We owe special thanks to Holly, Nancy, and Janet for continuing to organize and clean up the Resource Room. If you have not taken a look recently, you should go down and see the improvement. The new curriculum material is contained in white binders on the bookshelf on the right as you walk into the Resource Room. As we begin the new segment/quarter all the teachers are encouraged to organize the supplies and resource material in the classroom cabinets.

Are you the best at anything? I don’t mean there are things you are better at than just some other people, I mean is there anything you do that you are the absolute best at? I also don’t mean something relative, such as being best in your school, or the best on your block. I mean the best, period! No room for improvement! Are you the best?

It seems to me that no matter how fast you are there is someone always faster, No matter how smart you are there is someone else smarter. You might be really rich, but there are people who are richer. You might be really poor, but there is still someone who is poorer. Even if you think you’re the best, maybe you are only the best because no one else cares. For instance, I make Atari video games. If you want to buy these modern relics (grin!) I am really the only place in the world you can get them. Does that make me the best? Well, no. If a company, a real company not just some hack with an eprom burner and some free time, wanted to make Atari games, I am absolutely confident they could do much better than I ever could. So am I "the best" because I am good at it, or just because no one else is trying?

We use the word "best" all the time. My wife is the best cook. I like chocolate ice cream the best. Science Fiction is the best kind of book to read. I don’t know that it is always appropriate, but we understand that we are revealing what our personal feelings are on a matter, regardless if it is "truth" or not. And thus I wonder. When I say I am doing my best for God, am I? Compared to what? Maybe I teach a class, or talk to my neighbor, or preach the word on the street corners. Is that all I can do? What about simply living my life day after day as God would want me to do? Am I overlooking that? Do I just warm a pew on Sunday morning? Is that the "best" I can do? Maybe before I can even think I can do my best I should remember what it meant to do my worst. Since becoming a Christian, have my habits changed? Where do I draw a line and say here is where I am doing my best, and be satisfied? When do I decide I have no need to grow?

And I would also submit that any time I believe I am doing "just enough", it isn’t.

Luke 12:19-21 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

Matthew 5:38-48 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Acts 18:24-26 And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.

Luke 15:22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.