As i was reading the book "Reclaiming Youth at Risk" i read about destructive relationships. I was continually reading about how children in these kind of relationships have a lot of problems in social and emotional development. The children are relationship-resistant and they expect rejection a lot more than accept ion because they is what they are use to getting. I read a story about a young boy who had been in foster homes since he was about four years old. He wasn't only being switched homes but also schools, neighborhoods, programs, and shelters. There is a quote in the book that says "Each time he was moved was like pulling a piece of used tape from a wall and trying to fasten it again". Being moved around so much and having so many different families took a strong toll on the young boy. He was never able to trust anyone because he knew he would be leaving in a short time. He also could not show love or accept it because he didn't know what the point is when he would just be moved to another family soon after he had arrived with the current family. There was no one there for him continuously, there was just always new people.
Think about how you would feel if you never knew someone personally. You never had that best friend you have had for years, you didn't even have a father or mother that has known you and loved you since you were born. How would you cope in these environments? How long would it take before you buckled under the loneliness and depression?
There is not a happy ending to this young mans story, rather is it the worst of endings you could think of. This young man, after being at a foster home and getting the orders to move to another at the age of 17 (after he had been reunited with his siblings only to be taken away from them again) committed suicide by hanging himself from a board in between two birch branches in his last foster home. The signs were there, however. When Richard began to feel depressed and an outcast he began to keep a diary. If only the parents had been more involved in his life, if only the school teachers and directors had had a little more time with him...would he have ended his life this way? I don't think he would have.
In today's world there are a lot of people who can impact the lives of young people and children. There are not only the youth workers but the teacher, parents, and everyday people in the church that can impact a child or youths life. What would happen if you took more time out of you so called "busy" schedule to meet with a teen for lunch one day of the week? You could change the persons life and not even know it till one day they tell you that you are the reason they are still living.
I believe it is our duty, as followers of Jesus Christ, to reach out to those around us. We should not live our lives for ourselves but life our lives for Christ who gave himself for us.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Janusz Korczak
Youth work is not an easy Job, actually its not a job at all.
It is a lifestyle.
A Calling.
It is very hard, especially if you don't have passion.
Janusz Korczak had passion...this is his story.
Janusz lived from 1878-1942 in Poland. He was a trained physician. Janusz had such a love for children and youth that he established an orphanage for Jewish street children in Warsaw and also worked as an associate director for a Christian Orphanage. Janusz was also an author writing 20 books. Janusz loved the children so much that when German troops invaded Poland and captures the orphans, all six of them, Janusz was also captured. The seven of them were sent to the Warsaw ghetto where the troops were to take them away on August 6, 1942.
The children, as well as Janusz, were neatly dressed in their best clothes and they marched in fours following the oldest of the orphans who carried a green flag symbolizing life.
Hundreds lined up to watch the orphans and doctor make their way to the train.
With a fear of Janusz's death, a high ranking official offered him personal asylum.
With the passion in his heart and the truth in his mouth he spoke these words
"Who would abandon Children at a time like this?"
Janusz along with the children were killed. He stood up until the very end of his life fighting and being with the children that no one wanted to be with. He took death upon himself for the sake of these children.
How many of us would take a death sentence for a child?
How many of us would stick by a child or a group of children when it meant breaking the law to do the better good?
If there were more Janusz Korczak's in the world, how would Youth Work be changed?
I pray a blessing and passion on everyone who reads this blog, I pray that the Holy Spirit touches your life and ignites the passion inside of you to stand up for the youth of today. I pray that you have a love and a passion not only for all youth but especially for the youth no one else wants to go after, stand up for, or help. I pray that you may have hope in the children of today and faith in God to help you do what it is that HE wants you to do. I pray that you take this story upon your hearts and remember it every time you come to a had part in ministry to the youth. In Jesus precious almighty magnificent name,
AMEN.
It is a lifestyle.
A Calling.
It is very hard, especially if you don't have passion.
Janusz Korczak had passion...this is his story.
Janusz lived from 1878-1942 in Poland. He was a trained physician. Janusz had such a love for children and youth that he established an orphanage for Jewish street children in Warsaw and also worked as an associate director for a Christian Orphanage. Janusz was also an author writing 20 books. Janusz loved the children so much that when German troops invaded Poland and captures the orphans, all six of them, Janusz was also captured. The seven of them were sent to the Warsaw ghetto where the troops were to take them away on August 6, 1942.
