Thursday, May 13, 2010
#23 - A Challenge For You As You Look To the Summer
[P.S. – I want to challenge you to PLEASE, PLEASE, either watch or program to tape “The Coral Ridge Hour” (which is really only a half-hour long) THIS SUNDAY and NEXT SUNDAY, May 16th and May 23rd. (In Orlando, it’s televised 5-5:30 pm on non-cable channel 40.1) These upcoming broadcasts will present a documentary entitled “Socialism: A Clear and Present Danger.” If you want to get a handle of what is wrong in our country (and much of the world) from a Christian perspective, you will want to take the time to get informed. I know, I know, it sounds like something you’d have to watch for school, but trust me, it will be “educational” like nothing you’ll ever hear in school. I guarantee that it will be well worth an investment of a total of just one hour of your life. ]
As you await (or have already started) your summer break from school, I was wondering if YOU took up the challenge I made to you at the beginning of this school year in posting #12 last August. Did you MAKE time (seeing that you always had time) to pray for any students or teachers in any of your classes, whether you new them or not? If you did do so, did God allow you to see anything happen as a result? (He may have done something as a result of your prayers (and possibly those of others) but chosen not to reveal it to you.) If not, this is a good time to honestly ask yourself – “why not?” In either case, I would really appreciate it if you would email me as to what result you may have seen or your reasons for not following through. (yonashiro@bellsouth.net)
I’m especially curious to know what made you not accept my challenge, even in part. Did I ask you too much? Is there something I don’t know that kept you from doing anything I challenged you to do? Was my challenge in some way inappropriate or unreasonable? Is it possible that you just don’t believe that praying makes any real difference? If so, or whatever the reason, please email me.
As you can tell, I’m a big believer in the power of prayer and in God’s calling on each of you to impact others for His Kingdom. I once prayed through the entire “Remembrance Book” of a nearby middle school – that is by name for every student whose name (and usually picture) appeared in it – in seven different areas (spiritual, social, emotional, physical, academic, mental, and stewardship). Of course, I have never met the vast majority of them, but as I prayed for them to place their trust in Christ, I developed an awareness (from God, I believe) that when I stand in Heaven one day, I could have many of them walk up to me and say, “Hi! We’ve never met, but I’ve been told that you prayed for me while I was on earth. I want to thank you because you were the only one who ever prayed for me and it was your prayer that God responded to in opening my heart to His gospel when I finally heard it presented. In other words, through your “words,” I was able to have a relationship with the Father and now will spend an eternity with Him in this incredible beyond words place called Heaven. Your prayer really made an eternal difference in my life!” Just ONE person saying that to me when I get there is just one of the things I look forward to when I get THERE.
You know, just because you’re going to be away from school for several months, it doesn’t mean that you can’t use some of the time ahead to still pray for those you met or even just know of through this past year in school. And so, as their names and faces are still fresh in your mind, I’d like to challenge you to right now pull out a sheet of paper and begin writing down the names of students, faculty, administrators, custodial staff, and any others whom God brought into your life this past year that you have not prayed for. Then, take time during the months ahead to pray for each one, even if it is only one person every day. Also, for those whom you can contact – whether by phone, email, Facebook, Twitter, or whatever – why not make a point to keep in some kind of regular contact and, if they are not yet believers in Christ, ask God for wisdom as to how to transition from something you are talking about to inquiring about their where they are spiritually. Sometime soon, I’ll share with you one of my recent experiences with that.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
#22– Kids at Risk: Bullying in the New Millennium
By Charlene Israel, CBN (Christian Broadcasting Network) News Reporter, Wednesday, May 05, 2010
[No matter what your age, you or someone you know has been the victim of a bully. I was bullied when I first started middle school by a guy who regularly took my lunch money. I remember being too scared to tell anyone and fortunately the guy left the school after several months, though I’m not sure if it was because he was eventually caught. … Whatever YOUR experience with bullying – directly or indirectly, I believe that, especially as a Christian, you have a responsibility to stand up (with others) against those who do evil – whether at your school or wherever you encounter such persons in your life.]
Bullying is an age old problem. Today it has had new and deadly consequences.
