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I’m writing this from the passenger seat of our car somewhere along the long, slow road to Charleston, SC. What is normally a three-hour trip has already stretched to over two, and we’re barely halfway there.
In the car with me are my husband, our 15-year-old son Luke, his friend Karden, and our potty-training 2-year-old grandson Eli (our oldest son's child—not Luke’s). We’ve stopped for coffee (my husband’s request), for McDonald’s (the teenagers’ request), and for a toddler-demanded bathroom break. At this rate, we’ll arrive in Charleston sometime tomorrow.
Usually, I’m efficient (some might say impatient) when it comes to road trips. I approach travel as a task necessary to reach another place. That old adage, “It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey,” sounds nice until you’re buckled into a car behind slow-moving traffic.
But today feels different.
Maybe it’s the peaceful hum of the road or the curious questions from our little guy in the backseat. Maybe it’s just God softening my heart to see the beauty of the moment. 

My mind ponders Psalm 25:4–5:
Show me your ways, Lord,
teach me your paths.
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.

What a fitting prayer for a journey, both the literal one and the figurative one we’re all navigating as families, students, and educators at CCAC. Life doesn’t always move at our preferred pace, and sometimes the distractions and disruptions are part of the lesson. But when we invite the Lord to guide us and teach us, even the longest roads become places of learning, patience, and unexpected joy.
So today, I’ll savor the giggles from the backseat. I’ll enjoy the quiet background music. I’ll even tolerate the mixed aroma of coffee and McDonald’s and the sight of red tail-lights ahead. I invite you all on this journey with me: to meditate on God’s truth and to trust Him as your Savior. Place your hope in Him and allow Him to teach you and guide you along His paths.
Whether you’re navigating family issues, school decisions, or simply life’s busy pace, may we each pause to recognize that God is guiding us, not just to a destination, but through every unplanned stop along the way. After all, we might not have planned for all the stops and interruptions, but God’s plan is perfect. Maybe, just maybe, the long, slow road is exactly where we’re meant to meet Him today.
 

Christ Classical Academy of Charlotte is a small, private, Christian school in Charlotte, North Carolina. As it is our mission to be intentionally diverse, we serve children and families from many cultures, countries, and ethnic backgrounds. We serve mostly an urban population, some of whom live at or below the poverty line in Charlotte and might not attend our school without help from the NC Opportunity Scholarship, while others have no financial struggles at all.
We are not a “covenant” school, which means we have some students who do not attend church, so CCAC is the only opportunity some of them have to hear about Christ and the Gospel. We do not take this responsibility lightly. The Bible is integrated into every subject we teach, and our staff are trained to “teach Christianly” at all times.
Additionally, we are the only Classical or Christian school in the area (of which we are aware) with a thriving ESE (Special Ed) department. Approximately 20% of our students demonstrate special needs. While we are not a “Special Education” school, we are grateful to serve children with special needs as they are immersed in the regular classroom. As a result, our typical learners learn to see all humans as image-bearers of God, who are to be loved and respected.
We are not your average Christian school. We are not your average Classical school. We are not your average private school. Christ Classical Academy of Charlotte is a mission field. Every day, our teachers share the love of Christ and the hope of the Gospel with children, some of whom might otherwise never hear it. We are unique, training up future leaders who will think critically, live faithfully, and love the Lord our God with all their hearts.
But we cannot do this alone. Tuition only covers a portion of what it takes to serve our diverse families, maintain our thriving programs, and continue providing an excellent Christ-centered, rigorous, inclusive, classical education while reaching children and families for Christ. Your partnership makes it possible.
Will you prayerfully consider supporting this mission today? Every tax-deductible gift, large or small, makes an eternal impact in the lives of children and families in Charlotte and on the Kingdom of God as a whole.

Donate now to Christ Classical Academy of Charlotte. https://www.christclassicalclt.com/support/

Together, we can raise up the next generation to know Christ and make Him known to the world.

Sincerely,
Dr. Kerri Miner
Head of School
Christ Classical Academy of Charlotte
 

At the risk of sounding ancient, I feel it is necessary to begin this blog with the words, “Back in my day . . .“ So here goes:

Back in my day, it was uncommon to be a twin. My twin brother and I have only met a couple of other sets of male/female fraternal twins our own age in our entire lives. Since fertility treatments have increased in popularity and availability, twinship is less rare than it was a few decades ago. Because twins were uncommon, people were often interested in our particular sibling bond and we were frequently asked, “What’s it like to be a twin?” I’ve confronted this question many times in my life with some variation of this answer:

Being a twin provided valuable healthy competition that allowed me to succeed at things I otherwise would not have.

My twin brother’s name is Joseph. He and I competed for everything. Who can run 3 miles faster? Who can tread water longer? Who can stay up later? Who can outlast the other in a breath-holding contest? I’m sure we competed for our parents’ attention too. Most valuably, however, we competed academically. We were in the same classes in middle and high school, so competing for the highest grades helped us both succeed in school, K-12 and beyond. In my opinion, here are three reasons why:
First, competition motivates us to do our best—and then improve on that best.
It gives us a reason to study harder, aim higher, hold our breath a little longer, and stretch beyond what we thought we could do.
Second, competition teaches us to win and lose with grace.
In today’s world of “everyone gets a trophy,” true competition reminds us that sometimes there is no trophy, and that’s okay. We learn to be happy for the winner even when we are the loser, and we carry that maturity throughout the rest of our lives.
Third, competition helps us identify both our strengths and our weaknesses.
I can admit it now: my brother was better at math. He still is (don’t tell him I said so). But instead of resenting that fact, I learned to overcome my prideful independence and ask for help. Likewise, because I was better at English/Language Arts, I helped him with his college application essays. This back-and-forth taught me that competition does not have to cancel out service. In fact, it often refines it. When we support each other, even while striving to win, God uses both our strengths and our weaknesses to shape our character and to serve others.
In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Paul wrote:
“But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
These verses have taken on new meaning for me as an educator. What once felt like losing now feels like learning. What once felt like weakness now feels like strength. And I recognize that, while participation trophies aren’t all bad, our students also need to know that when they stand at the top of the winners’ podium, they can lend a hand to help those who are still climbing. When they are at the bottom, it is valuable to strive for the top, even if it takes more effort. But most importantly, even when we identify areas where we are weak, we can praise God for His ability to make us strong.
In the end, being a twin didn’t just give me a childhood full of races, dares, and impromptu contests, it gave me lifelong lessons in resilience, humility, and the true definition of success. These are the lessons we wish to impart to our Christ Classical Academy of Charlotte students as well. Instead of breath-holding competitions, however, we instill these lessons on the playground by allowing students to race and play football or tag. We encourage them in athletics and P.E. We promote them in academic settings through the Speech Meet, Spelling Bee, “House” competitions, Awards Day, Honor Rolls, spring drama auditions, grades, report cards, and beyond.  A little “healthy competition” helps us all to better ourselves AND one another.
And just for the record, yes, I can still tread water longer! (If you’re reading this, Joseph, let’s settle it once and for all. Meet me at the pool. Loser buys dinner.)