<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?><!-- generator=Zoho Sites --><rss version="2.0" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><channel><atom:link href="https://www.cftw.org/blogs/tag/education-crisis/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><title>CFTW - Blog #education crisis</title><description>CFTW - Blog #education crisis</description><link>https://www.cftw.org/blogs/tag/education-crisis</link><lastBuildDate>Sat, 28 Feb 2026 02:58:44 -0800</lastBuildDate><generator>http://zoho.com/sites/</generator><item><title><![CDATA[A Light in Darkness]]></title><link>https://www.cftw.org/blogs/post/A-Light-In-Darkness</link><description><![CDATA[<img align="left" hspace="5" src="https://www.cftw.org/blog title images/BMI Blog Banner light in the darkness-1.png"/>We are amid worldwide changes.&nbsp;2020 was a great challenge, and we hope that in 2021 we can surmount all the rigours life throws at us. My 8-year-o ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zpcontent-container blogpost-container "><div data-element-id="elm_VNIJn6GqS1KhVbmEC8Xa4A" data-element-type="section" class="zpsection "><style type="text/css"></style><div class="zpcontainer-fluid zpcontainer"><div data-element-id="elm_8U_kgDvUS7GSgsL2FTo4tA" data-element-type="row" class="zprow zprow-container zpalign-items- zpjustify-content- " data-equal-column=""><style type="text/css"></style><div data-element-id="elm_PaGsj8h_SCKoUZ2xcmLTgA" data-element-type="column" class="zpelem-col zpcol-12 zpcol-md-12 zpcol-sm-12 zpalign-self- "><style type="text/css"></style><div data-element-id="elm_QQgEwiHaTDWjUsYOZOwE-A" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style> [data-element-id="elm_QQgEwiHaTDWjUsYOZOwE-A"].zpelem-text { border-radius:1px; margin-block-start:-3px; } </style><div class="zptext zptext-align-left " data-editor="true"><p><span style="font-size:16px;">We are amid worldwide changes.&nbsp;2020 was a great challenge, and we hope that in 2021 we can surmount all the rigours life throws at us.</span></p><p><span style="color:inherit;font-size:16px;">My 8-year-old grandchild, Joaquin,&nbsp;was interviewed today for a chance to move to a new school in Potomac, MD.&nbsp;He seemed to grasp the importance of the interview.&nbsp;</span><br></p></div>
</div><div data-element-id="elm_v9m-s9qxQ4NXgCWLgWnzkA" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style> [data-element-id="elm_v9m-s9qxQ4NXgCWLgWnzkA"].zpelem-text { border-radius:1px; } </style><div class="zptext zptext-align-left " data-editor="true"><p><span style="font-size:16px;">The&nbsp;Principal, Mr. M, explained to Joaquin that there would be a lot of freedom at this new school.&nbsp;The Principle went on to ask, “What does this new freedom mean to you, Joaquin?”&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size:16px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;">Joaquin is an avid reader and didn’t hesitate to quote from a book<span style="vertical-align:super;">[1]</span> he had just completed reading, “Well you know Mr. M, you can’t have freedom without self-discipline.&nbsp;Freedom comes from making good choices.”&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;">Mr. M., following the interview, reported to my delighted daughter what Joaquin had told him.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;">Freedom truly is the freedom from slavery to bad choices and reactions to false pride and egoism.&nbsp;To&nbsp;make good choices is about seeing the need that exists around you and to open yourself to the Love of God, and respond to the impulse he gives us to be genuinely free. </span></p><p><span style="color:inherit;font-size:16px;">Working in our clinic, a woman named Fozia told me she wanted to do something great, something extraordinary with her life.&nbsp;She is a Muslim woman recently married and waiting for her husband’s immigration to Canada.</span></p></div>
</div><div data-element-id="elm_RztqB85WT7sseyM_sq5KUA" data-element-type="imagetext" class="zpelement zpelem-imagetext "><style> [data-element-id="elm_RztqB85WT7sseyM_sq5KUA"].zpelem-imagetext{ border-radius:1px; } </style><div data-size-tablet="size-original" data-size-mobile="size-original" data-align="left" data-tablet-image-separate="" data-mobile-image-separate="" class="zpimagetext-container zpimage-with-text-container zpimage-align-left zpimage-size-medium zpimage-tablet-fallback-medium zpimage-mobile-fallback-medium hb-lightbox " data-lightbox-options="
            type:fullscreen,
            theme:dark"><figure role="none" class="zpimage-data-ref"><span class="zpimage-anchor" role="link" tabindex="0" aria-label="Open Lightbox" style="cursor:pointer;"><picture><img class="zpimage zpimage-style-none zpimage-space-none " src="/other%20images%20for%20blog/DSCN0029%20moon.JPG" size="medium" data-lightbox="true" style="height:251px;width:335.08px;"/></picture></span></figure><div class="zpimage-text zpimage-text-align-left " data-editor="true"><p style="margin-bottom:8pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;">We could see through the clinic window the moon shining brightly in the sky that evening.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;">I asked Fozia,&nbsp;pointing to the moon, “What is that?”&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;">She looked and seemingly uncertain how to respond, “The moon?”</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;">“What does it do?” I continued.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;">“It gives light?” She said, still uncertain where I was going.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;">“Does it give its own light?” </span></p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><span style="color:inherit;">“No, it reflects the sunlight.”</span></span><br></p><p><span style="color:inherit;"><span style="font-size:16px;"><br></span></span></p><p><span style="color:inherit;"><span style="font-size:11pt;"><br></span></span></p></div>
