Can A Loving God HATE?

A popular doctrine today is God is love, period. I can’t help but think how restricting that is on the Creator of the universe. Imagine! Human beings trying to restrict God Almighty!

It evokes images of a weak old grandfather who approves of everything his grandchildren say and do: a namby-pamby senile old man rocking in his chair, grinning at everything and everyone. No dimension to him at all, just approval of anything and everything. That’s not my God!

Can a loving God "hate"? Absolutely! His Word is very specific about exactly what He does hate. Look at Proverbs 6:16-19 as one example.

(I will quote the Amplified Version because it fills in the gaps between the Hebrew and English translations.)

16 These six things the Lord hates, indeed, seven are an abomination to Him:

17 A proud look [the spirit that makes one overestimate himself and underestimate others], a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,^{(A)Ps 120:5-7}

18 A heart that manufactures wicked thoughts and plans, feet that are swift in running to evil,

19 A false witness who breathes out lies [even under oath], and he who sows discord among his brethren.

(Used with permission)

[Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation ]

Wesley’s Commentary: 6:16 "Hate" -

Above many other sins which have a worse name in the world.

Matthew Henry’s Commentary says about Proverbs 6:17-19:

"Observe how such a man is described. He says and does every thing artfully, and with design. His ruin shall come without warning, and without relief. Those sins are in a special manner provoking to God, which are hurtful to the comfort of human life. These things which God hates, we must hate in ourselves; it is nothing to hate them in others. Let us shun all such practices, and watch and pray against them; and avoid, with marked disapproval, all who are guilty of them, whatever may be their rank."

I’m ashamed to say that in the process of researching the word "hate" in this passage, I saw despicable sites, sponsored by so-called Christians. I will not name them, for I do not want to publicize them, drawing traffic to their sites. But I was struck by the ignorance that prevails among the Protestant and Catholic denominations when it comes to knowing what God hates.

Most of us know that “for a man to lie with a man as a woman lies with a man is an abomination.” But far more is in God’s Word about attitudinal sins! I call them "heart sins", and I get that phrase from what Jesus said when the scribes and Pharisees were berating the disciples for not washing their hands before eating (a tradition of the elders they were teaching as LAW).

Matthew 15:17-20 Amplified Version

17 Do you not see and understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the abdomen and so passes on into the place where discharges are deposited? [intestines]
18 But whatever comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this is what makes a man unclean and defiles [him].
19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts (reasonings and disputings and designs) such as murder, adultery, sexual vice, theft, false witnessing, slander, and irreverent speech.
20 These are what make a man unclean and defile [him]; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him unclean or defile [him]. [emphasis mine]

We have so many, these days, trying to teach laws of men as doctrines of God! They are not! When I read all of the passages in God’s Word that tell us that God judges the intent of the heart, it makes it very clear to me that what’s on the inside is often more “hateful” to God than what is seen on the outside.

I’m so grateful that God loves and He hates. And what He seems to hate the most are attitudes and behaviors that are hurtful to other human beings. He protects His precious creations even more than a mother protects her babies!

I was listening to Rev Don Piper who co-wrote 90 Days In Heaven. He said what surprised him most were all the people who were in Heaven – people he never would have expected to be in Heaven! I thought, "That squares with Scripture, Lord, where You said many would be saying on that day, 'But we cast out demons in Your name!' and You answered, 'Depart from Me. I never knew you.'" (Matthew 7:21-23)

Today I am struck with the urgency of concentrating on my own heart (mind, will, emotions) instead of trying to judge another’s heart by behavior I don’t like. God, alone, knows what causes a man or woman behave as they do. I am told to “guard my heart” not to “guard her behavior”. And I’m struck with the multi-faceted Creator that is equal parts holy wrath and unqualified love. My finite mind cannot begin to comprehend the depth of God’s “emotions”, but I’m awe-struck with His complexity.

Email this post by clicking the envelope below.

