Tag Archives: School bus

by | April 3, 2014 · 1:24 pm

Thursday Thoughts

It’s almost Friday, so just hold on a little longer. In the meantime, here are my thoughts about a subject totally unrelated to World War Three or the supposed liberal victory in the “culture war.”

Honest Questions

Yesterday, in the elementary school lunchroom, several children started badgering me. Because yesterday was “Fan Day,” the little crumb-crunchers were wearing the colors of their favorite teams and wanting to know which college sports team was my favorite.

“Well, it all depends on who’s playing whom, and what sport,” I answered. “But can’t you pick a favorite?” they asked. “No,” I said, “because I have attended several colleges – Chatt. State, UTC, Hopkinsville College, Western Kentucky Univ. (one class), Temple Baptist Seminary, Covington Seminary, etc. – so it’s hard to pick a favorite; it all depends.”

At that point a 5th-grade girl started to laugh, then covered her mouth.

“What’s so funny?” I asked.

“Oh, I can’t say, ’cause it wouldn’t be nice,” she replied.

“Go ahead, what is it?”

“It wouldn’t be nice.”

“Tell me,” I insisted.

“It’s just, well… If you went to all those colleges, then why are you still driving a bus?”

That’s an honest question, I suppose. (Give me a second to bandage my ego)

It’s a Choice and a Calling

Those in ministry are some of the most educated poor people around. Honestly, how many people do you know with graduate and post-graduate degrees working multiple, low-paying jobs? Pastors do it far more often than you think.

So, why is it, with all that education and papers on my wall, I am “still driving a [school] bus?” The answer is pretty simple and two-fold: 1) I need a job with flexible daytime (and summer) hours; 2) it’s God’s will.

photo (7)Sure, there are other things I could be doing to make more money, like pastoring a large, “fully-funded” church. However, like most pastors, I serve the Lord and His flock in the place where He has chosen to send me. And if that means I have to do a little extra to pay for braces, then so be it; it keeps me humble.

And besides, there’s no “secular vs. sacred” when it comes to what I, or any Christian does for a living. We are called to be “salt and light” wherever we are. In my case, there’s a particular school bus that was bland and dim – it needed me.

That’s why I still drive a bus.

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. – Colossians 3:17 KJV

2 Comments

Filed under Culture Wars, ministry

Tagged as , , , , ,

by | February 28, 2014 · 12:15 pm

Friday Followup (Books, Burgoo, and Balls)

I Missed Thursday

I known it’s not a have to, a must, a requirement, or any such thing, but I have been enjoying writing about various topics on Thursdays. So, since I missed doing it yesterday, I will throw out a few quick thoughts for Friday – that’s today.

  • Proverbial Thought in print. Believe it or not, it looks like I, along with several others, are going to become published authors. Yes, Proverbial Thought (my other blog), the on-line daily devotional through the book of Proverbs, will soon be in print. But don’t think that the printed version will be exactly like the one on the web, no no no! There will be some new and revised content.
  • date with haley

    Picking up my “date” for the ball. A word to the wise – I’m armed – and so is she.

    Father/Daughter Purity Ball. Last week I took my youngest daughter, Haley, to a father/daughter purity ball in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. It was sponsored by a pro-life ministry called Alpha Alternative. It was the only time of the year where I will begrudgingly dance in public, but it was worth it to encourage my daughter to save herself until marriage. And if you want to argue against that, then you might be part of the problem.

  • Burgoo. It’s a Kentucky thing. It’s like Brunswick stew, but not. I brought some back to Chattanooga and let our youth pastor try it. He said, “It tastes sorta like a barbecue soup or stew, doesn’t it?” Yeah, I guess you could say that. But it’s definitely worth a drive to Hopkinsville.
  • photo (3)School Bus stop signs. Folks, if you see a flashing stop sign attached to a school bus, the law requires that you stop, and it doesn’t matter if you are on a two-lane road or six. You have no way of knowing in which direction a child might decide to run when he gets to the ground.

There you have it! There’s my thoughts for today. Just leave a nice comment below.

Remember…keep it nice.

1 Comment

Filed under America, blogging, Food, General Observations, Humor, Life Lessons, Relationships and Family

Tagged as , , , , , ,

by | August 27, 2013 · 1:46 pm

Life Lessons Revisited

A while back I did a series of posts entitled Life Lessons from the School Bus. Below is the first one I did in the series (Feb. 2011). I hope the moral of the post is an encouragement to someone.

Frankly, I would love to see some more snow.

“Stormy Weather”

What one person calls terrible weather capable of ending life as we know it, may be just another work day to another.  This truth is never more obvious than to bus drivers.

