Bowl-a-Thon Fundraiser

YFC could use your help

... and you could actually enjoy yourself.

(I will keep you posted as soon as I get more details.)

Different Reasons, Same Place

As I reflect on the chaplain visits I made today I am once again reminded of the variety of reasons kids are in detention facilities. Today I met with a 12-year-old who was there because of truancy. He told me that he "hated" school. I was pretty sure that he didn't hate school per se, but rather hated that he was failing in school. Statistics show that many juvenile delinquents have failed school. Once a child begins failing in school, they begin to lose confidence in themselves and it doesn't take long before they begin failing at other things. I asked him if he liked learning about people in other countries, he answered in the affirmative. I asked him if he liked learning about plants, animals, and geography, and again he answered yes. It was great to see his eyes light up when he realized that he really did like school, he just didn't like feeling like a failure.

I pray for him because I know he will have a difficult time getting out of the Justice system. Until he learns how to learn, he will never feel positive about himself and have the confidence he needs to succeed in life. One researcher used the analogy of a swimmer to explain this social phenomenon of incarceration and rehabilitation. "If a person can't swim before they are incarcerated, they will not learn to swim while they are incarcerated." We need to do more to keep our kids from going to jail. Think about how you can make a difference in a child's life today.