(c) 2007 April Lorier

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Struggling With This Silence

This morning I'm meditating on Mary and Martha in their crisis and putting myself in their situation. They were, after all, human beings, as I am. I'm visualizing how many times I have anointed the feet of Jesus as Mary did, and how many delicious meals I've cooked for him as Martha did. I'm remembering our meaningful, intimate conversations both of us and Lazarus, our brother, have shared with Jesus. And I'm remembering how much we three have come to depend on our friend and Savior, Jesus Christ. We are convinced there is nothing our closest friend and Teacher cannot or will not do for us. We know he is The Son of God!

Then our brother falls gravely ill, and we immediately send word to Jesus that the one he loves is seriously ill. Hour-by-hour, we wait at the door for Jesus to arrive, or at least for a messenger he will surely send. Day after day, our hearts sink as nothing but silence comes from this God-man we adore. We know he loves us, so why isn't he answering our emergency call?

We hear absolutely nothing in response to our 911 call! What an opportunity for our own humanness to rise up with doubts and questions! What an opportunity for the enemy of our souls to whisper insinuations, accusations, and fear into our spirit ears. Logic tells us Jesus would have the common courtesy to at least send a messenger! But no, nothing but silence.

Then our brother dies. We are discouraged, embarrassed in front of our friends -- they all know how close the four of us are -- and confused. We feel totally abandoned by the one we trusted most.

Father, how often I have reminded you of my petition, showed you my watch, pointed out the date on the calendar, and asked if You even heard my cries! How tempted I am to remind you of all I've done "in Your name", and how I'm Your child, and how could You hang me out to dry like this? I peruse my journals, and the one question that keeps popping up is, "Is this how You mean for a child of Yours to live?"

Oswald Chambers calls this the "Grace of Silence", but it does not feel like a "grace" at all! It feels like total abandonment. So I'm grateful for the rest of John 11 and the rest of the story. I'm told that Jesus deliberately waited! It would seem like such a cold act were it not for the unveiling of his higher plan: to solidify, once and for all, his identity to Martha, Mary, Lazarus, all those eye-witnesses, and to me so many thousands of years later.

Father, today I am encouraged, once again, in Your total sovereignty. I realize I have needs You know of, and will take care of -- needs I don't even know I have! Mary and Martha thought their need was for Jesus to keep their brother from dying. But You saw their hidden need: the need to know, forever, who Jesus really was, is, and ever more shall be: God Almighty!

Thank You, Father, that even now, as I struggle with my own silence, You have shared the rest of the story!

(Email this post by clicking on the envelope below)

(c) 2004, 2007 April Lorier

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California Wildfires: Two More Days of Hell, They Say

It’s Sunday morning. We’ve all been warned that The Santa Ana Winds are coming. Every one in knows what that means: 4% humidity, trees in the road, fires likely to break out, and power outages. It’s part of our “Autumn” in Southern California.

7:00 AM The Winds are worse than usual. They say they’ve been blowing all night at 108 miles per hour. My son calls to see if I’m still alive and tells me he was almost killed over and over Saturday night by huge trees falling, trash cans hitting his car, and humans screaming for him to stop and pick them up. All of Malibu is on fire, just as Newbury Park is. I can hear the adrenaline in his voice as he tries to be calm for my sake.

12:00 Noon I am terrified as I walk through my house and see the sky through the windows. News anchors are calling it an “apocalyptic nightmare”. To me it looks like what I imagine Hell-at-night looks like: total blackness with an eerie red glow. It’s noon! Where’s the sun? Why can’t I breathe?

4:00 PM This is the scariest day of my life except for when the Northridge Earthquake hit. The winds are so vicious and loud I can’t hear people on the phone and they can’t hear me. Relatives from all over the are calling to see if I’m OK. They know Cookie (my Shih Tzu) and I live alone. My daughter lives in New Mexico, my youngest son lives 4 or 5 hours away, and there’s no way anyone would drive on these highways today. Between the fire lengths of 40-50 feet and the 108 mph winds, no one except firemen and police would voluntarily be on the roads. Now there are hundreds of thousands of panicked home owners are trying to evacuate before they’re burned alive.

The fires are now burning out of control from Santa Barbara to San Diego . I live in the mountain and valley interior area and every one knows fire burns uphill.

6:00 PM I begin packing for evacuation. What’s most important? Fear keeps gripping me even though I am working overtime not to let it control me.

