Some schools are “anything goes.” Either the teachers are afraid to discipline the students by taking away privileges for fear of retribution, or some simple do not have control. I remember one class in the school I was moved on where the prior teacher left due to a nervous breakdown. In March, basic math was still on simple addition and subtraction as no one could concentrate due to the threats of knifings girls shouted across the classroom. The boys were not that much more stellar. As a contrast, Evangel house increases or decreases a student’s priveleges such as phone use, free time, and other priveleges. For example, girls who exhibit disruptive and dangerous behaviors are not lost, they are accompanied by staff whenever they go outside, etc.

In regular school, sending someone to the principal’s office or taking away their hall pass might be what you think is similar, but there the staff recognizes rescue responses. At regular school, kids can pester the monitor until they let them go back to class. Or, they can just count on the fact that mom or dad will raise Cain with the teachers, or when they get home, they can manipulate them. These are all poor me “rescue responses” that are recognized and girls are taught a better life skill before they lead a future life as a manipulator, or worse. As a girl improves, she is given more and more privileges.

This may sound a lot like playing “Mother, May I?,” but it is reinforced with excellence in academics, the opportunity to grow spiritually, and mentally.

From what I am describing, you may think that this is either a nonprofit or costs a lot of money. There is tuition assistance, such as student loans. You may not think paying for high school is the way to go. However, compared to the cost of ongoing psychological help, tutors, and the like, you are probably ahead.

In Detroit, the school district is in arms over charter schools. While attendence and test scores public at public schools, charter schools are growing and children are thriving. Some credit the actual education, but many others credit the lower staff to student ratio, were the teachers and kids can get to know eachother. Teachers are able to notice when a child is struggling or they are heading towards a destructive life choice. I, for one, was put into a school like that and I thrived rather than dropped out.

I was very intrigued by the idea of this school. It seems like girls can really turn around, which is important to all of us in society, no matter if we physically have children or not.

• Purchase a dresser for a child at a children’s home or kitchen utensils for the home
• Pay for a dumpster rental for a Katrina victim who is rebuilding
• Fund a children’s Bible being translated into Japanese for missions in Japan
• Buy a weeks worth of meals for a homeless shelter
• Feed a street child for one month (a bargain at $34.00)
• Help a local person get through hard times
• …and many more!

Their site allows you to instanty print out a card for someone to let them know you have given a gift in their honor.  It is in a pdf form that you can print at home, or even go to the local copy center and have it printed on heavier paper.

The link to the holiday gift catalog can be found HERE.   The card can be found HERE.  If you are looking for a thoughtful gift for someone you don’t know what to buy for, it is a great thing to consider!

If you need assistance and guidance to help a hurting marriage or to strengthn a good one, the National Institute of Marriage is there to help.  They have developed a variety of programs and resources to help couples who are having challenges, and are fighting for their marriages, so that they can weather the storm.  Someone wise once told me that a marriage that is breaking does not just hurt the couple, but the community.  It also dissolves friendships, confuses children, and displaces pets.  The programs use a Christ-centered approach and focus on the fact that you are not alone in your struggles.

There is Marriage 911, which is a “first response” program with materials that you can work with at home.  When you know that you are headed for disaster, and can see the warning signs, but don’t know quite what to do, it may be something that you want to look into.  There are also intensive counseling programs where a couple works intensively with two NIM therapists in a group setting over a four day period.  The program has been proven to be extremely effective in fostering hope and giving couples a foundation to move forward with.  Of course, nothing is a quick fix, but if someone gets a little bit of hope back and takes the time to listen to others and to where their partner is coming from, they may be able to salvage and move forward in their quest to save their marriage.

I am not one to read a lot of motivational books, not that I am not into bettering myself, but many of them set out to whip you into shape when you are whipped quite enough from your day to day life.    We all have our own stuff to deal with, but on top of it it is hard to look at the news sometimes.   Sometimes it is the actual content of what is going on in the world, and another big part of it is the sensationalism used to portray it and the inability to unplug sometimes with all of the emerging media.   It is hard to know sometimes if the world is really going to heck in a handbasket, or we are really suffering from a case of “TMI” (too much information).

Afterall, movie stars of the silver screen partied just as much as stars today, but they listened to publicists and certain parts of their life just wasn’t printed.

Life Inspirations Volume I is a book of inspirational poetry written by writer, musician, and minister Ozell Adkins.   Although it is not a “self help” book per se, the intent of the poetry is to act as inspirational letters to meditate on, consider, and to convey a message of hope and encouragement, that God’s purpose for your life is greater than any problem you may have. Many people go through times where they just want to give up, and Mr. Adkins wrote this collection when he himself was at a turning point.  His wish is to inspire people in a gentle way to “reach beyond” into the next stage of your life.

I wish Mr. Adkins the best of luck with his book.  There certainly is a need for more support and encouragement towards eachother, and it is nice to see someone that has their heart set on encouraging others.  This book was recommended to me, and I will surely be taking a closer look at it.