Recently, we have had more snow in Tennessee than at any time I can personally remember. We have even used up all of our available “snow days.”  Yet, while we were closing schools for snow down here, schools up north were quite literally trucking along.

Looking out the windshield of my bus onto the lawn, you can see an inch or so of white stuff. Due to the lack of equipment and funds to regularly take care of the frozen precipitation (it’s not the norm down here, you know), just an inch, if it sticks to the roads, will shut down schools in a heartbeat. The mountainous and rural back roads off the main highways, where most kids live, usually are not salted or plowed. Typically, people around here just wait a day or so for the arctic terror to melt. Until then, driving is dangerous, so buses stay parked and empty.

On the other hand, my wife was in Chicago during the last blizzard. She sent me this picture of a school bus transporting children in weather that would have given a Tennessee school administrator heart failure.  What was the difference? They are used to it up there, and far more prepared. To people in Chicago, our worst weather is just another work day. But I wonder how they would deal with our heat, humidity, and lung-clogging pollen come August?

The Life Lesson

Problems will come in life that may seem small to some, but huge to others. The key is to never view another person’s problem as insignificant. What you may think is no big deal could be earth-shattering to someone else.

Learn to show grace and mercy to those who aren’t handling things as well as you. You may be the strength and encouragement they need to get through a tough time.

Who knows, a time may come when an unexpected storm will snow you in.

1 Comment

Filed under General Observations, Life Lessons

Tagged as , , , , , ,

by | December 22, 2012 · 12:34 am

Year-End Wisdom from the School Bus

Life Lessons

If you are new to my blog, besides trying to pastor a church, parent children, and perturb a wife, I drive a school bus. It’s what I do to help pay the bills and increase my presence in the community.

photo (41)A while back I wrote a series of posts called “Life Lessons from the School Bus.” I haven’t done any in a while, however. So, since school is now out for Christmas vacation, I thought it would be a good time to catch up.

Below are three, short examples of truth gleaned from inside the “yellow box” on wheels. If you like these, you should go read some of my older posts. You won’t be disappointed.

“Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding; For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.” – Proverbs 3:13-15 NKJV

The Roundabout

Europe came to Chattanooga a few years ago in the form of roundabouts. They are only in a few places, but people are getting used to them, especially the NASCAR fans – they love driving in circles.

Anyway, last week I came to a roundabout in my bus. About a quarter of the way through, a girl in a little car came from the street to my right and pulled directly in front of me, causing me to slam on my brakes. “Oops!” was the look that came across her face. “Idiot!” must have been the look on mine.

Life Lesson? Are school buses invisible? No, and neither are many of the tragedies that run over people every day. People get so distracted with life that they never see the things approaching which could take life from them.

Losing Marbles

There’s this one little girl on my bus that cries over the least little things, like when she doesn’t get her way. One time she was crying about how everybody hated her. Then, just as she was stepping off the bus, another little boy looked back at her and said, “Nobody hates you, [name]; we just don’t like you.”

Well, that afternoon, when the elementary kids were getting on the bus to go home, this little girl got on first and sat on the front row. “Would you like a marble, Mr. Baker?” she asked. “No,” I said, “I have plenty.” “What kind do you have?” she asked. “The round kind,” I replied.

Then, as every child getting on the bus walked past her she would say, “Would you like a marble? You can have it for keeps. Everyone! Get your free marble, if you want one!”

I asked, “What are you doing? Why are you giving away your marbles?” She said, “Because I am going to make them like me.”

Life Lesson? Believe it or not, many adults do the same thing. They treat others poorly, then try to buy their friendship with shiny trinkets. Sadly, when all is said and done, the marbles just end up on the floor when the “friends” leave.

Puke Breeds Puke

It’s the last thing a bus driver wants to deal with, but puke happens.

Recently a driver in our area suffered a puking “perfect storm.” One child on his bus got sick and orally relieved himself, which started a chain reaction. I’ll never forget the driver’s words over the two-way radio, “It’s everywhere…all over…the bus is covered.”

You see, there is an irrefutable law on school buses: puke runs downhill (or down isles). So, when one kid started throwing up, six or seven others followed his example, leaving the bus to be washed out with a water hose.

Life lesson? Watch your mouth – and what you spew out of it. The way you talk will influence others. Bad attitudes breed more bad attitudes, and what you end up with is a nasty mess.

 Want to be a school bus driver? Doesn’t pay a lot, but the lessons learned are worth a fortune!

