A Message from Mrs. Zaloom

All the Fruits Point to Love

In Galatians, Paul is exhorting the church to stand firm as they follow Christ and walk out their faith by the Spirit, driven by love, as true faith expresses itself in love and godly character, generated by the Holy Spirit and walking more and more closely with Him. Galatians 5:22-23(ESV) says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." The list kicks off with "love", yet, when I read and reflect on all the character traits that follow, I cannot help but think that they are a response to unconditional love itself; they all point to a life of loving others as Christ does. So, if we claim we are just not the "patient" type, it may be time to press in as to why, given the fact that offering patience reflects the love that a Holy God displayed when He held back wrath from us and placed it on His one and only Son, Jesus Christ. In a world of enticing and compensating options, I reflect on my self-control and if I neglect the work of the Spirit in that area, the impact could be hurtful to those around me, and not result in me becoming the accurate reflection of Christ that I so desire. Love encourages and challenges me to humbly recognize what I run to so swiftly in place of God. God is perfect in the expressions of every fruit and none are suspended for the sake of another. This will only be the case for me once I am with Him in eternity, however, when I allow the Holy Spirit in me to daily transform my degree of patience, joy, gentleness, kindness, etc., I am not only led by His love, but completely and utterly sustained by it. I can't even boast that it is my hard work but it is Christ working this out in my life, one surrender at a time. The Love of Christ is the ultimate fruit and it is the source and sustenance for all of them.

Verses to consider committing to memory:

1 John 4:19 (ESV); "We love because He first loved us."

1 John 4:7-8 (ESV): "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love."

1 Corinthians 13:13 (ESV): "So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

With love,

Kristen Zaloom

Dean of Learning

Loudonville Christian School

kzaloom@lcs.org

A Message From Our Board

Growing Up Through Sports

Let me begin with a provocative statement: What I learned through sports as a child was far more impactful on my life than what I learned in the classroom.

That may seem dramatic or surprising, particularly coming from someone with academic accomplishments including a PhD in engineering, who worked for large tech corporations, and taught as an adjunct professor at an Ivy League university. But it’s true.

Albeit sports often teach us quite different lessons than mathematics or history or art classes do. However, they can be a catalyst to a maturity that sticks with us later in life if we look beyond the ball and sneakers and court.

I grew up in sports. Not obsessed but always surrounded by them. My dad was a coach and high school athletic director. I loved soccer and basketball especially, but I had fun playing tennis, baseball, volleyball, and even enjoyed mid-distance running. I wasn’t a star athlete, but I was fairly good at anything I tried. I even considered playing small Division 1 soccer before deciding to solely focus on academics in college. My experiences with sports were fun and challenging. I was often pushed outside my comfort zone in far different ways than how my academic endeavors challenged me.

What I learned in the classroom was what lead to my career, but what I learned in sports had far more impact on my character and faith. This wasn’t unintentional. Being at a Christian school, my coaches understood that they weren’t just trying to build a winning team, but they were teaching young boys how to mature into Christ-following men. I was taught how to “die to self” (John 3:30), how to take on humility (1 Peter 5:5) and that integrity really mattered. I was taught that I needed to work hard at all times to help my teammates even when I didn’t feel like it. This was just a game, but one day, they assured us, in things like marriage or the workplace these lessons would really matter.

My coaches understood that Christ wants more for us than to simply win a few games, though some of the teams I played on did win some big games! I was overwhelmingly blessed by coaches who cared about me and wanted to see me learn Christian character as much as they wanted me to perfect my free throws or corner kicks.

At LCS, we are blessed with the same: coaches who get it. They understand the bigger picture. They understand that they are shaping the lives of young men and women. If your child has never considered sports at LCS, maybe it’s time to give something new a try. Younger kids can enroll in a sports camp at school or find Christian coaches or camps nearby. And all of us can come cheer on our Eagles this winter! Whether our children become star athletes or not, they’ll learn lessons that shape their character and they’ll build friendships that impact their life.

Andy Martin

LCS Chairman of the Board

February Lunch Menus

Come Out to Support Our Athletes!