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to be but I'm a little stubborn and stiff-necked so I went around and around with God for the next five hours.
I knew there must be some way to get out of it but the more I fought it, the more convinced I became.  At 8:00 pm
that evening I called my family together and explained to them what had happened that day.  I read to them the verse and asked each one of them what they thought it meant (I guess I thought that if there was a majority of the family
that had a different take on the verse, I would be free to interpret it differently!).  First Matthew, then Leah, then
Rachel, and finally Tracy all agreed that God had answered our prayers and wanted us to go to Peachtree City.
Immediately, a peace came over me that I had not experienced since the beginning of this odyssey some four
months earlier.  I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was what the Lord wanted me to do.

I don't share this with you for any other reason than to testify to God's faithfulness in hearing our prayers and
speaking to us by His Spirit through His Word.  When we truly seek the Lord, He is there to answer.  Sometimes
it takes a while, but He will always answer.  This process has taught me so much and broken me in so many ways
and I want to give God the glory and honor. 

             ~Matthew Skinner

Middle School

A proper school atmosphere cannot be developed unless there is a healthy, effective working partnership between the school and the home.  We must always
remember that God established the home, not the school, as the primary learning center (Deuteronomy 6:7;
1 Timothy 3:5; 1 Timothy 5:1-2).  The home, the church and the school ideally form an educational tripod.  All three need to work in harmony to prepare students for the Christian life.  When one leg of the tripod is not holding its weight, students and then corporately the Body of Christ suffers.
Personally I must evaluate and remind myself of these priorities.  My wife Linda and I have had to check ourselves in the past when we began grumbling over
what we thought the church or school was allowing
our children to become.  It is always easier to blame
something or someone else for undesirable outcomes.   When it comes to parenting though, it is always a wake
up call to realize that ultimately I am responsible to God for the things taught or not taught to the children He has blessed us with.
It has been very refreshing to see the caliber of
mature parents that are involving Bracken Christian School as the 3^rd leg in your tripod.  I couldn't be more optimistic about the future of the students I see at BCS.  Rarely are there disgruntled parents talking about where

we are dropping the ball when it comes to their kids. 
Certainly we are not perfect and Satan is careful to pick his targets when it comes to the 'blame game'.  Thank you for your support and prayers for this school, the teachers and staff.  We count it joy to labor with you in the task at hand.
In every home, every church and every school, there are a multitude of interpersonal relationships.  If Satan can cut off any line of communication, he will achieve a victory.  In a great many schools today, that's exactly what's happening.  Administrators, teachers
and/or parents are guilty of gossip and slander.  In such an atmosphere, it's impossible to enjoy the blessed
presence of God or to teach students to do so. 
Because of the changes that are taking place in
the society around us, Christian schools can expect the
warfare to only intensify.  We will need to be vigilant
in our personal and corporate spiritual commitment.  Thank you for the letters of encouragement and support.  You are the words and hands that God desires to use in order to motivate and inspire the teachers and staff at this school.

      In joyous partnership,

       Craig Walker

6   BrackenNotes  Bracken Christian School                                                                                                                   November 2001