 

Related articles

9 Comments

Filed under America, Christian Maturity, General Observations, Uncategorized, wisdom

Tagged as , , , ,

by | November 20, 2012 · 6:00 am

Legalism and Responsibility in the Light of a Tragedy

Legalism Revisited

Legalism is more than a list of do’s and don’ts. It’s a way of thinking.

Legalism assumes that rules and regulations – laws – can make all the difference in the world, alleviating the fear of what happens when people are accountable for themselves. It is commonly assumed that with more laws in place people will get into less trouble. The problem is that even if a man had a rule and regulation for every area of life, he would still be responsible for his own actions.

Therefore, when someone acts responsibly in an atmosphere of loose regulation, he not only shows maturity and wisdom, but lives can be saved. Sadly, legalism and a lack of personal responsibility are at the heart of today’s story.

A Horrible Tragedy

On October 17 a tragedy took place. It was the kind of tragedy that should pull at the heart strings of every human being. An Egyptian school bus carrying approximately 60 children was hit by a train. Most of the children, ages 4-8, and two adults were killed instantly.

News reports seem to have place the blame on many people, ranging from the sleeping crossing guard to the head of the railway. News agencies from around the world keep mentioning how poor the safety records are in Egypt, each pointing out the need for more laws and greater reform.

But what saddens me is that not one news story that I have read held the bus driver responsible. In my opinion, that is where the real responsibility lay.

Speaking from Experience

As a professional school bus driver I can testify that America has plenty of laws in place regarding school bus safety, especially regarding railway crossings. But no amount of laws can make a driver stop at every railroad crossing, look in both directions at least twice, and open both doors and windows to listen for any sound of an approaching train. Even with all the laws that are in place, there are still accidents. It is always, always the responsibility of the driver to watch for danger.

Even if everyone in the country of Egypt had neglected their duties, the driver of the doomed school bus should have never crossed those tracks, whether there were working signals, or not. Flashing lights and crossing arms fail. The bus driver should have never crossed a track without being positive a train was not approaching.

It is possible that the driver saw the train and assumed that it was a safe distance away. It is possible that, when he saw no crossing arms down, he assumed the train was going slowly, if not stopped. The laws may have permitted the driver to cross the tracks if he thought the train was a safe distance away. The problem is that the speed of an approaching train is nearly impossible to determine. If he saw the train, he should have never crossed the tracks.

A Better Law

In my opinion, the buck stops with the driver. He (or she) was the one ultimately responsible for the safety of his priceless cargo. He made the decision to unwisely cross the track, despite any law that may or may not have been in place, and he paid the price.

Legalism sets up laws for us to follow. It does it’s best to guard us against every foreseeable circumstance. But no law can replace responsibility. No law can guide us better than a pure conscience. No written law, however well-intentioned, can replace the law of God written on the heart transformed by the Spirit (Ps. 40:8; Jer. 31:33; Rom. 8:3-5).

Related articles

6 Comments

Filed under Christian Maturity, current events, legalism, Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , ,

by | November 2, 2012 · 12:10 am

Not Paying Attention

Not a Hallomeany

I am not a big Halloween guy. I don’t get in to the dressing up, and all that. For that matter, I don’t really celebrate the holiday.

However, I am not a total Hallomeany. I am not the Halloween version of Scrooge. For example, when a little girl asked what I thought of her costume, I didn’t say, “You look more like a prostitot than a princess.” I said, “You look very nice!”

When the little boys come around dressed like monsters, I always shiver like I am scared. When they dress like superheroes, I ask if they can fly. And when they look like a cat, dog, or freakazoid satanic mutt from the pits of hell, I say, “Wow! Do you have fleas, too?”

Wiggin’ Out

So, even though I don’t really celebrate Halloween, I try to keep the kids on the bus from thinking I am a “legalist.” What do I do? I wear a wig. This time I wore an Afro.

One little girl told me she was Little Red Riding Hood. I told her I was Big Black Afro Hood.

But the funny thing about all of this is the reaction of the elementary kids. It really made me wonder what bus they have been riding the last three months.

The Kids: (at least 1,000 times) “Mr. Baker, is that your real hair?”

Me: “Yes. It is. I was bald yesterday, but I put fertilizer on my head and my hair grew overnight.”

The Kids: “No it’s not…I bet it is a wig…that’s not your hair…let me touch it…I bet it’s a wig.”

Me:  “Of course it’s my real hair.”

The Kids:  “Is that really your real hair? You’re wearing a wig…I just know it.”

Me: (I got upset with some children who wouldn’t stay in their seats, so I got serious and took off the wig.)

