For the last two days I have been in "wind-down" mode. Each semester at Pacific Islands University, since I arrived in January of 2017, has been a bit like a battle in a major war. I don't  want to give you the idea that it has been unpleasant; actually, the opposite is true. Kathy and I are loved, we have people to love, and we enjoy the work we are doing. It is just that there is a steady need to focus on survival. From what I read, it is that way with a lot of small colleges, especially Christian ones. Then we had the wonderful celebration of graduation. It was an emotional high, that left me drained. It is common for family and friends, here, to wish graduates well by hanging leis around their neck and putting decorations on their heads. Most of these necklaces are not made of flowers, but candy, toys, and even artistically folded money. One young lady received so many strands of these good-wishes-on-a-string, that she had to ask someone to help her. The load was too great, and it was piled so high that it made breathing difficult. After the battle, it was a good reminder. I'm not a professional educator. My entry into the world of higher education was the result of a "battlefield promotion." I have noticed, though, that what I am doing now, in the broadest sense, bears a remarkable resemblance to what I have always done, to what everybody ought to be doing. 
The Lord brings people into our lives. We do what we can to impact them for the glory of God, then we send them on their way so that they can impact others.
I just read an article about the strategy that the fastest-growing church in the USA is using. I hear and read missionary experts who are strategic to the max. I am learning that the educational world is chock-full of strategies, assessments, and metrics, but, keeping mind that I still see things through the eyes of a small-town preacher, it looks like to me that what all of us ought to be doing is touching people where and when we can, to move them in the direction in which they ought to go, and, in the final analysis, commit them to the Lord. We ought to be strategic. We ought to have tools that help us ask the hard questions. But, we have to careful to not forget that when all the meetings have been held, the graphs produced, and the reports filed, it's really about people. ln a remarkably short time the celebratory, candy-ladden leis will be replaced by flowers on a casket. What happens between the decoration motivated by joy and the draping of funeral bunting in mourning is unknown. People are people. We get to choose. The rich young ruler walked away from the Son of God, and rejected His curriculum. The Apostle Paul sadly reported that " Demas has forsaken me." What hurt the Apostle most, was, in the process, Demas had also forsaken the things of God. Frequently I tell people, "Get your licks in when you can. There will be times of celebration, and times of heartache. We keep on, because it is what God wants us to do, and because people are worth the effort. It's STTA.(The STTA link above will take you to an archive of many Things to Think About. Enjoy & Think.) If you would like to watch the PIU graduation video, click here. You'll find a link to the video and a table of contents to help you navigate to particular points in the video. I'm obviously biased, but I think that PIU is an institution that is worthy of your support. If you would like to partner with us, visit our donation page.
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