9:00 PM My oldest son, Mark, who lives 45 minutes away, calls to tell me the fires are moving towards me and I will probably be told to leave. Where to go? I could try driving in the high winds 25 miles to Ann’s house, but she has no power and it is 95 degrees at night. I'm not sure I would survive the fire-filled winds.

I could go to the local high school, but would they let me take Cookie inside? I decide to stay put until I hear the bang on the door, but also decide not to take my blood pressure meds since they make me drowsy. What if I don’t hear whoever comes to warn me?

Midnight -- Dear God, I’m so scared I feel like I’m having a heart attack. Cookie is very upset and I’m immobilized by fear. I drift off to a troubled sleep.

3:00 AM Monday. Cookie is going crazy and I hear the house being torn apart by high winds. The rooms are filled with black smoke and it sounds like the roof is being torn off. I am, again, immobilized by fear. I lie in bed, afraid to move, afraid not to move. I call my son, Mark, and once I hear his voice I become hysterical. He can’t get details out of me in my incoherent state, so he says he’ll be here in 30 minutes.

3:45 AM Mark arrives and accesses the damage. He remarks that it looks like a nuclear bomb went off outside. My yard is full of debris blown away from my house. He hugs me and tells me he will take care of thing, "just make some coffee".

7:30 AM Mark has to leave for work, but at least I’m no longer hysterical. He calls me five minutes after he leaves, telling me that the escape highway – the only one available to me – is on fire, so stay put.

9:00 AM I take my meds, lie down and try not to watch the horrible images on TV. I finally get to sleep, albeit a troubled sleep, at 10:00 AM. Cookie sleeps beside me.

3:00 PM I wake up, groggy, nauseous, horrible headache and a throat that feels like I’ve swallowed some kind of acid. I turn on the TV and find out the fires have doubled, and some of them have been deliberately set! People wanting FEMA to build them a "better house" have deliberately set fires to burn down their own houses (and those around them)! Oh, God, what has happened to this world?

Winds are still 100+ miles per hour, humidity is still 4% and the news anchors on all channels are saying this is the worst fire season Southern California has ever had. “Two more days of this,” they say apologetically.

Two more days of Hell? Oh, God. Don’t leave me.

© 10-22-2007 April Lorier | Related Posts

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"I AM" From A Writer's Viewpoint

Exodus 3:13-14 Then Moses said to God, "Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they shall say to me, 'What is His name?' what shall I say to them?" And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, "I AM has sent me to you." NKJV

John 8:58 Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM." NKJV

Whoa! What an awesome, all-inclusive statement You and Your Son made, Father! Unable to sleep last night, I pondered the total lack of adjectives, adverbs, or any other kind of modifiers in those statements. I wondered if You meant, "I AM, period?" Or did You mean, "I AM ____ (fill in the blank, according to your need)"? Maybe You meant both? Or maybe what You said is beyond human comprehension.

As a writer - and a human one, at that - I've spent a great deal of time searching for the right modifiers of both nouns and verbs. So You can understand the difficulty I have as I try to wrap my mind around, "I AM". I hear Christians saying, "God is love, period," and I am struck with the incompleteness of that view. It's like saying a beautiful multi-faceted diamond is "lovely." It can also hurt one if it is not treated with a healthy respect for sharp edges.

I remember going through the entire Bible, starting at Genesis 1:1, and working my way towards the very last word of Revelation. I remember how Your personality seemed to take on new facets with every new book. At one point in The Old Testament, You seemed so orderly…so creative…so ingenious! Then You seemed very rigid and, sometimes, even cruel. Then I saw Your possessive, jealous side. Of course, Your sovereignty and power came through, loud and strong. And then I saw You giving Your children chance after chance. And I found myself wondering why You took the great risk of giving man free will? Seemed like everyone in the Bible was using it to hurt You!

Then I saw the great love You exhibited as You came down to earth, gave up Your glory, and made it possible for me to have an intimate relationship with You. I noticed how terribly flawed all those heroes of The Bible were, and how You delighted in using weak things - and weak people - to display Your strength. And I was grateful, for I, too, am weak.