A Little Girl (that has ridden the bus for 3 months): “Aaaahhhh (gasping, then giggling as she whispers to another child), Mr. Baker’s BALD!

Me:  “You THINK?! Where have you been? Did you not see me yesterday? Are you blind?”

You’ve Known Me How Long?

After telling the above story a few times, it seemed God wanted to tell me something.

I kept thinking of a conversation Jesus has with Phillip in John 14:8-9. Phillip asked, “Show us the Father.” That’s when Jesus replied in the same way I did to the little girl, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me?”

That got me to wondering. How long have I known Jesus? And how many times do I act like I haven’t even been paying attention to His presence? How many times have I been surprised by an answered prayer? How many times have I doubted, only to find Him faithful?

“You’ve known Me how long?” Long enough to know better.

6 Comments

Filed under Christian Maturity, God, Humor, Life Lessons

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

by | May 7, 2012 · 12:05 am

Monday Monkey “At the Zoo” (Episode 22)

Multi-tasking

I am not a great multi-tasker. Once, in an emergency, I was forced to answer a phone, while cleaning house and preparing lunch for a small child – at the same time! Do you realize how difficult that is? I ended up in the hospital!

On the other hand, I do drive a school bus, which requires me to do a great many things at once.

  • Drive a 33,000 lb. vehicle
  • Yell
  • Communicate on a 2-way radio
  • Wipe perspiration (sweat) from my eyes
  • Watch 20 crumb-crunchers in a rear-view mirror doing everything they can to distract me from my primary job (see first thing on list)
  • Tell multiple stories to kindergartners, both true and fictional, but especially fictional (about aliens from outer space taking over the bodies of teenage girls)

Making Videos

I guess making Monday Monkey videos require a little multi-tasking, too.  This week I had so much reading and writing to do that I actually broke a blood vessel in my right eye (no joke). I was so swamped, I didn’t know what to do, but I still had to work.

So, when I had to drive a field trip to the Chattanooga Zoo, I knew it would be the perfect time to take Buddy (Mr. Monkey). Maybe I am better at multi-tasking than I give myself credit. Maybe I am as good as my wife? No, I wouldn’t go that far.

Monkey Talks to Monkeys

3 Comments

Filed under Aliens, Monday Monkey

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , ,

by | March 21, 2012 · 9:35 am

The Worst Field Trip Guide

The Trip

Today I transported 80 kindergarteners on a field trip to a mountain forest. Do you have any idea how loud 80 excited 5-year-olds can get when confined in a 40ft.-long steel box on wheels?

Teacher Talk

Anyway, I couldn’t help overhear the advice school teachers were giving to the little crumb crunchers. One warned, “Don’t pick anything up from the ground; you won’t be able to keep it, anyway.” Another said, “Don’t bounce on the swinging bridge; just look over the side.”

However, the best piece of advice was clear enough: “Do NOT get off the trail!” But I spoke up and said, “‘Cause if you get off the trail, we might have to send the dogs after you.”

Who knew the little girl was afraid of dogs? I didn’t! Cry baby.

Bad Advice

So, that got me to thinking: what would be the worst advice to give 80 children before a trip into the woods?

  • Don’t worry about your lunch box, the forest is full of pretty berries.
  • As long as the animal is smaller than you, go ahead and pet it. It won’t mind.
  • Hey, bounce on the swinging bridge…it’s just like a trampoline.
  • Of course! Rules are meant to be broken.
  • Bears? What bears? This is Tennessee, kid. We don’t have bears. You’re thinking of Chicago.
  • I don’t care what your mom said, poison oak is a hoax. Don’t your parents have oak furniture? Does it make you itch? See, she lied.
  • Who can get closest to the edge?
  • Whatever you do, don’t stay on the trail. Trails are for babies.
  • Snakes are overrated, misunderstood jump ropes.

Best Advice

Fortunately, when it comes to the wilderness of life, there is One who always gives good advice. He teaches us to stay on the path that He has already walked. He warns us of things that can harm us. He can even tell the difference between good and bad fruit trees.

Psa 23:4 – Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou [art] with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Matt 4:19 – And he saith unto them, Follow me….

Here’s a link to my other blog, i4Daily. There’s a nice picture of the swinging bridge.

2 Comments

Filed under Christian Maturity, Life Lessons, Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | March 1, 2012 · 6:56 pm

One Year Ago, Today

I was just thinking about where I was a year ago, so I went to the archives. It was the day after a storm. Believe it or not, it was just Wednesday (yesterday) that storms came through again.

