"All About God," By Ethan

Early Friday morning Ethan, one of our fifth graders at Valley Christian Academy, came into school and walked up to me with a big smile on his face. He handed me a piece of paper with red ink words and music chords scrawled on it, and the title of the song was "All About God." He said to me, "This is for you."

This was one of those moments that you live for as a teacher. A few months ago Ethan had never touched a piano, then my co-teacher began to teach him to play chords to some of our songs that we sing every day. To our amazement Ethan was soon accompanying us daily and even when we performed!

On Thursday night he was playing his keyboard at home, (a Christmas gift from his parents), and he started to hear words in his head and a tune. He said to himself, "I'd better start writing this down!" Smart boy.

Within forty-five minutes or so he had a song, fresh from heaven. 

The first thing we did when school started on Friday was to start learning "All About God." Ethan stood by me and sang the melody as I played the chords on my guitar. The other students quickly picked up the melody and the words, and Ethan had exact instructions for us such as, "Sing it through, then repeat the song playing the chorus at the end twice." My co-teacher spent some time with him writing out the melody and chords for us. It truly sounds beautiful! What a blessing for Ethan and for our school.

New Year's Blessing

New Year’s Blessing

As we look toward a brand new year

Then gaze back to the past

We pause with mixed emotions

And memories that still last.

For these years have taught us lessons

We never thought we'd learn

To stand in the face of adversity

Seeking peace for which we yearn.

Our nation still stands together

  Since that sad September day 

    When in an instant all was changed

And so many taken away.

Each life a precious memory

Each face burned in our souls

     The heroes, the innocent, those who were lost

Were halves who made someone whole. 

So we pray for this year to be peaceful

For strength to see us through

For each one who lost someone precious

And for all that is holy and true.

As we pray God's eternal blessings

For our leaders and our land 

We walk toward the future together

Heart to heart and hand in hand.

 by Allison Chambers Coxsey