Father, I know my finite mind cannot possibly grasp all You meant by "I AM", but I love pondering the enormity of what You said. Thank You for the use of that present tense verb. It assures me that You are with me every second of every minute.

And thank You for giving me a mind that is so easily sparked by Your Word, and an imagination that cannot be satisfied on this earth. Oh! I have so much to look forward to when I see You face-to-face!

(c) 2007 April Lorier

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Eagles - Riding The Storm Out Of Joint

Eagles have always fascinated me – especially the bald eagle. There are over a hundred species of eagles, but because our National Emblem has been the Bald Eagle since 1782, it has had more “face time” in the classroom. It is no longer on the endangered list since June of this year.

Every state in our Union has eagles except Hawaii, so people are constantly reporting “eagle sightings”. The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a member of the sea and fish eagle group, and once it mates, it mates for life! That’s right: no hanky panky in the bald eagle world!

Mama Eagle lays from one to three eggs and the pair share the 35 days of incubation. (No deadbeat fathers here!) The nesting cycle is about 20 weeks.

The female bald eagle is 35 to 37 inches, slightly larger than the male, and has a wingspan of 72 to 90 inches. She flies at altitudes of 10,000 feet, and during level flight, she can achieve speeds of about 30 to 35 mph. She weighs only 10-14 lbs, and her bones are light because they’re hollow. She is known for exceptional eyesight at far distances.

The most fascinating fact, I think, is that the eagle has the ability to adjust her body out of joint in order the ride the storm. Wow! What a lesson we humans can take away from that!

The eagle waits for a draft and rides it – no struggle, no wing-flapping! It’s sort of an “atmosphere of grace” similar to the Christian who “waits upon the Lord” and has less wing-flapping, less struggle. The eagle is definitely a “storm rider”!

As mothers go, the bald eagle is the best metaphor for human parenting and parenting by Father God that I can think of. Since the outside of the nest is made with sharp materials to withstand invasion from intruders, she and her mate lined the inside with fur from their prey. They made a big old feather bed!

When the time comes for those little ones to leave the nest and start fending for themselves – some where around 4 years of age -- Mama Eagle starts pulling the soft material out of the nest to make it uncomfortable for them. Seems mean, but it is necessary to motivate the babies.

Then Mama Eagle starts pushing the babies towards the edge of the nest, ignoring their screams. As the babies flap their wings, they are strengthening them without knowing it. Eventually, she pushes them out of the nest, one by one. As each eaglet free-falls, screaming and squawking, Mama Eagle flies under him, spreading her massive 90-inch wingspan, and catches him before he hits ground.

Mama Eagle’s eyes are never off of her baby! She swoops up her baby and takes him back to that nest she and Daddy Eagle built out of touch from intruders. He’s safe for the time being. But tomorrow he’ll get another flight lesson from Mama Eagle. And finally, one day, he’ll figure out he can fly on his own! (Probably when there’s no more fur inside that thorn nest!)

God seems to parent me the same way. There are times when He allows this wounded child to feel safe in His feather bed. Then He knows it’s time for me to be forced out of my comfort zone. But always, His eye is on me and His protective wings are under me.

I actually felt Him lift me up on wings of eagles at my mother’s funeral after she had been killed. It was a visceral feeling, not just a spiritual one, and I floated through the day with total peace. So I know (experientially) the truth of this scripture.

“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

(c) 2007 April Lorier

Author of God's Battered Child: Journey From Abuse to Leader, April Lorier offers her Christian view on domestic abuse, issues of society and of women, politics, divorce recovery, books, and modern-day "Christianity." The daughter of a pastor, her perspective is sometimes humorous, sometimes thought-provoking, but always a helpful faith-based resource for seekers of emotional and spiritual growth.

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Because I Said So!

I swore I would never say it when I had children. No, I would honor their inquisitive natures, give them cogent reasoning, and not cop out with “Because I said so!" I would never make them resent me as I had resented my own parents for flexing their disinterested authority. I appreciated probing minds and I would speak to them like intelligent human beings.

