The Middleton

Revival.
It comes in many different shapes and sizes. Here at MMS it came in the form of a weekend of prayer. Sebastien Braxton came and shared his testimony with the students and lives were miraculously touched. Some students gave their hearts to the Lord for the first time; others renewed their commitments to God. The hand of God dealt mightily, and thus came the revival.

Demons.
They come in many different shapes and sizes too. Here at MMS some came seeking to ruin a Sabbath afternoon. As I was sitting in the office in the boys' dorm, I heard a commotion coming from one of the back rooms. I went around the corner to check the quarantine rooms and found Mr. Pascal holding one of the students down on the floor. The boy was screaming uncontrollably and fighting with all his might to raise himself from the floor. Instinct kicked in for me, and I grabbed the boy's free arm and twisted it behind his back. I could feel the presence of the demons. The screams reminded me of some Jesus movie...you know, the scene where the demon-possessed boy, screaming and foaming at the mouth, is brought to Jesus. All I could do, helping Mr. P. pin the lad, was pray over and over that God would dispel the evil spirits that had gathered in the room and that had control over the boy. After what seemed like hours, the screams wearied, the fighting waned, and the crisis was over. I stood to my feet and shook the dust from my suit, straightened my tie, and returned to the office, feeling the need to weep and pray, agonizing for the souls of those here who have given place in their lives to demons.

Treachery.
It comes in--you guessed it--many different shapes and sizes. Here at MMS they have their own brand of treachery. On January 26th I was given an unforgettable reminder. I had intended to keep the significance of the date--that being my date of birth--in utmost secrecy. Alas, my plans were thwarted by the single staff member who had already befriended me on facebook. She let the word out, and by the end of the day I had been dusted with flour--an initiation by the students to any staff member on their first birthday at Miracle Meadows. I shall avenge this treachery.

Passive Restraint.
It is used on people of many different shapes and sizes. Here at MMS it is the preferred method of dealing with an individual who poses a threat to others or to himself or herself. However, sometimes we don't get to use that method. As I stood in the gym supervising a cleanup crew, a fellow a bit larger than I (who always tries to push the limits) decided to try his luck against me. He approached me and causally placed his arm around my neck in a classic head-lock. I advised him to cease from his folly in a matter of five seconds or less. He chose not to heed my warning and I was forced to take action. Instinct took over and I body-slammed him on to the gymnasium floor. He landed squarely on his back, and it took him a moment to catch his breath. His hold on my neck loosened, but he refused to give up so I initiated countermeasure #2. I placed my left hand on his face and began to place pressure on his eyes. That was all it took. As I stood over him I shook my head at him and said, "I wouldn't do that again if I were you." Next time he may his face to the floor and his arms behind his back...in passive restraint.