{"id":899,"date":"2017-07-13T20:47:12","date_gmt":"2017-07-14T03:47:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/?p=899"},"modified":"2017-07-13T20:47:12","modified_gmt":"2017-07-14T03:47:12","slug":"out-of-the-blue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2017\/07\/13\/out-of-the-blue\/","title":{"rendered":"Out of the blue"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"29\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/theres-only-grace\/inbaby-hand3\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/inbaby-hand3.jpg?fit=135%2C135&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"135,135\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"inbaby-hand3\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/inbaby-hand3.jpg?fit=135%2C135&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/inbaby-hand3.jpg?resize=135%2C135\" alt=\"\" width=\"135\" height=\"135\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-29\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Consider the following scenario.  <\/p>\n<p>You have just arrived at the grade school to drop off your child for another day of elementary learning.  You notice that there appears to be a number of vehicles in the parking lot sporting the logos for a variety of local new stations and a few from outside of your community.  Curious as to the meaning of this discovery, you park your vehicle and enter the school only to witness a flurry of excited activity.  All about you are adults with cameras jockeying for positions around a cluster of closed doors while arriving children take up their seat in the hallway leading to these doors.  Off to your side you catch a glimpse into the main auditorium where many adults have gathered before a column of tables and chairs placed uniformly upon the stage.  <\/p>\n<p>A mother of one of the children sitting in the hallway taps you on the shoulder and with inquisitive eyes flickering around the unfolding drama asks you what is happening to which you shrug your shoulders and shake your head in wonder.  As you both look around at many of the other parents present, each holding the same expressions on their face, the clamor of the school bell shocks everyone to attention.<\/p>\n<p>Suddenly, a bustling of young bodies arises as if on cue and a door surrounded by all the photographers flies open and out prance a cadre of young children, six in number, each sporting the most whimsical grins as the march in unison toward the auditorium being led by a woman who you recognize as the kindergarten teacher.  The whirling machinations of cameras, the flashing of lights from the cellphones of proud parents provide no answer to what is happening as everyone from the hall files into the auditorium, greeted by the applause of the people who had already taken up their seats. <\/p>\n<p>You enter the room and take a position standing along the back wall with several parents amidst the cables and video cameras stationed there to record the proceedings.  You watch as the six children ascend the stairs to the left of the stage and proceed to take a seat in the center of the tables while several adults enter from the right and jockey for positions in the remaining chairs. <\/p>\n<p>A hush falls over the room as the principal maneuvers her way to the front of the stage.  \u201cThank you all for coming today to this very special meeting.  It is a great privilege and honor to have such a distinguished panel of scientific experts here today,\u201d she says as she turns and makes a sweeping gesture with her arm towards the adults seating upon the stage.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would like to ask before we begin this symposium that you would keep you questions until the end so that each of the six participants will have ample opportunity to present their findings.  We have set aside a block of time specifically for those representing the media for answering your questions and it will follow this meeting and be held in room 105, just down the hall to your right.\u201d  There is a rustling that transpires as a few camera people and reporters gather their equipment and scurry out the door, heading towards room 105.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor our first presenter, I would like to introduce you to Perry Whitman.  He is 5 years old and known to sleep longer than most of his peers at nap time.\u201d A chuckle rises from a number of the participates while Perry\u2019s cheeks turn a bright crimson.  \u201cPerry will be describing\u2026\u201d she halts while searching the pockets of her blazer.  Locating a piece of paper, she unfolds it and adjusts her glasses. \u201cPerry will be releasing his findings dealing with the quantum differential in oscillating quarks and how it might be possible to capture the latent power they produce.\u201d  A standing ovation greets Perry as he climbs the steps to the lectern and adjusts the microphone.<\/p>\n<p>Ludicrous, right? Some 5-year old presenting advanced scientific findings before a panel of esteemed scientists!  Almost as ridiculous as trying to present the message of grace to fundamentalist believers. Think about that one for a minute because the comparison is intentional.  Little children, Kingdom of God.  Baffled believers like parents and reports who have lost their steam toward being esteemed.  If I must spell this out for you, well\u2026 Go Perry!