Then one son kept asking why he couldn’t stand out in the street, wait until a car was coming, and then push out his chest as close to the car as possible without getting killed. He never understood why he couldn’t kick a teacher if she reprimanded him in class. After all, she was not his mother!

Another son cried when I made him clean up two dozen eggs off the floor. He had been searching for chickens inside the eggs I had just purchased with the last of my grocery money. He was also the one that didn’t understand that he had not done me a great service by cleaning all of my treasured records with Ajax Cleanser.

My loquacious daughter was my biggest challenge. It didn’t matter what I told her, the response was “Why?"

“Because you could get hurt and then I would be sad."

“Why you sad, Mama?"

“I would be sad because you’re my favorite little girl in the whole wide world."

“Why?"

“Because I know you are God’s special gift to me, honey."

“Why, Mama?"

“Because God knew I wanted a little girl so much that He gave you to me all tied up in a big red bow!"

“Why? It Christmas?"

“No, honey. It was August. Now get down off that table."

“No, Mama! Why?"

And then it spewed out of my mouth before I knew it was coming: “Because I said so, that’s why!"

In my spiritual walk with my Heavenly Father, I’ve reminded myself of my children at times: Always with the “Why, God?" accompanied by an appropriate whine. And never getting any of those cogent answers I thought I needed so badly.

He’s the perfect Father! Doesn’t He understand how inquisitive I am? His Word says He knows how many hairs are on my head, so doesn’t He understand I need Him to reason with me?

It’s just as easy to be spiritually immature as it is to be mentally and emotionally immature. Every ounce of growth is a process whether it’s emotional, physical, mental or spiritual.

As my kids grew into adults they began to know if I said, “Trust me on this," they could. They might not understand what I understood, and they might even disagree with me; but they had walked with me long enough to trust my judgment.

It’s the same walking with God. In the beginning, we’re so eager to jump when He commands; but down the road a bit, we reach that point where we begin to augment His Word with our own reasoning. And when it doesn’t work out, we come creeping back to Him, admitting we weren’t quite as wise as we thought, and asking Him to forgive us for our impetuous impudence.

There are so many scriptures speaking to obedience, but my favorite is in I Samuel 15:22.

But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD ? To obey is better than sacrifice…

If I believe God has plans for my life – April’s life – and they are plans to prosper me and not to harm me, plans to give me hope and a future, then it is easier to obey Him even when I do not understand the “why" of it.

I never asked my children to sacrifice for me – well, maybe on my birthday – but I certainly expected them to obey me. After all, their well-being was in my hands. Likewise, God does not ask me to sacrifice for Him. In fact, He sacrificed for me! How awesome is that?

God honors obedience from his children. Many of the blessings He has promised in His Word are contingent upon my obedience. And when I contemplate the enormity of what Christ did for me, what’s a little obedience from me in comparison?

I’ll tell you what a little obedience does: it positions me for God’s favor. Sounds good to me!

(c) 2000, 2007 April Lorier

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Your Voice Is Love To Me

Melting cream on apple pie, the scent of oven-fresh cookies.

Soft feline purring, gentle purring springs.

Hot chocolate, warm pumpkin bread, a handmade,

fragrant, down-filled quilt of country hues.

Unhurried, careful a Sunday Louisiana canoe ride,

Silky, tepid showers of bubbles in the tub to wash away chaos,

Playful bells giggling in the breeze,

Tepid showers on dusty, crusty wastelands.

Strong oak rocking chair, stories softly read;

Velvet verbal strokes of touch dispelling childhood nightmares.

Memories of rose water encircle me with Mother Love never known.

Your voice, a soft mortal vocal vessel of Divine Utterings.

My friend, your voice takes me back to Grandma’s love.

(c) 2007 April Lorier
(For Ann, my sister in the Lord, 1977-2007 We celebrate 30 years of friendship this year.)

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Fixing My Eyes On What's Important

When I was young, I was intrigued by all the seeds Grandma pushed into the ground. I frustrated her to no end as I kept digging them up every morning to see what had happened since yesterday. She patiently taught me that God causes growth in the dark, underground, and we were not to mess around with God's Timing. (That beautiful woman was also very wise and patient. But I digress.)