But the biggest thing is that I was feeling a little down today, and I was going to write about hiding in The Rock of Ages. Amazing, isn’t it? Storms come, storms go, but He remains the same. I’m glad I can rest in the security of His embrace.

“Till the Storm Passes Over”

Yesterday (Feb. 28, 2011) a strong storm front moved through our area around 2:25 p.m., EST. I was in the bus. NOT a good idea.

On a normal day, schools get out at 2:15. Yesterday, because of the coming storm, school dismissal was delayed until 2:30. That was a smart move. It would have been really dangerous to be on the road with a bunch of children and a tornado coming.

Because I knew that rain and high winds was on the way, I went outside of the school building and onto my bus to put up the windows. That was at 2:15……2:17, it was still calm……2:18, the storm hit like a bull catching a matador.

The following is what I posted on Facebook from my iPhone:

  • 2:18 pm “Storm is on us at lookout valley. In bus. Not good. Think was a bad idea.”
  • 2:21 pm “Laying on floor.”
  • 2:21 pm “Just a little scared.”
  • 2:23 pm “Hail.”
  • 2:24 pm “Hope somebody is praying.”
  • 2:30 pm “Whew! Bad stuff is over. Kids will be getting on bus soon. They held them in the school until the storm passed. Was scary.”

The reason I got down in the floor, as opposed to sitting in my seat, was because I was afraid that broken glass might start flying around. I also thought that I might be safer on the floor if a tree came looking for my head. Who knows? All I know is that while I was on the floor – while the bus rocked and the wind roared – I prayed.

I didn’t get off the bus because the wind was so intense, and opening the door would have been difficult, if not impossible. Not to mention, I had no idea if I would have been blown away or hit by a head-seeking oak branch. At least in the bus there was some metal protecting me. But on the other hand, it would have been a lot safer in the building. The bus was a bad idea.

As a result of the storm, there were hundreds of calls to the police for help. Trees were down everywhere, blocking roads, taking down power lines, and even crushing cars and damaging houses. As a matter of fact, I had to wait for nearly an hour for a power line to be cleared, just so my bus to get down a little back road. It was a mess.

Life Lesson

Sometimes storms come when you least expect them, even when you expect they will come. When they do, it is best to find shelter in a place that can weather the storm.

The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. – Psalms 18:2

When the storms of life hit, the best place to be is within our Saviour’s protective hand. The flimsy philosophies of this world are no better than a school bus in gale force winds. Till the storm passes over, resting safe within His arms is the best place to be.

“Sheltered in the Arms of God”

I feel the touch of hands so kind and tender.
They’re leading me in the paths that I must trod.
I’ll have no fear for Jesus walks beside me
For I’m sheltered in the arms of God.

So let the storm clouds rage high,
The dark clouds rise,
They don’t bother me;
For I’m sheltered in the arms of God.
He walks with me,
And naught of earth shall harm me,
For I’m sheltered in the arms of God.

– Dottie Rambo

1 Comment

Filed under God, Life Lessons, salvation, worship

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

by | September 14, 2011 · 6:07 am

Hiding in Sight

Last year I did a series of posts called “Life Lessons from the School Bus.” If you haven’t already, take the time to read some of them – most are pretty good.

But one lesson that I did not include last year was one that nearly cost me dearly. It had to do with missing what was hiding in plain sight.

The Story

As you can see in the picture, a typical school bus has two mirrors immediately to the left of the driver window (besides the convex mirror below). With mirrors everywhere, driving is made much safer and easier, even in heavy traffic. What you don’t see is what is on the other side of the mirrors.

This picture at the very spot an accident could have taken place.

I was beginning to exit a gas station directly across the street from another station, and a Hardee’s. I looked in every direction and checked my mirrors. Then, as I started to pull out, an 18-wheeler appeared out of nowhere…directly in front of me! It had been hiding behind the mirrors.

Take a look at the picture. Right behind the top mirror sat a Peterbilt. I never saw it. What saved me was taking my time and being cautious. Had I rushed on forward I may have pulled right into the path of that big truck. Only going slow and expecting the unexpected made the difference.

The Lesson

“Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways” (Haggai 1:5 KJV).

So many tragedies in life could be avoided if only we would take the time to “consider our ways.”

Do we stop to think about where we are going? Do we take the time to make sure there is nothing hidden behind the obvious? Sometimes our judgment can be clouded by the determination to move forward with our plans. Wisdom understands that the Enemy loves to capitalize on things hidden.

How important it is for us to let the Holy Spirit lead us. His unseen hand can guide us around the unseen dangers.

2 Comments

Filed under Christian Living, Christian Maturity, Life Lessons

Tagged as , , , ,