Today, 160,000 students will stay home from school because of their fear of being bullied. Today, 20 teens will take their own lives. 1 in 6 high school students have seriously considered suicide. Somewhere, right now, a student is considering taking a gun to his school for any number of reasons. This is the world into which I journey today. This is the world that desperately needs to hear the story of Rachel Joy Scott. A world that needs to hear there is hope, that needs to know they can make a difference, simply by showing kindness and compassion to those around them.
As I sit here writing it is just hours before I go on what is known as my "Shadow Trip." What this means is that I'll be observing a day's worth of programs by one of the veteran Rachel's Challenge presenters, and then the following day he'll observe me doing the same. In this case, my shadow trip takes place right here in Ohio. I'll observe near Dayton on Thursday and then do my first "live" presentations in a suburb of Columbus on Friday. That first time I'll be speaking to 1200 students plus however many adults we see at the community event that night. If you know me, you know that large crowds don't really phase me at all, in fact I rather enjoy being in front of people. That said, it's not about me, so I am determine to do this right because there is so much at stake.
So having said all that, and as I continue to prepare to deliver as many as five different programs in a given day with excellence and with enthusiasm, I do have some requests for those of you who pray.
1) Pray for the schools where I'm going - the students, the teachers, administrators, parents. In September alone, I'll be speaking with 11,000 students in Ohio, Virginia, Nebraska, Wisconsin, South Dakota, and Arkansas. The kids will range all the way from Kindergarten through 12th grade, plus teachers and parents. Through Rachel's story and the programs the schools implement to continue her chain reaction, there is a real opportunity for a complete change of culture in these schools. Acts of violence, bullying, and suicides are all lowered in most of the schools where Rachel's Challenge has come. Pray that continues.
2) Pray for my family. Being a stay at home dad these past several months has been such a great thing, but we always knew this day was coming. I'll be on the road anywhere from 4-6 days a week for the next few months, and that will be difficult for all of us, but especially for them. Please pray that the burden is as easy as possible on them as they deal with my absence and all the added challenges that go with it.
3) Pray for me. I am going to be traveling. A lot. For example, between September 8 and 18 I will be on 12 different flights, some of which are followed by a few hours' drive. I'll be getting up really early, and going all day. Rarely will I spend more than one night in the same place. On top of all that, I'll be on my own, and dealing with the pressure of making sure I deliver every message, every story, every program with excellence and enthusiasm. I am excited for the challenge, but I don't expect it to be easy. Then again, few things that are worth doing are easy.
I look forward to sharing my experiences with you, and I will try to update this blog when I can. Thanks so much for going along this journey with me, and especially for your prayers and support.
As I sit here writing it is just hours before I go on what is known as my "Shadow Trip." What this means is that I'll be observing a day's worth of programs by one of the veteran Rachel's Challenge presenters, and then the following day he'll observe me doing the same. In this case, my shadow trip takes place right here in Ohio. I'll observe near Dayton on Thursday and then do my first "live" presentations in a suburb of Columbus on Friday. That first time I'll be speaking to 1200 students plus however many adults we see at the community event that night. If you know me, you know that large crowds don't really phase me at all, in fact I rather enjoy being in front of people. That said, it's not about me, so I am determine to do this right because there is so much at stake. So having said all that, and as I continue to prepare to deliver as many as five different programs in a given day with excellence and with enthusiasm, I do have some requests for those of you who pray.
1) Pray for the schools where I'm going - the students, the teachers, administrators, parents. In September alone, I'll be speaking with 11,000 students in Ohio, Virginia, Nebraska, Wisconsin, South Dakota, and Arkansas. The kids will range all the way from Kindergarten through 12th grade, plus teachers and parents. Through Rachel's story and the programs the schools implement to continue her chain reaction, there is a real opportunity for a complete change of culture in these schools. Acts of violence, bullying, and suicides are all lowered in most of the schools where Rachel's Challenge has come. Pray that continues.
2) Pray for my family. Being a stay at home dad these past several months has been such a great thing, but we always knew this day was coming. I'll be on the road anywhere from 4-6 days a week for the next few months, and that will be difficult for all of us, but especially for them. Please pray that the burden is as easy as possible on them as they deal with my absence and all the added challenges that go with it.
3) Pray for me. I am going to be traveling. A lot. For example, between September 8 and 18 I will be on 12 different flights, some of which are followed by a few hours' drive. I'll be getting up really early, and going all day. Rarely will I spend more than one night in the same place. On top of all that, I'll be on my own, and dealing with the pressure of making sure I deliver every message, every story, every program with excellence and enthusiasm. I am excited for the challenge, but I don't expect it to be easy. Then again, few things that are worth doing are easy.
I look forward to sharing my experiences with you, and I will try to update this blog when I can. Thanks so much for going along this journey with me, and especially for your prayers and support.
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