I later owned a large horticulture company, and much of what she taught me was brought to the forefront of my mind. Here's what I remember.

It's fruitless to plant this seed and dig it up every three days, impatient to see any root hairs forming. I plant the seed, and then it's God's responsibility to cause growth under the soil.

Growth always happens "in the dark," unseen by me until the little green stem pops up from the soil.

Likewise, God cannot deliver me while my interest is merely in my own character. I must be so involved in my relationship with Jesus that I lose that self-conscious interest in the development of my own growth. Only then will God cause growth in me.

I must get my eyes of myself, lose the "what's in it for me" mentality, and abandon myself to Christ: the Author and Perfecter of my faith.

I must remember that Christianity is not the ultimate self-fulfillment plan. If I'm centered on how much I have grown, I am not centered on Christ! As long as I focus on Christ, He will cause growth in the dark, and, eventually, I will be a sweet savor of Christ unto God.

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2 NIV

(c) 2007 April Lorier

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Two Roses Grew: The Story of the Broken Rose

Winner of 1996 INSPIRATIONAL POETRY AWARD,
Texas Poet Society (Houston)
Copyright 1996 - 2007 April Lorier
All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Two Roses Grew: The Story of the Broken Rose

Two roses, both unkissed by the dew,
from the same scrawny rose bush grew.

One, long-stemmed, was young and proud;
the other, broken, stooped and cowed.

Burned by the sun and scorched by the winds,
they both grew, but were not friends.

Said Proud Rose, "I shall not bend!
Though thin and young, myself I’ll mend!

Our pitiful bush reeks of neglect;
myself I’ll nurture and earn respect."

No taller rose in the garden grew
as her shabby rose bush she outgrew.

Broken Rose bent low with shame,
for she brought no pride to the rose bush name.

How she longed for sweet fragrance to give!
If only someone would bend and forgive

Her mildewed leaves and her thorny stems,
and the way she hung from a broken limb.

Comparisons made between each rose
only made them hold their petals closed.

"I'll not open up my petals here!"
said Proud Rose as she hid her tear.

"My petals are soft and belong in a vase,
not in this tumbleweed-grown place."

Proud Rose grew so straight and tall
that soon she wasn't there at all.

High, high above her bush she grew,
'till all alone in the sky she flew.

Her leaves she washed, her stems she pruned,
and all alone she covered her wound.

And then on day in her lonely flight,
The Gardener came and sealed her plight.

With cutters sharp, He took her from
the weed-grown-garden she had shunned.

Now everyone would surely see
the beautiful bud she had grown to be!

A crystal vase on a table of wood;
a single rose bud sure looked good.

More stately she looked than any bud could;
but the rose was scared as she singly stood,

for she knew she her short days
as a single-cut-rose in a crystal vase.

Broken Rose hung scarred and torn
and wondered why she had been born.

No one cared she was hanging there,
and soon she, too, no longer cared.

It was plain to see she'd never be
the beautiful rose bud she wanted to be.

No lover would pick her to give away;
no table graced with her gnarled sway.

She couldn't stand with her face upturned
and be a rose, for she never learned.

Day after day, she hung up side down
and talked with the tumbleweeds she found.

"Tell me, weeds, what do you see?
Why would God make a rose like me?"

The hot winds blew, and then one day
The Gardener stopped and looked her way.

She cringed as He bent down very low,
and why He picked her, she didn't know.

Her mildewed leaves and gnarled stems
He pruned as He drew her close to Him.

Petal by petal, He crushed and said,
"Your fragrance will last for years ahead.

I made you not for eyes to see,
but for your aroma, My Potpourri."

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Secrets of Successful Teachers + Parents! Part 2

In Part One we learned about seven different intelligences and the particular secret to teaching each one:

Suzie’s Verbal-Linguistic Intelligence

Monica’s Naturalistic Intelligence

Janet’s Body-Kinesthetic Intelligence

Matthew’s Logical-Mathematic Intelligence

Adriana’s Intra-Personal Intelligence

Marilyn’s Inter-Personal Intelligence

Cesar’s Musical Intelligence

We learned that music is brain exercise and as such, literally transforms the brain much as physical exercise transforms the body. It makes it stronger, more agile, and more equipped to withstand pressure.

