything is filled with promise-a new start.
We generally think that a fresh start begins on January 1, but for the student, the fresh start begins on the first day of school, which, for him, is the first day of the "new year." Will it be a year that will hold success or failure-or just mediocrity as he begins again?
Unfortunately, for many, the prospect of a new school year causes them to face the fear of emotional and spiritual obstacles bigger than any other they've ever encountered.
This is the time for the praying parent to offer a caring, secure, and motivating environment in the home; prayer before the child walks out of the home into the arms of a secular world; prayer as the child does homework laced with secular humanism; prayer before the child faces bullies or confusion or doubt. Prayer before problems is more effective than frantic prayer in the middle of crisis.
Teachers set long-term and short-term goals for the school year. Parents need to set spiritual goals for their children, and then they need to teach, pray, and motivate their children every day as they strive to reach those goals.
Ask yourself now, "What do I hope for my child?" Pray those goals over your child every day. You can never afford to miss a day of prayer-the school will not waste a day without teaching, not just intellectual material, but secular thinking.
If you haven't been praying a focused prayer for your child, this is a new year--a fresh start. Make your spiritual goals exciting, filled with hope and promise. This year cannot be repeated, so don't waste valuable time. You can help your child lead a successful life in Christ.
Editors note: Orvada Churchill is a retired public school teacher, having begun teaching in 1967. She now joyfully homeschools her grandchildren. She is the mother of three and the grandmother of six. Teaching children is her passion, and the older she gets, the more she realizes that prayer is the greatest tool that any mother or grandmother has. She and her husband, Stuart, pastor the UPC in Kenai, Alaska, and she is the Ladies Ministries president for the Alaska-Yukon district.
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From the first day that I enrolled my oldest daughter (and two more following) in Kindergarten, I have felt blessed with good schools here in Hawaii.
ccomplish.