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick recently signed anti-bullying legislation into law. "As governor and as a parent, I feel very strongly that no child should feel threatened or unsafe in our schools," Patrick said. "With this new law, we are giving our teachers, parents, and kids the tools and protections they need so that every student has a chance to reach their full potential." The move comes after two students in the state committed suicide after being relentlessly harassed.
Jaihlen's Story
Javarro Cherry of Virginia Beach, Va., wants to protect his 10-year-old son, Jaihlen, from bullies. To do that he meets his son at his bus stop every day after school. "I know that as long as someone's here, no one's going to bother him," Cherry told CBN News. Jaihlen is small for his age and has been the victim of relentless bullying by kids at his public school. "Sometimes they just come in your face and slap you," Jaihlen said, describing some of the bullying that he has experienced. The boy's parents say he is particularly afraid of one bully, and for good reason. "My son says that he (the bully) was trying to beat him up, that he said he was going to hurt him and make him bleed," Jaihlen's mother, Fredlena Cherry, said. Jaihlen, who is a fifth grader at Betty F. Williams Elementary School, said things got so bad that he was afraid to go to school. He also started having disturbing thoughts. "Something about killing myself, or running way or just hanging myself," he explained.
A Growing Problem
Unfortunately, Jaihlen's story is not unique. Bullying is making headlines around the country. It affects kids from elementary school to high school. Bullying is defined as negative behaviors intended to frighten or cause harm. It may include written threats or physical harm. The behavior is also described as teasing, harassing, or intimidation. In one high-profile case in Massachusetts, nine students were charged in the death of 15-year-old Phoebe Prince. Prince committed suicide after prosecutors say she was the victim of "unrelenting bullying" at her school. District Attorney Elizabeth Scheibel commented on the case at a recent press conference.
"The investigation revealed relentless activity directed toward Phoebe designed to humiliate her and make it impossible for her to remain at school," Scheibel said. "The bullying became intolerable." In another case, 13-year-old Jon Carmichael in Texas hanged himself after being bullied by classmates because he was small. There is also the story of a second grader who tried to kill himself by jumping over a school balcony after other kids repeatedly pulled down his pants and embarrassed him. Bullying has become so common that 41 states now have laws against it. Despite those laws, it is widespread and increasingly leads to deadly consequences.
Cyber Bullying
But not all bullying is so overt. Perpetrators of both sexes often work in groups where they use gossip, rumors, text messages, and harassing Internet posts to bully. Capt. Stephanie Bryn, director of the National Stop Bullying Now Campaign, said cyber bullying is on the rise. "It can be done more easily because it's autonomous, there's accessibility to the equipment, and cyber bullying can be done 24-7, all the time," she explained. Meanwhile, Jaihlen's parents have complained to both the bully's parents and to school officials."I would like to see the school have a better handle of how when there's a reportage of the student being a bully, there needs to be some level of discipline," Fredlena Cherry told CBN News. Dr. Linda Mintle, a psychologist who has studied the issue of bullying, said parents of bullies need to take responsibility for their child's behavior. "Parents need to stop making excuses for their kids behavior. I see a real crisis, parents want the schools to do something about bullying and then when the schools act, they get all upset and say you infringed on my rights and they threaten lawsuits," she explained.
Taking a Stand
Others have weighed in on the issue as well. Ron Luce, founder of Teen Mania Ministries, has encouraged Christian youth to take a stand against bullying. "I'm asking, 'Where are the Christians in those schools?,'" Luce said. "There are Bible clubs, youth groups in the area. It's time to rise up." Many schools across the country have anti-bullying initiatives, including Jaihlen's school. Unfortunately that has not stopped the bullying in his case. CBN News contacted Jaihlen's school for comment but administrators declined a request for an interview. Meanwhile, his family is frustrated and his parents are helping him cope the best way they can. "My dad started teaching me to fight," Jaihlen said. "Every time they try to put their hands on me, I grab their hand and I tell them don't put your hand on me."
[No matter what your age, you or someone you know has been the victim of a bully. I was bullied when I first started middle school by a guy who regularly took my lunch money. I remember being too scared to tell anyone and fortunately the guy left the school after several months, though I’m not sure if it was because he was eventually caught. … Whatever YOUR experience with bullying – directly or indirectly, I believe that, especially as a Christian, you have a responsibility to stand up (with others) against those who do evil – whether at your school or wherever you encounter such persons in your life.]
