Tyler- COURAGE to go against the tide

Let me tell you about my friend Tyler.  She is one of my favorite teens, a bit shy but very secure in her beliefs.  When she feels something is right, she is quick to defend her position but always in a quiet, soft spoken manner that makes you scrutinize  your own position as well as giving her ideas a serious look.  Very creative and talented , she has some very concrete  goals.  Most teens her age have no earthly idea what a goal is, yet when asked, she told me (I hope it's okay that I share this) "I wanted to be a published author by the time I reached 16."  She realizes that she has to stretch that out a bit but get this, she already has the book written !  She has written a book already, most young people her age are just trying to get by and figure out who and what they are.  I have no doubt that this very independent, talented, creative young lady will someday make a difference in a lot of lives, in fact she has already made a huge impact on me. Look out world, Tyler is coming!

P.S.   Did I tell you she has a great smile !

Noah - What a smart young man

Today I want to introduce you to Noah, only 9yrs old, he doesn't fit my definition of youth but definitely , without a doubt is a YOUNG PERSON WHO WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Noah has always been smart, it use to amaze us when he was very young that he knew which car belonged to which person at our church. Well this weekend he earned the award for being a "Quizzing Champion"! He answered ALL of his questions at the AWANA Bible Quiz correctly . We are all so proud of this young man.

In order for Noah to go to the competition, he completed his first 4 discoveries in his book along with the start zone – that is approximately 60 verses or so that he has memorized – word perfect.  He has memorized 8 reasons “Why God gave us the Bible” with supporting Bible verses for each reason; 8 answers to “Who is God” and supporting Bible verses and approximately 30 Bible word definitions.

I think this is just the beginning for Noah and I can't wait to see the difference he makes!

Josh-- GET INVOLVED

Let me tell you about my good friend Josh.  A 22 yr  old with Williams Syndrome that I have known now for about four years. What a remarkable young man and inspiration to all those who have the opportunity to meet him.  He works, goes to college and takes drum lessons (I hear he's pretty good).  He's always smiling, always has something good to say to everyone.  He is singing in our choir and lovin it, he posts all the time that he can't wait to sing again on Sunday. Well he just found out yesterday that he has been elected President of the Jobs Club at Wake Tech. Here is what he told me about the club :"The jobs club is a club that we run to raise money for Wake Tech Compensatory Education Program . We do fundraising Activity like selling crafts and Baked Goods. As president I will be in charge of what happens in Jobs club. I will be in charge of the meetings and ideas such as community volunteering and stuff like that."  This young man WILL make a difference, he already has in my life, GO FOR IT JOSH!

YOU CAN ACIEVE GREAT THINGS

This morning I want  to tell you about a young lady I read about on the internet last week. Angela Zing is a 17 year old girl from California.  According to an article in the Wall Street Journal , she won a $100,000 scholarship for research that created a tiny particle she likened to a "Swiss army knife of cancer treatments" because of its precision in targeting cancer tumors. Now there's a science project that goes above and beyond!  It sounds like it was a lot better than my erupting volcano back in 7th grade.  At the end of the article were comments from readers and lo and behold one of my favorites (not) was right there at the top, "This is a neat story, but.......".  Someone out there always trying to take away what someone has done.  I get so tired of hearing young people being told "that is real good, but...", "you worked so hard, but..".  This is not new, in the Bible Paul told Timothy in his first letter   " Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers, in conduct, in love,in Spirit, in faith, in purity" 1Tim 4:12, and also told him " do not neglect the gift that is in you,..." 1 Tim 4:14a.  Timothy's gift was prophecy, obviously Angela's gift is caring for the good of others as she is trying to find a way to help those with cancer.  They ARE our future and need to be ENCOURAGED!

