635) Teaching middle school kids is both amazing and exasperating. I am always trying to make connections with them. Several years ago, I noticed that many of my students had a certain name brand whose insignia looked like the letter “U” with a letter “A” below it. I looked in the stores and was shocked at how expensive a shirt was so, instead, I took masking tape and made my own insignia on my shirt. Of course, the kids who wore this brand were horrified but the others laughed right along with me. The brand’s image was supposed to convey protection and it got me to thinking of other things that give us the illusion of safety. We lock doors that can be broken through, we store weapons that may or may not protect. We make plans of action if we are placed in specific natural disasters. All of these things give us the illusion of safety. Ephesians 6:11 tells us that safety for God’s children is given by Him. The difficulty of this is that God’s idea of safety is often not what we think. There’s that need of faith again. It’s vital.