How Blessed We Are!

July 2, 2025

From Jeff Freeman

Do you ever ponder how blessed you are?  I am blessed because my wife and I are in our 30th year of marriage.  I am blessed because I have 2 healthy children (they made it to adulthood in one piece).  I am blessed to be connected to a school like Carman Adventist School.

My guess is that the first 2 blessings that I just mentioned, many of you, if not most of you can relate to those blessings.  Praise God for our spouses and our children.

When it comes to the third blessing of being connected to Carman Adventist School, I want us to wrestled with this one for a bit.  This is personal for me for a few reasons:

1. I only had the opportunity to attend a school like Carman my 3-5th grades and they were the best years of my education.

2. I have just returned from Ireland where I heard from so many people how they wished that there was a school like Carman there.

As I look back over my life and see all the “bumps and bruises” that I have incurred when I wasn’t in a school like Carman, I can’t help but want Carman for everyone in Marietta and also Ireland.

Is Carman a perfect school, probably not.  Are Carman teachers & staff perfect, probably not.  Has Carman been a perfect environment for every student who ever attended, probably not.

But…

Carman is undeniably & un-ashamedly a SDA Christian school.  Christ is lifted up here.  Carman is a family.  Carman is a place where every student can be in a safe place to be nurtured in a spiritually rich environment while receiving a rigorous academic education.

I wish everyone can have those experiences.  I am sure that you would agree that the entire world’s child population needs those experiences.

How do we make it possible, that until Jesus comes, Carman is open and continues to offer those experiences to anyone that wants it?  Here are a few ways I can think of (they won’t be easy and it could be a trial but it is worth it):

1. Work at the school (that is why I do what I do), there is still many ways people can work here!

2. Financially support the school.  You can give through MAC church budget which gives monthly support to Carman.  You can give money at the children’s story which goes to help students attend Carman.  You can give to Carman directly towards general operating fund or worthy student fund.

3. Make sure students that you have influence over attend Carman.  If they are Pre K-8th grade aged, make sure they are enrolled here.

For now, James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the man/woman who remains steadfast under trial, for when they have stood the test they will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him!”

The crown of life sounds really good!