CSY Community,
I pray your summer is off to a great start and that your family is enjoying added time together. The purpose of my email is to share a reflection from last week, and also provide so me information on volunteer and enrichment opportunities.
My family and I recently returned home from vacation. We were blessed to spend a week together in the Outer Banks. For my wife and I, there is no equal to sitting beachside to feel a little closer to God and experiencing his creation. From the vastness of the ocean, to the timeless cadence of the waves, to the expansiveness of the sea and sky...the entire scene makes me more keenly aware of His power, His love, and His majesty.
Like many others, when I go to the beach I enjoy reading a good book. This past week I elected to read, "Lead Like Jesus" written by Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges. The book is about developing the traits of servant leadership, each page containing examples, practices, and reflections that can guide anyone in the development of leading like Jesus. One of the key "takeaways" of the book was that often it is our EGO "Edging God Out" that gets in the way of fulfilling what God desires for us. Too often we allow F.E.A.R "False Evidence Appearing Real" to cause us to feel as though we will miss out on something good unless we follow our desires. Ironically, the key to overcoming F.E.A.R is also EGO...but, an ego that represents "Exalting God Only". Exalting God Only requires both humility and confidence, that results in trust and truth. Altering our EGO requires an embrace of the eternal perspective of here and now, causing us to seek a higher purpose to obedience and surrendered service.
As I continue to trust in God's ability to do the equipping, I pray I will continue to develop the traits of service leadership. I ask that, as my Brothers and Sisters in Christ, you will feel empowered to share your ideas, thoughts, concerns, and perspectives with our leadership team.
I pray that you, and your families, will also have time for restoration, reflection, and spiritual growth as we go through the summer. CSY is community of like-minded Christ followers and we share the ultimate goal of impacting the world for Jesus. As John 15:5 reminds us, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." As long as Jesus remains the epicenter, what we accomplish individually, and as a school community, will be a direct result of Jesus doing His work in and through us. Amen.
In His service,
R. Andrew Bell Superintendent Christian School of York