As a result of technology, we now have the ability to see the brain while it is in the process of thinking! We can observe, for example, that when people listen to melodies with a variety of pitch and timbre, the right hemisphere of the brain is activated. It also "lights up" when people play or sing music by ear.

However, when people learn to read music, understand key signatures, notation, and other details of scores, and are able to follow the sequence of notes, then the left hemisphere "lights up." Significantly, it is activated in the same area that is involved in analytical and mathematical thinking!

The limbic system in our brain is so powerful that it can literally facilitate or inhibit learning and higher order thinking. Positive emotions, such as love, tenderness, and humor, can facilitate higher order thinking skills; whereas negative emotions, such as anger, hostility, and fear, can literally downshift the brain to “basic survival thinking".

Dr. Marian Diamond, Berkeley neurophysiologist, offers information that the brain changes physiologically in relation to learning and experience -- for better or worse. I have observed how differently children respond to my emotions. It is because of this knowledge that I always use humor, play-acting, pantomimes, and sometimes even "silly" behavior with my younger students. Once they see me taking the risk of acting silly, their reticence fades. This is especially beneficial in the bilingual Kindergarten and First Grade Classes.

My goal for my students is always performance! Students will go to considerable effort with little immediate reward if they know they will be held accountable, through ultimate performance, for what they have learned. They also know they're accountable to the rest of the group. They develop both independence and collaboration. And their self-perception soars when they're part of something bigger than they are! Music is a thinking activity of the highest level, and if it is taught with enormous passion and enthusiasm, it will spark a student towards high achievement for life!

There is nothing like showing 4th, 5th, and 6th Graders how to compose their own music! It empowers them at a time in their life when they are feeling powerless. They're neither children nor adults, and they have not yet figured out what they are. Teach them to channel their "angst" into music and lyrics they can then share with the other students, and they now have a powerful, effective tool for communication. (One of the funniest musical numbers was written and performed by two 5th grade boys. One sang the love song while the other provided rhythm with burping! It wasn't bad!)

The 4th - 6th Graders know, from the beginning of the year, they are preparing for a huge concert with the High School Choirs. This excited fear (adrenaline) keeps them motivated, even through the rough spots. Every class, including all the Kindergarten Classes, knows they are "in training" for a performance. It's the only way to teach!

Working with students on a long-term basis provides them with the opportunity to experience processes from beginning to end. Music becomes its own reward!

I come from a long line of teachers, and it's gratifying to know I'm making a huge difference in these kids' lives! I had a special teacher in the 8th grade that changed my self-perception from negative to positive. She was not blind to my faults, but chose, instead to "accentuate the positive." I remember Margaret Oliphant every day of my life. She was the teacher who loved me.

(c) 2007 April Lorier

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Secrets of Successful Teachers and Parents!, Part 1

I am a music teacher. I am a parent. I must teach in either role.

I consider teaching -- actually, I call it "training" -- to be a calling of the highest order. And music is, by far, the most effective way to reach all children because music is the most effective means of communication.

A person may be a musical artist and great performer, but that does not mean he (or she) is a "communications artist." An effective Music Teacher (or parent) must possess the natural ability to communicate on her students' levels!

Because music reaches the emotions so profoundly, few teachers of other subjects have the opportunity to reach their students on such a personal level.

Also, music is a universal language, transcending all cultural, language, socio-economic, racial, and educational barriers.This is especially important for the younger bi-lingual children. Music equalizes everyone in the classroom!

While music enriches and enhances cultures, in my mind music is never music for music's sakeYes, it's important for holidays, represents cultures, and even memorializes a person's life after they leave this earth. But music is brain exercise! It's enhancing for the performer's self-perception! It's a vehicle for many other kinds of learning!
alone!

The learning of music enables children to develop strong skills in other disciplines. Music uniquely enhances higher brain functions required for mathematics, chess, science and engineering!

Involvement in a music education program improves concentration and lengthens attention spans; it improves memory and retention; and it improves interpersonal skills and abilities to work with others in collaborative ways.

