The Stripping of Positive Expression in Schools

 Some of you know that I work with teens. My heart has been broken and eyes opened to the struggles and situations of local youth. Today a young man sat down at a piano and played his heart out. My first instinct was to tell him not to touch the piano. It is in a church that offered their building for our ARTreach 180 program for the summer. Thankfully my team member stepped in and asked the young man if he had asked if he could play. The church representative said YES. I was lost in a moment listening to this young man play. He was absorbed in his playing. Over the last few months I've seen local youth considered at-risk become alive in art projects and drama presentations. Not everyone excels in science or history or math or english. Not everyone has someone at home encouraging them and beside them guiding them. Some kids only have a God given talent of music or art or drama. And that is being taken away from them! The one positive medium they have is being torn from the curriculum! These kids have so much against them, and the one joy they have, the one thing where they can be extraordinary in a place where they usually feel less than ordinary is seen as unimportant. I beg to differ. The cutting of these programs is contributing to a sense of hopelessness and encourages these youth to look at school as having absolutely no purpose since they struggle with the basic academics. Now I ponder on what all of this means for those who are creative and artistically inclined but who encounter so many struggles and obstacles.

A shout out to Volunteers

Cub.Scout.Day.Camp. Whew! This mom is thoroughly impressed (and grateful) for those who volunteer to help the entire week. Monday we had some light rain. (Much better than the thunder storms in the surrounding area!) The temperature was pretty nice that day. Today? Well, I think saying that the heat index was 103 should explain everything. Ya know some man cut various sized pieces of wood for about 50 3rd grade boys to make tool  boxes, and he whittled that many pieces for the handles of these tool boxes. That is A LOT of work. Large coffee cans were painted to make stilts for 20 2nd graders. Those are just the things I helped the boys put together in my 2 days of volunteering.

All that to get to my point of how much volunteering has helped me see how much work goes on behind the scenes of so many things. Your church? Probably much you don't know that happens to make your and your children's experience a great one. But what a beautiful thing it is when the kids walk in and then leave with their craft, having a little something to do at home with parents, and knowing a little bit more about the love of Jesus. And my job?Our volunteers are priceless. Freely giving up an evening or two a week to spend time with children who really need to feel and know they are important? Yes, those volunteers are priceless to those kids. I'm not a seasoned veteran to volunteering. It's actually just been in the past year or so that I have truly been a consistent volunteer with anything. I can say that it has opened my eyes and heart to the reality that volunteers are so necessary in making so many things successful. It's definitely given me a huge appreciation for those that take the time to do it.

 

Woodland Christian Camp- volunteers loving on some kids and teaching them about Jesus

One Sided and Moving Forward

There comes a time when you're studying something and you realize God is saying, "That's right, I am talking to you." You ponder it. A few days go by, and then Bam! There it is again. There are people that I've known for years that are truly great individuals. At some point the term friend isn't really appropriate. Not from the fault of any one person. People move. People grow. Some don't. Some go one direction on the path. Others go a different direction. The husband has commented to me a handful of times about my use of the word friend when referring to certain people. Not that one has acted in an unfriendly manner toward me or vice versa, but at this point in life what do she and I share. Friendships, or relationships of any kind, cannot grow and continue when one person does the contacting or keeping up with the other. It has to be a mutual interaction, a mutual effort. Sometimes there is going to be the realization that life growth and changes bring an end to a friendship. No one did anything wrong. It just is. The purpose of one's presence in your life has been fulfilled, and it is now time to move forward. No looking back. The other people are still amazing people, but God is directing you to put your energy and investment elsewhere.

I did a little stepping back in time, if you will, recently. The realization of my growth in life and how blessed I am with the people who are truly invested in having a relationship with me became quite clear to me - people that encourage me to grow, to be better, to strive for goals and dreams. I left from "visiting my past" with mixed emotions as I saw the deteriorating lives around me. Thankful for God's grace, love, forgiveness, and peace, and a prayer that those people will know His peace.

I'm learning. Friendships that aren't mutual aren't friendships. When your path separates from others, as long as you are on the path God called you to be, you just have to keep moving forward. I can't invest in the lives of everyone, but I can give a big portion to those God has in my path right now.

A Day in the Life

P is home from his second year at Woodland Camp. This year T didn't volunteer due to work, so P had his first year of camp without parents. Of course he had a blast! His favorite? Gaga Ball. You'll have to look that up. It sure looks like a game created for T and P!   G was looking forward to having big brother home. You know about 20 minutes down the road the shrieking voices and crying began. Yep, that's my glorious life with my little guys! It's been a low key afternoon. (I even got a nap while they played their electronics sitting on my bedroom floor.) We are ready for T to be home from work and having a nice weekend. Monday brings the beginning of a week of Cub Scout Day Camp. Even G gets to spend a couple days there when I'm volunteering. The next 2 weeks provide activities for my little guys. What else can I find to get them involved?!

What G did while P was at camp.

Rocked

I'm not sure what direction this blog will go or what purpose it will serve over time. I'm a thinker with a lot of emotion. Gift? Maybe.

Today I spent a couple hours with a little boy who rocked me to the core. He has these big brown eyes like his momma. Multiple times he said to me, "I need you mom." I'm not his mom. I can't go get his mom. My friend is keeping him this week while Dad is at work. He called her mom, too. Suddenly I was 19 years old holding a 6 year old hand belonging to a boy whose eyes are also brown who said to me, "I need a mom." I couldn't get the boy's mom either. This boy can tell you his mom is in Heaven, but what comfort can that bring a 3 year old? He doesn't understand. Sweet boy, I don't understand. You are 3. One day you will be 19 like a blue eyed girl I know who still hurts because like you her momma went to heaven when she was 3. My heart is broken for you sweet boy because I know you will have no memories of your momma. Many will tell you she lit up a room when she walked in. Many will tell you she was one smart lady. Many will tell you she had this way about her that got her what she wanted. A few will tell you her secrets. Sweet boy, the loss of your momma punches me in the gut sometimes. When I think about you and your sister and your brother I feel fear. You have a great daddy. I pray that will be a factor in there being less turmoil and more stability for you than there has been for my brown eyed boy and blue eyed girl.