The children, as well as Janusz, were neatly dressed in their best clothes and they marched in fours following the oldest of the orphans who carried a green flag symbolizing life.
Hundreds lined up to watch the orphans and doctor make their way to the train.
With a fear of Janusz's death, a high ranking official offered him personal asylum.
With the passion in his heart and the truth in his mouth he spoke these words
"Who would abandon Children at a time like this?"
Janusz along with the children were killed. He stood up until the very end of his life fighting and being with the children that no one wanted to be with. He took death upon himself for the sake of these children.
How many of us would take a death sentence for a child?
How many of us would stick by a child or a group of children when it meant breaking the law to do the better good?
If there were more Janusz Korczak's in the world, how would Youth Work be changed?
I pray a blessing and passion on everyone who reads this blog, I pray that the Holy Spirit touches your life and ignites the passion inside of you to stand up for the youth of today. I pray that you have a love and a passion not only for all youth but especially for the youth no one else wants to go after, stand up for, or help. I pray that you may have hope in the children of today and faith in God to help you do what it is that HE wants you to do. I pray that you take this story upon your hearts and remember it every time you come to a had part in ministry to the youth. In Jesus precious almighty magnificent name,
AMEN.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Borgman
In my reading there was a list of questions to youth leaders that really made me think about my future and the decisions i will be making in the very near future. The question that struck me the most was "Is there a place for Rock or Rap music in worship?". I beleive that there most deffinatley is a place for Rock and Rap music in worship. When you worship the Lord your God you are suppost to worship him in your way. WHy? Because you are to worship God and only him. We should not worry about what others think. In this world of rockstar culture i beleive it is very important for the "rockstar youth" to know that they too can still come and be accepted into the church and worship the best way they know how to worship. We need to show them that just because they are differernt dosnt mean they can not worship. There are some stipulatoins about worship though. The worship MUST be worship and not just to Rock Out. They need to prepare their hearts for lifting up and praising God and not being a sceptical for others to see.
There are far too many times when the youth looks at the church and all they see is old people and hymns. I beleive we should still keep the hymns because they touch people's hearts. We should also add rock and rap worship into the congragations and corps where there are a genre of people there who worship or would like to worship by that mean of worship.
I dont think God will be mad if people praise him with rock and rap. It says in Psalm to "make a joyful noise unto the Lord!" If the words of the song are worshiping and praising God or his miricles and promises then I do believe he will think they are Joyful!
There are far too many times when the youth looks at the church and all they see is old people and hymns. I beleive we should still keep the hymns because they touch people's hearts. We should also add rock and rap worship into the congragations and corps where there are a genre of people there who worship or would like to worship by that mean of worship.
I dont think God will be mad if people praise him with rock and rap. It says in Psalm to "make a joyful noise unto the Lord!" If the words of the song are worshiping and praising God or his miricles and promises then I do believe he will think they are Joyful!
Detweiler, Craig & Taylor, Berry
We need to study popular culture because it is the thing that shapes us into who we are. Wether we accept and like the popular culture or not is what shapes us. Also Popular Culture is what makes up the newest fads and fashions of today's world. Think about this, why do we wear jeans? Is it because they are comfortable? Are they nice looking? Are they really what we choose to wear or do we wear them becuase they are the "cool" thing to wear? Is not a pair of sweat pants more comfortable than a pair of jeans? Who exactley influances us to wear jeans? Is it Britney Spears? Yes. Lets say Britney influances us to wear jeans. If Britney influances us to wear jeans then who influances her? Is it her bosses or her manager? There is a chain of command that influances all of us. On the bottom of the chain is the Mass Culture then comes the consumers which are both us. Above the consumers are the advertisers headed by the product. Without the product the advertisers would be out of a job. Above the product is the factory who makes the product headed up by the manager of the factory who runs the whole shabang. The inventor is then above the manager and the top of the chain is the CEO. So, above all who then decides wether we should wear jeans or not, THE CEO!!!!
It is crazy how many companies of different genres are owned by the same CEO. Viacom, for example, owns such companies as MTV, VH1, BET, CMT, Nickolodeon, TV Land, and even the Christian Publishing Company Zondervan. Its crazy how we think that all the music companies are in a war or compitition aginst each other when really they are all owned by the same CEO.
If this is what is shaping our world today through popular culture i beleive it is Our duty as Christians to get the truth out. I beleive we should get out in the world and tell the people of the love and grace of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
SO next time you slip on those favorite pair of jeans of yours think about the chain of command and the impact culture has on our world.