</div></div><div data-element-id="elm_H5yWXqohdUrUNhIpcaAyhA" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style> [data-element-id="elm_H5yWXqohdUrUNhIpcaAyhA"].zpelem-text { border-radius:1px; margin-block-start:-41px; } </style><div class="zptext zptext-align-left " data-editor="true"><p style="margin-bottom:8pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;">“Precisely, that is what it does.&nbsp;It just hangs out in the sky and gives light for us in the dark. That is what you must do to be great.&nbsp;You must reflect God’s Love.&nbsp;You must be a light in the darkness.”&nbsp;I continued to say, “You are Muslim.&nbsp;You have devotion to Mary, the Mother of Jesus.&nbsp;What did she do special?&nbsp;Was she the leader of a country?&nbsp;Was she a corporate leader, an engineer, doctor, great scientist?”</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;">Fozia smiled, “No.”</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;">Mary said 2020 years ago, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices I God my Savior for he has regarded the humility of his handmaid.&nbsp;For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.&nbsp;Because he that is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name…”<span style="vertical-align:super;">[2]</span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;">“So Fozia,” I continued, “to be great in your life, you must reflect God’s Love and become like to moon, a light in the darkness like the moon reflects the light of the sun.”</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:8pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;">We all have a choice to make 2021 better than in 2020.&nbsp;We have a choice of freedom to choose good or to remain slaves to capricious whims and passions. </span></p><p><span style="color:inherit;font-size:16px;font-weight:bold;">Thank you for your donations to CFTW in 2020.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="color:inherit;font-size:16px;font-weight:bold;">Please continue to be a light in the darkness and reflect God’s Love.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="color:inherit;font-size:16px;font-weight:bold;">Our projects desperately require your continued generosity.</span></p></div>
</div><div data-element-id="elm_WqF3vtwQibvDGXK-grAhaA" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style> [data-element-id="elm_WqF3vtwQibvDGXK-grAhaA"].zpelem-text { border-radius:1px; } </style><div class="zptext zptext-align-left " data-editor="true"><p><span style="color:inherit;font-size:16px;font-style:italic;">“Well you know Mr. Ross, you can’t have true freedom without self-discipline.”</span><br></p></div>
</div><div data-element-id="elm_Qu9_IIG8Opy6n1rTmpPyQA" data-element-type="video" class="zpelement zpelem-video "><style type="text/css"> [data-element-id="elm_Qu9_IIG8Opy6n1rTmpPyQA"].zpelem-video{ border-radius:1px; } </style><div class="zpvideo-container zpiframe-align-left zpiframe-mobile-align- zpiframe-tablet-align-"><iframe class="zpvideo " width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6yugRaLx3c8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
</div><div data-element-id="elm_YoxqYf2LTJKiTPWbH7IU3g" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style> [data-element-id="elm_YoxqYf2LTJKiTPWbH7IU3g"].zpelem-text { border-radius:1px; } </style><div class="zptext zptext-align-left " data-editor="true"><p><span style="font-size:20px;font-weight:bold;">Please help us help those in need.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:16px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="font-size:16px;">John Bickert, B.Ed., D.C.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:16px;">President,</span></p><p><span style="color:inherit;font-size:16px;">CFTW</span><br></p></div>
</div><div data-element-id="elm_jCqJrlI1dzRaYCkUIOsfhw" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style> [data-element-id="elm_jCqJrlI1dzRaYCkUIOsfhw"].zpelem-text { border-radius:1px; } </style><div class="zptext zptext-align-left " data-editor="true"><p><span style="color:inherit;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size:10pt;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size:10.6667px;color:inherit;">[1]&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size:10pt;">The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace&nbsp;© 2019 McManus, Erwin Raphael.&nbsp;The Fedd Agency, Inc.&nbsp;Austin TX</span></p><p><span style="color:inherit;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">&nbsp;</span></span><span style="color:inherit;font-size:10.6667px;">[2]</span><span style="color:inherit;font-size:10pt;">Luke 1:46-49</span><span style="color:inherit;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">Luke 1:46-49</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:10pt;"><br></span></p></div>
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</div></div></div></div></div></div> ]]></content:encoded><pubDate>Wed, 27 Jan 2021 15:22:00 +0000</pubDate></item></channel></rss>