Jessica- DON'T BE AFRAID TO CHANGE DIRECTIONS

 Here is another one that I have known for a long time...I have known Jessica before she was even a teenager I think. I watched her grow from a kid to the beautiful young lady she is today.  Her favorite line growing up was " Mr Rick, I'm bored."  No matter what we were doing, it was always the same, that's why it was no surprise to me when she told me about five years ago that she was going to apply to the Naval Academy.  She worked VERY hard to achieve that goal her last two years of high school and was selected, we were soooo proud.  Two years into the Academy she discovered that it was not exactly what she wanted and took the opportunity to leave without penalty as I understand it.  She entered college, got married to a great guy and is now using her talents to teach, I think I heard fourth graders, God bless you dear.  They are lucky to have her as a teacher because she will give it everything she has, and then some.  What do we learn from Jess?  It's ok to change direction.  Use your gifts to achieve what is best for you.  Too many people get locked in early to doing something they do not enjoy and for whatever reason just trudge along day after day.  They don't do anyone much good, they are unhappy and often let that make it's way into their personal relationships and life becomes very unrewarding.  I'm proud of Jessica and can tell every time I see her just how happy she is with the decisions she has made.

The Taylors

The Taylors are a local gospel quartet. They are brothers and sisters who all sing beautifully.  They range in age from 20-24 and deliver a beautiful message through both song and word. They not only sing, but always tell of an event in their lives that has brought them closer to God and offer an invitation to accept Him.  I feature these four this morning not because of their wonderful voices, there are a lot of good singers, but for the fact that they are not ashamed to speak out for what they believe.  They also, and I have said this in earlier posts, are using their gifts (talents) to reach others in a bold way.  As long as they continue to share these gifts, they WILL make a difference in people's lives.

Kenney - DOWN BUT NOT OUT !

Hello to all everyone who has stopped in today. This morning I am writing about a relative.  Ken is my nephew and had an incident last year that I think makes him a real inspiration story. Like many high school boys, Ken LOVES football. His junior year in high school he was injured,  he fractured his tibia late in his junior year. In most cases, no real big thing, cast it, let it heal and go on.  In fact, I have broken my right tibia twice.  With Ken that wasn't quite the case, he developed what is known as "compartment syndrome."  According to the A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia, "compartment syndrome" is a serious condition that involves increased pressure in a muscle compartment due to swelling. It can lead to muscle and nerve damage and problems with blood flow.  Surgery is needed during which long surgical cuts are made through the fascia to relieve the pressure. The wounds can be left open (covered with a sterile dressing) and closed during a second surgery, usually 48 - 72 hours later. Skin grafts may be needed to close the wound. To make matters worse, he developed an infection in the wound which prolonged treatment. It looked to all of us that his high school football days had ended early, BUT it didn't look like that to Ken. As soon as he was able he began to work to strengthen the leg and rebuild the muscle. Over the next months he had several surgeries, skin grafts and extensive rehab.  In a quote from the Sun Chronicle  Mansfield coach Mike Redding said  "He never complained, just worked hard every day and never missed a practice."    Ken did play football last year and even made the final play that helped his team win the MIAA Division 2 Super Bowl.  He was selected for the 25th Annual Courageous Player Award by the Massachusetts High School Football Coaches Association this past April. When bad things happen, and they will, we can let them defeat us and take away our dreams or we can take inspiration from people such as Ken and work even harder to achieve them.  Way to go nephew...I am VERY PROUD!

WE ARE THE BODY

Good morning,

This morning is a little different, I am having so many different thoughts today and this is what gets put down in print.  As you will see if you continue to follow this blog, I have a big heart for youth (ya think), but I also have a heart for letting others know about Jesus Christ.  Many of the youth you will see featured share that desire and will go out and fulfill the Great Commission from the book of Matthew, many will not.  I got to know some of the ones that will be featured here at a place called World Changers, if you are not familiar, it is a program in the summer where thousands of youth,usually in groups of about 300, gather to do mission projects for people in the communities. Some travel hundreds of miles, they all pay, they all give up a week of their vacation and they ALL, through their actions, show others the love of their saviour. The song I have posted here this morning brings me to tears because the questions are so true, but stay with me and you will hear about others who live this in their daily lives and my prayer is that I can do more myself.