It is crazy how many companies of different genres are owned by the same CEO. Viacom, for example, owns such companies as MTV, VH1, BET, CMT, Nickolodeon, TV Land, and even the Christian Publishing Company Zondervan. Its crazy how we think that all the music companies are in a war or compitition aginst each other when really they are all owned by the same CEO.
If this is what is shaping our world today through popular culture i beleive it is Our duty as Christians to get the truth out. I beleive we should get out in the world and tell the people of the love and grace of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
SO next time you slip on those favorite pair of jeans of yours think about the chain of command and the impact culture has on our world.
End of the Semester...
It is now the end of my second semster here at the Railton School for Youth Work Training school in Suffern Newyork. I am very stressed because of the load of homework i have to do from my very bad habit of prcrastination and pride. I think that i can do it all by myself and i will understand but the truth is sometimes you need help. God wants us to depend on him first. He wants us to come to him with all of our stress and cared and place it in his hands to deal with. Psalm 94:14 says "When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul". It is so true that when we worry and stress about stuff God wants us to lay it on him, all of it. For nothing is too big or small for God. In my spiritual formation class one of the verses i have to memorize is 1 Peter 5:7 which says "Cast all your anxiety on him {Jesus} for he cares for you.
When i do this i realize what kind of a differance it makes. I am in a better mood and i feel a lot better physically. God is the kind of God who loves to love you. He loves to care for us and strengthen us when we are weak. He is one who loves to craddle us in his arms and take us up when we have fallen down. He also wants ALL of our anxiety, not just a portion of it. If we give him only a portion of our anxiety who is left with the rest? No one but ourselves! God wants to help us and show us that he cares for you. When we give all of our anxieties to him we show him that we love and trust he is going to make everything well again.
I challenge you this week to cast all of your burdens onto Jesus Christ and see what a difference it makes in your lfie.
When i do this i realize what kind of a differance it makes. I am in a better mood and i feel a lot better physically. God is the kind of God who loves to love you. He loves to care for us and strengthen us when we are weak. He is one who loves to craddle us in his arms and take us up when we have fallen down. He also wants ALL of our anxiety, not just a portion of it. If we give him only a portion of our anxiety who is left with the rest? No one but ourselves! God wants to help us and show us that he cares for you. When we give all of our anxieties to him we show him that we love and trust he is going to make everything well again.
I challenge you this week to cast all of your burdens onto Jesus Christ and see what a difference it makes in your lfie.
Week of March 1, 2008
This week was extreamly hard for me. I had to ask God for strength so many times, I never gave up hope though. I would get very aggravated this week at the smallest things. I also disapointed myself by not doing my best. I know God loves me and i know he is always there for me. I was reminded of this when one of my teachers had asked me why i was in a bad mood. I had told her i didnt know and started to cry. She reminded me that it is up to me what kind of day i was going to have, good or bad, it was my choice.
I prayed to God and I have been straightened up and have began to think more and more in the fact that it IS my decision to have a good or bad day. It is always my decision to let Satan steal my Joy or not. I have chosen to NOT let Satan steal my Joy and I am going to live for Jesus Christ. Whenever i feel down i know i can always call upon the name if the Lord for my strength and happiness. I also know that God is going to take care of me. He is proving that in my life everyday.
I have chosen to not let the little things upset me but to pray to God when i get upset and when i start to loose my cool. I beleive it is not going to help anyone or any situation if i get upset about somthing small. It is only going to make a bigger problem and more of a fuss of things.
Jesus, i pray to you now to calm my heart and soul and bring me back to you, the only reason i have for living. Let me know you are near and that you know me and where I am at any time of the day, in Jesus precious name i pray, Amen.
I prayed to God and I have been straightened up and have began to think more and more in the fact that it IS my decision to have a good or bad day. It is always my decision to let Satan steal my Joy or not. I have chosen to NOT let Satan steal my Joy and I am going to live for Jesus Christ. Whenever i feel down i know i can always call upon the name if the Lord for my strength and happiness. I also know that God is going to take care of me. He is proving that in my life everyday.
I have chosen to not let the little things upset me but to pray to God when i get upset and when i start to loose my cool. I beleive it is not going to help anyone or any situation if i get upset about somthing small. It is only going to make a bigger problem and more of a fuss of things.
Jesus, i pray to you now to calm my heart and soul and bring me back to you, the only reason i have for living. Let me know you are near and that you know me and where I am at any time of the day, in Jesus precious name i pray, Amen.
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