Tag Archives: Efree Church of Diamond Bar

Back To School

By Mark Hopper

Everywhere you look these days, there are reminders that school will be starting again soon. My credit card company is encouraging me to use my credit card for back to school shopping. I guess they don’t know our children are actually out of college!

Retail stores are advertising back to school sales for clothes, school supplies, back packs and much more. I heard a news report that said this has become one of the busiest shopping seasons of the year as parents spend more money getting their kids ready for school.

I suspect that most children are excited to be going back to school. They will reconnect with their friends and get to meet their new teachers. School has a way of connecting the community like few other things.

I suspect that a lot of parents are also glad that school is starting again, too. Stay-home moms and dads have worked hard keeping the kids busy through the summer months. I’m sure that most parents are looking forward to having a little less time with their kids and a little more time to get things done without children in the house.

When I was in elementary school, I remember the excitement and anticipation of the new school year. Some friends and I would ride our bicycles to our local school to see if the class rosters were posted yet. We speculated on which teacher we would get and wondered if we would be in the same classes together. It was a special day when the names of the teachers and their students were posted on the windows of the school cafeteria.

My wife taught sixth grade in our local school district for many years. She enjoyed sixth graders. She said that they were still young enough to be respectful and well behaved. At the same time they were old enough to study, learn and discuss subjects in a responsible way.

My wife also shared her observation that most middle school students usually have one difficult year on their journey in 6th, 7th or 8th grade. During those “middle” years, boys and girls can feel awkward and uncomfortable what the changes they are experienceing. But, good teachers can usually nurture and encourage these students on their journey through middle school.

I believe that education is a team effort. School teachers, parents and churches share the privilege and responsibility of educating our children. I encourage parents to not expect school teachers and Sunday School teachers to do all the work for them. Parents play a critical role in their children’s academic, spiritual and moral training.

Let me encourage parents to get involved and stay involved in your children’s education. Don’t assume others will do the job for you. Help your kids with their home work. Get connected with their teachers – both at school and at church. Send a note or small gift to those who are teaching and training your children. Teachers work very hard. Thank their teachers – at school and at church – for the investment they are making in your child’s life.

You can see it on TV and at the mall. You can find the latest bargains on line. School is starting again soon. I hope that this will be a wonderful school year for you and your children.

Pastor Mark Hopper

Efree Church of Diamond Bar

3255 South Diamond Bar Blvd

909-594-7604

Sunday Services: 9:00 & 10:45 AM

Efreedb.org

Memorial Day

By Pastor Mark  Hopper

My wife and I visited Arlington Cemetery with our children many years ago.  It is a vast area outside of Washington, D.C., where thousands of military veterans are buried.   It is one of the best known cemeteries in our country.  Both Privates and Presidents are buried there.

Our family has also visited the military cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.  A bloody military battle was fought at Gettysburg during our nation’s Civil War in 1863.  The headstones list the names of each soldier and the states where these fallen veterans were from.

About ten years ago, my son and I had the opportunity to visit the beaches of Normandy, France.  This was the location of the largest amphibious invasion in history.  Troops from Canada, England, America, Australia, New Zealand and other allied nations came ashore to begin the liberation of occupied Western Europe.

Above the wide sandy beach is the American military cemetery.  My son and I walked through the endless rows of Crosses and Stars of David that mark each burial plot.  It is a stark reminder of the high price that was paid by American soldiers and sailors to secure a beachhead in France in 1944.  The war in Europe ended a year later.

Did you know that there are also military veteran cemeteries here in Southern California?  There is a National Cemetery in West Los Angeles and another in Riverside.  There are also military cemeteries in San Diego.

All of these cemeteries are dedicated to honoring the men and women who have served in our nation’s military.  Some of these people died in battle.   Many more survived their military service and have been buried in a veteran’s cemetery at the end of their lives.

On the last Monday in May, our nation celebrates Memorial Day to honor and remember the men and women who lost their lives serving in our nation’s military.  It is a day to reflect on the lives that have been lost and the price that has been paid to defend our nation’s freedom.

Someone said that “freedom is not free.” The freedoms that we enjoy everyday are a result of the sacrifice of men and women who have served in our nation’s military.

During the last few days in May, you will see American flags in many local cemeteries.  Thousands of volunteers from various service organizations give their time to place American flags on the graves of military veterans.

I hope that you will pause and reflect on what these flags represent.  Take a moment to remember those who have served in our nation’s military.  Take a moment to appreciate the sacrifice of those who died in military service.

 

Pastor Mark Hopper

Efree Church of Diamond Bar

3255 South Diamond Bar Blvd

Sunday Services: 9:00 & 10:45 AM

Efreedb.org

A Cow Bell

By Pastor Mark Hopper

Many years ago my wife and I and a group of adults from our church traveled to Romania.  We worked in partnership with a young pastor and growing church in the middle of the country.

In addition to visiting their church in the city of Cluj, we spent a week together in a rural village near the Transylvania mountains.

A number of young couples participated in a week-long marriage retreat.

In addition to daily discussions on marriage, there was also time for recreation and relaxation.  The Romanians were just as competivte as Americans.  Coed volleyball games were enjoyed by all of us.

One day during the week, I saw a line of cows walking down a dirt road near the field where we were playing volleyball.

The lead cow had a small brass bell hanging from a strap around his neck.  He was leading the other cows back into the village at the end of the day from the grassy fields nearby.

I told the members of our team that we were going to continue to play volleyball until the “cows come home”.  They didn’t know how accurate my prediction was.  We ended the game a few minutes later after the cows passed by us on the dirt road.

Recently while I was playing with our granddaughter at our house,  she had discovered a small cow bell on a self in our bedroom.  She was intrigued by its size and sound.  She didn’t know that this small bell was a gift from our friends in Romania.

I had not noticed that bell for years, but it immediately brought back fond memories of our trip to Romania and the wonderful friends we met there many years ago.

You probably have some keepsakes and souvenirs that remind you of people and events in your life.  You may have a picture or a plaque that brings back special memories of places you have been.

In one example in the Bible,  the people of Israel piled up twelve large boulders along the bank of the Jordan River.  These large stones were to serve as a reminder that the Israelites crossed the Jordan River on dry ground (Joshua chapter 4).These large stones were to remind future generations of this remarkable event in their nation’s history.

I think we all need visual, tangible objects to help us remember special events and special people in our lives.  You probably have some things around your house – pictures, trophies, and souveniours.  Let me encourage you to take some time this week to look around your house or office and reflect on the memories you find there.

Take time to tell your children and grandchildren the meaning and significance of some of the things that are hanging on your walls or sitting on the shelves in your house.  Maybe it is time to add a few new ones while you have the time.  You will be glad you did and they will too!

 

Pastor Mark Hopper

Efree Church of Diamond Bar

3255 South Diamond Bar Blvd

(909) 594-7604

Sunday Services: 9:00 & 10:45 AM

Efreedb.org