My enthusiasm spreads like wild fire, captivating and engaging my students, even at the Kindergarten level. I am a musician, yes; however, I have two specialized skills: I am a musical artist and I am also a communications artist. I know how to get through to students, no matter how their brain works! And I know how to get them excited and engaged.

To the kids, I may appear to be a light-hearted, humorous, musical "Mary Poppins". But I am dead serious about communicating to them on their own level, through their individualpersonal combination of intelligences.
sensory learning channels and

These kids learn about the environment, math, history, music history, teamwork, cognitive stimulation, and right-left brain transfer. And I take care to teach the same lesson several different ways, in order to reach a multiplicity of intelligences.

Susie is strongest in her Verbal-Linguistic Intelligence. She learns best with the stories I tell, the inflections of my voice ("music in the voice"), the meter of my words, and all the sounds we do together.

She has other intelligences, but it is this particular one which will enable her to "get it" more quickly and with a deeper understanding. Susie will probably grow up to be a writer or an effective communicator through another media.
Secret: I would pick Susie out in class to explain concepts to the other students.

Monica is strongest in her Naturalistic Intelligence. She learns best with my analogies of nature and the drawings she does of "Nature's Music." She's conscious of the world around her, and will always be a "nature child" even in her old age.

She will respond to rhythms similar to her heartbeat, and will use classical music for "atmosphere" as she's studying and concentrating.
Secret: Have Monica draw or paint while she's listening to music.

Janet is strongest in her Body-Kinesthetic Intelligence. She must have muscle involvement in her learning process. She learns best with "hands-on" experience. It would start early with clapping, marching, simple choreography, or building a project.
Secret: Janet is the child I would pick out to be the class choreographer. She would stand in front of the class and teach all the other students how to "act out" the words of the song, or how to dance to the rhythm.

Janet will probably grow up to be a physical therapist, or she'll represent the US in the Olympics! (Boys typically have strong intelligence in this area and can be prevented from "acting out" in disruptive ways if they are given the opportunity to lead the class in physical movement.)

Matthew is strongest in his Logical-Mathematic Intelligence. He has to learn with problem-finding, problem solving, order and sequence. (Music is, after all, only math set to music!) He constantly tries to figure out how something works, why it works (or doesn't work), and his curiosity will drive him to seek out the answers on his own.

Secret: Matthew's learning time will be cut in half if he's exposed to Baroque and Romantic Period music early in his development. He will probably grow up to be an engineer, math teacher, or be a technical designer. But whatever he does, life will have to be "logical" for him to succeed.

Adriana is strongest in her Intra-Personal Intelligence. She has the self-knowledge necessary to know when it is time to withdraw from a situation.
Through her involvement in our music program, she develops the ability to act adaptively on the basis of that knowledge. This particular knowledge is invaluable in this era of pedophiles because it teaches her to trust her instincts. She'll know when it's time to withdraw from a situation, and she'll have the ability to act on her knowledge.

She'll likely grow up to become a novelist, therapist, psychologist or philosopher. Secret: I must be very sensitive to Adriana's feelings, but not allow her to hide in them. I would ask her to write a song about them, and then share it with the class.

Marilyn is strongest in her Inter-Personal Intelligence. She has natural ability to detect and discriminate the various moods of those around her. She can read people's intentions and desires, even when hidden, and has great intuitive powers.

Marilyn will, most likely, work in one of the "helping" professions. One thing for sure: she'll make a warm, sensitive parent! She's the student I can always count on to let me know when any other student is sad, sick, or shy.
Secret: Marilyn will learn best when in a loving, supportive, and encouraging environment.

Cesar is strongest in his Musical Intelligence. He has a natural capacity to perceive, discriminate, transform, and express musical forms.
Secret: Cesar needs early private music lessons! He could easily be another Mozart, or Beethoven! He thinks in music! Teach this kid anything set to music!

With the right encouragement and some coaxing out of his inner world, I can instill confidence in Cesar, and he'll succeed at anything he tries. His future will, most likely, be evident to his parents at an early age. He'll show uncanny abilities musically. They will know they have a musician in the family!

(More on this subject in Secrets of A Music Teacher, Part 2)

(c) 2007 April Lorier

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