Reid - A MAN IN A DISTANT LAND

Good morning Web World,

I hope everyone is doing ok  today. I want to share with you this morning my story of a friend of mine named Reid.  He was in our youth group  when I was leading it about nine maybe 10 years ago. Reid was always kind of quiet, stayed to himself a lot but was always there. A very nice young man who you couldn't help but love. Deb and I loved his smile, which was almost a bashful grin.  :) We took the group whitewater rafting one summer where we slept in tents. About two in the morning I was awakened by a strange swishing sound only to look out and see Reid and two others spraying something from an aerosol can in to the fire to see the blaze. Needless to say, they departed to their tents pretty quickly.  Reid graduated, went to college and is now teaching students in Hungary. This shy young boy has become a responsible adult and we are very proud of him. To me, that's what it's all about, raising them up to be responsible adults who can carry on that cycle of helping other young ones learn to be responsible adults. It doesn't take a lot of effort to give them a hug, handshake and words of encouragement. They (actually WE) all need that and it goes a long way. Go get 'em Reid! We are VERY PROUD OF YOU!

If you can dream it, you can do it !

 Have you all heard of this young dutch girl, Laura Dekker.  Her dream was to be the youngest person to sail solo around the world.  In a few more days she will have accomplished that.  She realized at about age 10  that she wanted to sail around the world but was deemed too young.  At 14, on Aug 21, 2010, she set out on her journey to fulfill her dream and expects to complete it next Wednesday. All of us cannot and will not dream to do such a huge thing, but we ALL have dreams and goals - go for them! Whatever it is that you want to accomplish do it! In the near future I will tell you about a young lady who wants to be a published writer. At 16 it's written, now to finish. That's what it's all about in our daily projects, our short term goals and life.  It's not how we start, it's not the obstacles in the middle, it is HOW WE FINISH that counts! Check back tomorrow and learn about Reid, a young man I have watched grow who is now teaching in Hungary.

Anna

Today let me tell you about a young lady named Anna.  I haven't know her but about six months, but I can tell you that she has made an impact on me. This is one of the youngest I will write about as I told you we are going to define "youth" (for the purpose of this blog) as 12 to 24.  Her family has moved twice in the past few years  and she has adjusted very well. She is bubbly, outgoing and very talented. I had the opportunity to hear her sing three times over the holidays and she sings maaaaveeeelous ( my Billy Crystal impression ).  That is what I want to highlight , the fact that she is using her talents and showing them to the world.  Everyone has a talent and they should use it to the best of their ability to bless others. As adults, we should take every opportunity to foster and encourage them to use these talents to their highest potential. What does that take?  It is as simple as a word of encouragement, a hug, a smile or whatever it is that you do that says "You go..let the world know that you are here." But back to Anna, she also has a passion for reaching others for her Saviour. She has started her own blog titled   Tell The World About Him  and I hope to see her keep it up with regular updates or whatever she chooses to put there. Check it out at the link above and let her know that you were there. Hope everyone has a great day. Check back tomorrow to read about a young lady who has accomplished something no one her age has ever achieved.

Hat of the week ( this should make everyone smile )

This is one of my MOST favorite hats!  Deb has a matching one that we bought one year to take on a trip. Maybe I can find a couple of different pics of it this week.

Not today

Thank you for checking in on my blog today.  I will not be posting on the weekends and some holidays.  Please check back on Monday to see my feature on a sweet young lady named Anna. Have a great weekend and don't forget to go to church on Sunday.

MAK

Good morning to all my friends and also those who I have not met. Hope all slept well and are looking forward to a great day! Let me start this morning by wishing my daughter Erin a Happy Birthday!  I hope today is a wonderful one.

Today I have chose to feature Mak ( Makenzie ). I have known her since she was just a little girl and it has been such a pleasure to watch her grow. Mak has a sweet personality, is soft spoken but very outgoing.  She has a great love for soccer and her boyfriend, let's not forget him.  I have had the privilege of teaching her (as well as many others featured here) in Sunday School. Mak has a very solid foundation in her beliefs and is not ashamed to share them. She has already been on two international mission trips , one to Mexico and one to the Ukraine.  She has shared what an impact these trips have had on her and how she really loved spreading the gospel to unreached people. Now if you had asked me three years ago where she was headed, I would have said straight to the mission field after high school but that was not to be.  After high school ( where I have to add she was named HOMECOMING QUEEN---holla ) she is now in college.  It was just recently that I realized her love for photography.  This young lady has the eye of a seasoned professional and I am hoping that she will let me share her photos of the world with everyone, but not until she's ready.  You see, it's not only the pictures she captures but she is able to make them encouraging and inspiring as well. Mak is a youth who will make a difference and I can't wait to watch and see where that leads.  Makenzie, all who know you love and admire you.  GO GET 'EM!

