NEWS BULLETIN. Helping teens and their families since Rodeo Camp

Transcription

1 Agapé Boarding School July 2016 NEWS BULLETIN Helping teens and their families since 1990 Rodeo Camp Young men learn how to wrestle 250-pound calves and learn how to ride 900-pound steers during Rodeo Camp. Bro. Riley with this year s Bull-Riding Winner, Cody Jones Rodeo Camp Teams!1

2 The Round Pen by Riley Olson Equine Instructor In 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt, was elected president in the midst of the Great Depression. In his inaugural address, he made a statement that inspired the despondent American people to believe in hope again. He said, the only thing we have to fear is fear itself Meaning, that fear will cause a people to give up, to retreat, to give in, to hide, and those are things of which to be afraid. America had to press on; she had to fight. For her to quit would be for her to die. I often wonder what event, what circumstance, what obstacle great men like President Roosevelt met and overcame that taught them to press on in the midst of fear. I would guess that some could go back to a single event that taught them to overcome fear while others probably faced multiple hardships that strengthened them against trepidation and panic. This month, your young men had the opportunity to face fear and choose to overcome. We started our rodeo camps this past month. The students involved faced the fear of wrestling 250 pound calves and riding 900 pound steers. I was impressed with their eagerness to lash themselves to a horned steer and see how long they could ride. There were a few that jumped in showing only a little fear, and there were some that crawled in the chute on the steer s back physically shaking and expressing a desire to withdraw. I recall one young man who was just settling down in the chute and the steer jumped a little causing the young man to try and scramble out of the chute crying out that he did not want to ride. In just a minute, he settled down, faced his fear and rode the steer to a count of six. That same young man rode four more times including one ride in our Fourth of July Rodeo. I believe that these events don t just teach one to ride a steer but rather serve as a schoolmaster teaching how to overcome fear. The Word of God is full of verses that teach Fear not. As a matter of fact, the Bible teaches that the only thing we are to fear is God Almighty. All other fear is sinful and detrimental. President Franklin D. Roosevelt may not have learned to overcome fear by riding a bull or a steer, but something in his life taught him its importance. Now, I hope that same lesson has been learned by your son. With a shared love for your boys, Riley Olson!2

3 Cheese Doodles and Coke by Brent Jackson Dean of Students Hebrew 7:19a, for the law made nothing perfect,... A while back our country had what was called the last meal. This meal was what they gave to an inmate on death row when he was about to be executed. A Few years back they changed the name of it to a "special meal this was so you would feel better about it when you were about to have 10,000,000 gigawatts pumped through you. I did a little research on what was selected by inmates for that special meal... some would have lobster, steak, ice cream, cake, plus all kinds of amazing food. Then, I came across one inmate who's last "special meal" on this earth was cheese doodles and one can of Coke. That's right you heard me CHEESE DOODLES AND 1 CAN OF COCA COLA! When I heard that I couldn't believe that someone would have that as their last meal on earth! Do you live your whole life and then in your last big decision on this earth and say yourself...? "Self? you know what sounds good to me?" "Hmmm? Ahhh Yes! Cheese doodles and a can of Coke!" Absolutely ridiculous! I thought of how defeated this person must have felt inside to not even choose to enjoy one last meal on this earth! in the end of your life... A BETTER HOPE!!!! We always say if the circumstances were different. If I had this background, this much money, if I had this car, if I had this thing or whatever I'd be happy. The truth is you won't be happy living without a better hope. Every day, approximately 105 Americans die by suicide. (CDC) There is one death by suicide in the US every 12.3 minutes. (CDC) Depression affects 20-25% of Americans ages 18+ in a given year. (CDC) Suicide takes the lives of over 38,000 Americans every year. (CDC) Between 1937 and 2012, an estimated 1,600 bodies were recovered of people who had jumped from the Golden Gate Bridge, located in the San Francisco Bay Area in the US. Located on the bridge is this sign that says "there is hope". Is there really hope? Do we really have hope? We sure do! Jesus Christ = a better hope 1 John 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. Living with hope is what makes life tolerable! When someone's hope is gone their choices reflect it! Hebrews 7:19b...but the bringing of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God. When I read this verse it became very easy to realize that you can do everything the right way (law), have the right haircut, have the right way you talk, the right way that you walk, everything just perfect but without hope it's nothing. Better hope! Jesus Christ shows up and now we have BETTER HOPE. Better hope for today, better hope for tomorrow, better hope for our kids, better hope for our country, better hope UPCOMING EVENTS July 25th-29th - Softball Camp (Week 2) August 8th-10th - Youth Conference August 17th - Walk-a-Thon August 22nd-26th - First Week of School!3

4 Rodeo Camp Pictures More photos are online! AgapeBoardingSchool.org!4

5 4th of July Pictures!5

6 A Message to Parents by Ma am I have waited patiently for fall to get over with, then I had to wait for winter to leave, and finally spring came and went before I knew it. Summer is here, I love summer best. There is only one problem: summer is halfway over. Where did it go? I now believe people when they say that the older you get the faster time flies. Graduation was wonderful. It is so wonderful to watch the faces of the boys who walk across the platform and receive their diploma. Most of them can t believe they have made it. Their parents have that same great look on their faces. I have a hard time believing that there are parents who let their sons talk them into going home for the last year of school. What a mistake. Most of them don t finish. Just because your son is doing well here, doesn t mean he is ready for home. Please stop trying to manipulate the visit rules. I do not come to your work and try to change a rule. I don t like or feel that it doesn t apply to me. All visits have to be made thru the office; NOT Bro. Jackson, Bro. Robert or Bro. Outar. The boys look great in their blazers. If you would like to, you can send your son a new tie. The tie has to be mostly burgundy with other colors. I know the boys will like that. Keep praying for us, we all need it. - Ma am To Read or Not To Read (continued) by Julian Outar School Principal Why is reading so important? 3. Reading enhances communication skills. Communication skills are vitally important and needful to succeed in the workplace. People who are not great communicators tend to struggle to develop their careers beyond a certain point. A strong vocabulary only enhances a person s ability to communicate. Having good communication skills is the essence of having command presence. Great leaders have been known throughout history to be great communicators. Experts advise people who desire to improve their vocabulary to spend 30 minutes a day reading. There are many advantages and benefits to being a consistent reader. One of the obvious benefits of being a habitual reader is an improved and constantly growing vocabulary. Reading exposes you to new words. Having a bigger vocabulary is like having a tool box with more tools. A larger repository of words enables a person to express himself more eloquently. Reading also exposes a person to proper grammar, punctuation, and pronunciation. Our brains function as sponges absorbing what we see and experience storing it for future use. 4. Reading enhances memorization skills. Reading and memory are closely related to each other. Reading at an early age significantly improves a child s ability to retain and memorize. Reading a book requires you to remember information. In order to read and comprehend, a person must remember facts, details, plots, characters, etc. This process of having to remember stretches your memory muscles. From a developed habit of reading, you are without even knowing it constantly forcing yourself to memorize new information. Those who are not habitual readers must learn to memorize new information differently. Reading helps the individual cultivate for himself a habit of memorizing. To improve memory skills both at early ages (when we should be developing memory skills ) and at old ages (when we should be preserving memory skills) reading is of the utmost importance.!6