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Consider the following scenario. You have just arrived at the grade school to drop off your child for another day of elementary learning. You notice that there appears to be a number of vehicles in the parking lot sporting the &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2017\/07\/13\/out-of-the-blue\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amazonpipp_noncename":"","amazon-product-isactive":"","amazon-product-single-asin":"","amazon-product-content-location":"1","amazon-product-content-hook-override":"2","amazon-product-excerpt-hook-override":"3","amazon-product-singular-only":"","amazon-product-amazon-desc":"","amazon-product-show-gallery":"","amazon-product-show-features":"","amazon-product-newwindow":"3","amazon-product-show-list-price":"","amazon-product-show-used-price":"","amazon-product-show-saved-amt":"","amazon-product-timestamp":"","amazon-product-new-title":"","amazon-product-use-cartURL":"","amazon_featured_post_meta_key":"","_amazon_featured_alt":"","amazon-product-template":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[4,6,5],"class_list":["post-899","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-10","tag-grace","tag-mike-hillebrecht","tag-teaching"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2ITDy-ev","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":442,"url":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2016\/09\/21\/mysteries\/","url_meta":{"origin":899,"position":0},"title":"Mysteries.","author":"mike","date":"September 21, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"We live in a world where the mysterious is avoided. We must have everything figured out. Yet, it is mysteries that drive us into new territories. Discovery broadens our ability to communicate more effectively. Children love discovery, adults hate it. So here is a mystery for you. Consider the following:\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;2016 Postings&quot;","block_context":{"text":"2016 Postings","link":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/category\/2016\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/inbaby-hand3.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":498,"url":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2017\/05\/27\/children-dont-know\/","url_meta":{"origin":899,"position":1},"title":"Children don\u2019t know","author":"mike","date":"May 27, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Jesus stated that the kingdom of Heaven belongs to children. Adults don\u2019t get it, literally. Jean Piaget was a renowned child psychologist who told a story about a study of how children process information at differing ages. He classified them as \u201cpreop,\u201d the stage prior to being able to do\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;2017 Postings&quot;","block_context":{"text":"2017 Postings","link":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/category\/2017\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/inbaby-hand3.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":364,"url":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2016\/07\/07\/is-it-really-a-gift-if-you-have-to-return-it\/","url_meta":{"origin":899,"position":2},"title":"Is It Really a Gift if you have to Return it?","author":"mike","date":"July 7, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Have you ever witnessed, or actually created, the following scenario? Two young children from different families are thrust into the awkward social situation of playing together while the adults go and talk among themselves. One of the kids decides to make the bold move of giving a toy to the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;2016 Postings&quot;","block_context":{"text":"2016 Postings","link":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/category\/2016\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/inbaby-hand3.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1550,"url":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2018\/03\/06\/the-sorry-apology-called-forgiveness\/","url_meta":{"origin":899,"position":3},"title":"The Sorry Apology Called Forgiveness","author":"mike","date":"March 6, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"The faint to blaring shrills of my mother often ring in my head during times of conflict. \u201cYou tell them you\u2019re sorry!\u201d \u201cYou go over there right now and apologize for your behavior!\u201d These two seem to be the most prominent ones, but any others always employ the same action:\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;2018 Postings&quot;","block_context":{"text":"2018 Postings","link":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/category\/2018-postings\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/inbaby-hand3.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":351,"url":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2015\/07\/07\/grace-with-attitude\/","url_meta":{"origin":899,"position":4},"title":"Grace with Attitude","author":"mike","date":"July 7, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"It\u2019s been a year since I wrote about the adventures of our family at Camp Attitude. This year we took the plunge and took the entire first week of camp to attend. We spent the year planning the logistics on our side while allowing Holy Spirit to preparing our hearts\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;2015 Postings&quot;","block_context":{"text":"2015 Postings","link":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/category\/2015\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/inbaby-hand3.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2152,"url":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2019\/04\/13\/heaven-wont-help-you\/","url_meta":{"origin":899,"position":5},"title":"Heaven won\u2019t help you.","author":"mike","date":"April 13, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"It\u2019s a cry which many of us have made within the depths of our despair, the tear-stained anguish of our common sufferings, the malcontent boiling of our overwhelming dissatisfaction. \u201cHeaven help me.\u201d How\u2019s that working for you? Have you ever considered that there is a lesson, or maybe many lessons,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;2019 Postings&quot;","block_context":{"text":"2019 Postings","link":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/category\/2019-postings\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"hand in hand","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/inbaby-hand3.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/899","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=899"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/899\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":904,"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/899\/revisions\/904"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=899"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=899"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=899"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}