Beyond Me: Just A Recommendation

This book needs to be given to every youth worker I know. I have been starving for this and I just recently found it. The only reason this isn't rocketing off the shelves is because it is from a smaller publishing house.

This book has helped me see the importance of theology in youth ministry. It has helped me how to see through a new lens into postmodern culture. Pick it up. As a youth pastor, I couldn't recommend it more. Culture is changing. Youth ministry is changing. Wendell's got his finger on something here.

Who's Had it Worse?

This is an older letter written to Ann Landers in response to a person who wrote her about how kids shouldn't complain these days. This person grew up during the depression and they feel that youth have no place to complain because they didn't suffer the way they did. A very articulate 16 year old responds in this way.

Dear Ann Landers: The reader signed "Georgia," who lived through the Depression and described how hard it was to be a teenager in the 1930's, said kids today have an easy time of it compared to teens in his day. You said you couldn't argue with him. Well, I can. Let me ask your generation a few questions: Are your parents divorced? Almost every one of my friends comes from a broken home. Were you thinking about suicide when you were 12? Did you have an ulcer when you were 16? Did your best friend lose her virginity to a guy she went out with twice? You may have had to worry about VD, but did you have to worry about AIDS? Did your classmates carry guns and knives? How many kids in your class came to school regularly drunk, stoned, or high on drugs? Did any of your friends have their brains fried from using PCP? What percentage of your graduating class also graduated from a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center? Did you school have armed security guards in the halls? Did you ever live in a neighborhood where the sound of gunfire at night was "normal"? You talk a lot about being dirt poor and having no money. Since when does money mean happiness? The kids at school who have the expensive cars and designer clothes are the most miserable. When I am your age, Georgia, I won't do much looking back, I'll just thank God that I survived.

-- Other Side of the Story in Indianapolis.

Just some food for thought.

Be The Change

I am starting to read Zach Hunter's book "Be The Change". It is really challenging and it is meant to be read by teenagers. Take a moment and look up the book. It might be a great resource to help our youth work through issues of justice and what we can do to bring justice to the world.

Monday Morning Reminder

This is a powerful story by our guy Marko. I just wanted to remind all of us why we do what we do.

More Self Injury Resources

Almost a year ago I was at a youth ministry conference. It was a remarkable time. I sat through an 8 hour track on Counseling Youth 101. It was powerful and very equipping. I want to share some websites with you. We did some talking about self injury. This will be more in depth in another post. But if you know of teens who self-injure (cut, burn, bruise, carve, brand, bite, hit, interfere with natural healing), as well as referring them to a professional, here are some websites that might help.

To Write Love On Her Arms - TWLOHA is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for those struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire, and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery.

S.A.F.E. - S.A.F.E. ALTERNATIVES® is a nationally recognized treatment approach, professional network, and educational resource base,which is committed to helping you and others achieve an endto self-injurious behavior. Self-injury is known by many names,including self-abuse, self-mutilation, deliberate self-harm, parasuicidal behavior, and non-suicidal self-injury.

There are some books on the subject as well.

A Bright Red Scream - Marilee Strong - It is not a Christian book. It is considered one of the best books on the subject out there.

Hope and Healing For Kids Who Cut - Marv Penner - It is the first Christian book written on the subject. It is being released in about 6 weeks. Marv knows what he is talking about.
Before you write this off as not applying to you, look at a few facts. Again I will give a more thorough explanation of what self injury is and why they do it in a later post.

1 in 5 girls and 1 in 7 guys self injure.

90% os self injurers begin as teenagers

There is evidence that self injury could be a learned behavior.

Self injury is prevelant in all races and economic backgrounds.
If we do the math, this applies to all of us. There are surely people we know and love who are in trouble. Especially those of us in youth ministry. Let us not be blind to it.

My Pirate Name

My pirate name is:

Mad Tom Rackham

Every pirate is a little bit crazy. You, though, are more than just a little bit. You have the good fortune of having a good name, since Rackham (pronounced RACKem, not rack-ham) is one of the coolest sounding surnames for a pirate. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
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A Thousand Questions

Sometimes our souls need stirred. Be stirred. I wept.