LOVE THEM, LEAD THEM AND GET OUT OF THEIR WAY!

Our children, we nurture and protect them as they grow. Somewhere around the middle of those teen years we help them get their license  and worry to death that they may not make it back home.  Then after a couple of years of venturing around the community they graduate and most leave home to begin their own adventures....and that's the way it should be.  But let me tell you a little about who is protecting us and the freedoms we all share here in the United States.  Many of our youth, now think about it, only two years after getting that license make a decision to join our military and defend our country and what we  believe in. Let me give you a few numbers. First terms in the military are typically four or six years, that puts the bulk of the troops in that 18-24 year range. In fact 60% of our military are under the age of 30, that's right. Today as you go in and out of  the stores, banks, businesses and your workplace just take notice of what percentage there is made up of people under 30. The average age of ALL United States military members is only 28.  These are the men and women who are fighting in our wars, maintaining the equipment needed to ensure our freedom, gathering the elusive "intelligence information" we hear about and every type of support job that you see in civilian life every day. No one is more important than the other. I spent 20 years there and have been that young person and had the fantastic opportunity of working with thousands of men and women in that age. Here is just a few adjectives that can describe those youth: strong, smart, eager, self motivated, caring, faithful, dedicated and teachable. Just imagine that at 19, your job for today is to take your tools to a $ 100 million dollar aircraft and change the engine, or repair the fuel lines, it's a little overwhelming when you think about it. How about if you're 18 and you are in an office where 8 people work that are tasked with ensuring that the pays checks are ready for a town of 5000, or if you at 20 had to get up each morning from a tent, put on 75 pounds of extra clothing and gear and patrol a country side looking for the bad guy. They do it EVERY day! Features in the blog will include some of he ones who have joined since I have been at my present church, Joe (yesterday's feature), Scott, William, Angie, Jessica, Michael, and the latest, Chris. ( if I missed anyone,I do apologize ...remember I am getting very old). I write this today to make the point that youth are NOT to be discounted. They are our future and in many cases our present. Love them, lead them and get out of their way because they are CAPABLE.

Joe

Hi world, hope everyone had a great day yesterday, that's a stretch, "everyone " never has a great day.  Thanks once again for visiting this blog, feel free to leave me a comment telling me of a certain youth you are proud of. I know for sure that I am not the only one in this huge world who has the awesome opportunity of knowing fantastic young people who are really making an impact on those around them. Take a minute and share.

Today I want to feature my friend Joe.  Joe was /is one of the most humble,  soft spoken young men I have ever met.Joe has the greatest , almost sheepish smile you have ever seen.  His sarcastic wit always made me smile when he was in the youth group at church.  I first met Joe on a World Changer trip to Columbus, SC in the summer of 2004 (I think it was 2004, I am getting really old). We were roommates and he kept me laughing all the time.  Ever meet someone who had a little one liner for everything, that's Joe, but the thing is that he is soooo soft spoken that you have to really have to listen to catch them all.  This young man at about 14 had the biggest heart for lost people that I have ever seen. He was consumed with making sure everyone knew about the Jesus he loved and that had saved him. I really thought that he would graduate and become a missionary ( more on that in a minute).  For about two years, Joe myself and his brother Scott played a running  game of bible verse where each time we met , we threw out a verse. It went like this, if I saw you first then I might quote a scripture, he would have to tell me chapter and verse.  Next time he might see me first and throw out chapter and verse, I would have to quote the scripture, It was a great learning tool for the three of us. Joe graduated and enlisted in the United States Air Force and is doing quite well his sister tells me.  I think that he has found a GREAT mission field and am sure that wherever he goes, whatever he does he is going to try to find a way to reach people for Jesus.  Good Luck to you Joe, and may God be with you always.  I am very proud of you.