Bullying is an age old problem. Today it has had new and deadly consequences.
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick recently signed anti-bullying legislation into law. "As governor and as a parent, I feel very strongly that no child should feel threatened or unsafe in our schools," Patrick said. "With this new law, we are giving our teachers, parents, and kids the tools and protections they need so that every student has a chance to reach their full potential." The move comes after two students in the state committed suicide after being relentlessly harassed.
Jaihlen's Story
Javarro Cherry of Virginia Beach, Va., wants to protect his 10-year-old son, Jaihlen, from bullies. To do that he meets his son at his bus stop every day after school. "I know that as long as someone's here, no one's going to bother him," Cherry told CBN News. Jaihlen is small for his age and has been the victim of relentless bullying by kids at his public school. "Sometimes they just come in your face and slap you," Jaihlen said, describing some of the bullying that he has experienced. The boy's parents say he is particularly afraid of one bully, and for good reason. "My son says that he (the bully) was trying to beat him up, that he said he was going to hurt him and make him bleed," Jaihlen's mother, Fredlena Cherry, said. Jaihlen, who is a fifth grader at Betty F. Williams Elementary School, said things got so bad that he was afraid to go to school. He also started having disturbing thoughts. "Something about killing myself, or running way or just hanging myself," he explained.
A Growing Problem
Unfortunately, Jaihlen's story is not unique. Bullying is making headlines around the country. It affects kids from elementary school to high school. Bullying is defined as negative behaviors intended to frighten or cause harm. It may include written threats or physical harm. The behavior is also described as teasing, harassing, or intimidation. In one high-profile case in Massachusetts, nine students were charged in the death of 15-year-old Phoebe Prince. Prince committed suicide after prosecutors say she was the victim of "unrelenting bullying" at her school. District Attorney Elizabeth Scheibel commented on the case at a recent press conference.
"The investigation revealed relentless activity directed toward Phoebe designed to humiliate her and make it impossible for her to remain at school," Scheibel said. "The bullying became intolerable." In another case, 13-year-old Jon Carmichael in Texas hanged himself after being bullied by classmates because he was small. There is also the story of a second grader who tried to kill himself by jumping over a school balcony after other kids repeatedly pulled down his pants and embarrassed him. Bullying has become so common that 41 states now have laws against it. Despite those laws, it is widespread and increasingly leads to deadly consequences.
Cyber Bullying
But not all bullying is so overt. Perpetrators of both sexes often work in groups where they use gossip, rumors, text messages, and harassing Internet posts to bully. Capt. Stephanie Bryn, director of the National Stop Bullying Now Campaign, said cyber bullying is on the rise. "It can be done more easily because it's autonomous, there's accessibility to the equipment, and cyber bullying can be done 24-7, all the time," she explained. Meanwhile, Jaihlen's parents have complained to both the bully's parents and to school officials."I would like to see the school have a better handle of how when there's a reportage of the student being a bully, there needs to be some level of discipline," Fredlena Cherry told CBN News. Dr. Linda Mintle, a psychologist who has studied the issue of bullying, said parents of bullies need to take responsibility for their child's behavior. "Parents need to stop making excuses for their kids behavior. I see a real crisis, parents want the schools to do something about bullying and then when the schools act, they get all upset and say you infringed on my rights and they threaten lawsuits," she explained.
Taking a Stand
Others have weighed in on the issue as well. Ron Luce, founder of Teen Mania Ministries, has encouraged Christian youth to take a stand against bullying. "I'm asking, 'Where are the Christians in those schools?,'" Luce said. "There are Bible clubs, youth groups in the area. It's time to rise up." Many schools across the country have anti-bullying initiatives, including Jaihlen's school. Unfortunately that has not stopped the bullying in his case. CBN News contacted Jaihlen's school for comment but administrators declined a request for an interview. Meanwhile, his family is frustrated and his parents are helping him cope the best way they can. "My dad started teaching me to fight," Jaihlen said. "Every time they try to put their hands on me, I grab their hand and I tell them don't put your hand on me."
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