It’s a new year. This is a time for fresh starts and second chances. A lot of people make resolutions to better themselves. How long do those new year resolutions last? Why is it so difficult to stay committed to things that are meant to improve our lives? I know personally the reason for my […]
Recently on the way to an 8th grade basketball game (I’m the coach for Clark/Roosevelt) I overheard some of my players calling an Indian boy on our team a “terrorist”. Knowing the two boys who were making the comments I understood that they were mostly joking around with the boy whom they both like. Yet […]
For the last few months, I have been leading a bible study once a week with 3 eighth graders from Clark Middle School. These ladies all attended Impact World Tour in the fall, and said afterwards that were interested in attending a bible study. Although I didn’t know these ladies, I was involved at Clark […]
The Miami Valley Partnership for Fathers is off and running, and SCYM has started four “Wise Guys” groups for middle school guys that are aimed at teen pregnancy prevention. So far 30 guys are participating – some from health classes at Schaefer Middle, and others are basketball players at Clark Middle. Facilitators Chris LeMaster and […]
I was blessed with a strong Christian upbringing. My parents instilled in me good morals and the importance of living a Christ-centered life. Now that I’m an adult, I am more aware of the world’s hurts. I am heartbroken for the breakdown of families. I see on a daily basis the aftermath of abuse, neglect, […]
This semester I have had the opportunity to sit in and help with an anger management group for 6th grade students at Clark Middle school. Chris has done a great job leading the group, and he has been a great example to me of how to patiently work with this challenging age group. As we […]
During my small group time with the girls one week at Young Life, I took usual requests for prayer. The girls told me they had just had a classmate commit suicide, and they were taking it hard. When I later asked them what I should speak on the following week (it was my turn to […]
We took our kids to the Columbus Zoo this weekend – not that the little guy cared at all, but we figured it would be a great time for our 2.5-year-old, Ada. I realized things weren’t going exactly as planned somewhere around the elephants, when her serious little face just wasn’t registering the euphoria I […]
Along with several other SCYM programs, GirlPower kicked off this past week for Clark and Schaefer Middle School kids. This is the fifth session (summer or semester) we’ve run the program, which is a partnership with the YMCA and focuses on health, beauty, fitness and self-esteem. I remember when the idea for GirlPower first came […]
REACH is a leadership development camp that I and Wes Stevens (from the YMCA) dreamed up in the spring and have been offering throughout the month of July. Fifteen kids have been involved throughout the summer. Tuesdays are our ‘practical experience’ day for REACH. One Tuesday, the kids were put into teams and […]