Be sure to read tomorrows' post as I want to follow up on this one, not about Joe, but about youth and the HUGE role they play in the defense of our country.

Katherine

Good morning to all, or afternoon or evening depending on when you are reading this.  Today I want to highlight Katherine, a beautiful young lady who is soon to leave the "youth " era and begin her journey through adulthood.  She is going to do fantastic!  She was in the youth group at our church when I first met Katherine. We use to go to her dad's house for a fishing day each year and one year when she was, I think 14,she surprised me with my very own BIRTHDAY CAKE, that she cooked and decorated herself.  It was the first she had ever made ( and was delicious ) which made it even more special. She has now graduated high school, we all know those years were tough, attended NC State and today starts her career as a school teacher. I don't wish her "good luck" as luck is the intersection of preparation and opportunity and she is there. I do wish her the best and hope that her students soon realize how lucky they are to have her to help them set a path for their futures. She was/is a fantastic youth, full of energy, always smiling, there for others, loves God and her family.Go get'em Kat. P.S.  I made her a cake for her 16th birthday  :)

A new hat

Ok ..it's time to show a new hat. She liked this one ( I think that's Betty Boop ) but not my favorite..I have a favorite which I'll definitely post in the future.  I was thinking about  this blog a lot last night as I watched TV.  I think that I need to direct it toward my REAL passion which I think is youth.  I will define "youth " as between the ages of 12 and 24, how's that? I think that sometimes they get a bad rap because the media is quick to show us the BAD stuff that happens but I have found that there are a lot of kids in that age group that are really great!  Face it, they struggle with growing up.  No longer little kids, but not independent either.  We all have to learn at each stage of life and they are trying to understand what "independence" is and what that is going to mean for them. They are trying to find their own identity and sometimes that can be very confusing with so many different things trying to define them.  Maybe I can use this blog to introduce you to some great youth and share articles about good things young people in that age group are doing.  If you have a story or article you  would like to share, please feel free to do so. If you know someone in that age group that you are proud of and want to share that story, please do.Till next time..Be safe.

Meet Emma

This is my friend Emma.  She is the daughter of my Pastor at Kennebec Baptist Church in Angier.  She is the young lady that I mentioned in my last post who helped me pick out this weeks featured hat..  She is very sweet and also has a blog which I follow called Crazy Horse.  If you should choose to follow this blog or just visit from time to time I will not only be sharing things I am learning in this new venture but also introducing you to some of the great youth at our church.  As for the technical notes: I have had problems getting onto the "mywaketech" site all day so have been unable to check my email.  I was wondering if anyone else was experiencing difficulties with this page today as well.  I have enjoyed reading everyones' blog and hope to go back and follow some if not all later this week. 

A little about the hat...

Let me tell you a little about the hat.  I love youth, and lots of them love hats.  I first realized this on a ski trip several years ago when one of the youth and I had the best time trying on and photographing each other in the jester hats. I also like hats and have quite a few pictures in different ones which I hope you will visit from time to time and see them all.  I got this particular hat because I took my friend Emma to Walmart one day to try on their great variety of hats.  We had the best time that afternoon and she insisted that I buy this one because as I work outside, I could let down the flaps and keep my ears warm.  She does not know it but she could not have picked a better one because my oldest son loved the "TAZ" and both sons and I had  "Taz" socks on with our tuxes at my second wedding.  Check back sometime to see Emma "fitting" me for this one.

My introduction

Here I go, at 56 starting down a new path in life. First a little about myself. I served 20 years in the US Air Force. I married my first wife and had two sons of whom I am very proud. I was widowed at age 42 and have since remarried another wonderful woman. I now have three step - children of which I am also very proud. The oldest of each have given us two grandchildren which we love dearly. So why this path at this stage? I am a small business owner and do a lot of difficult physical labor which I , being a realist, know that my body will not allow forever. I feel strongly that to stay young and fit, your mind must be very active as well as the body, therefore I am seeking a new challenge. Embarking on this new path of Web management will present a huge challenge and hopefully set me up for a new business for the future.