Inspiring our Youth

 Inspiring Our Youth

Well another great show it was as we broached the topic:â€? Inspiring Our Youthâ€?. We asked some very important questions: Is there any help for today’s youth, or do the statistics tell the entire story. Is it even possible to inspire them? Can they be reached?  Our hosts were two individuals who answered a resounding yes as they are daily making a powerful impact in the future of young people. Our first guest was John Payton, founder and CEO of Ellenwood Academy.  John shared how Ellenwood Academy their academy enables people to get their high school diploma and the dignity and self esteem that come with it. He shared about the different types of courses offered and the large number of people that have been inspired and helped by their program. I was inspired myself as John gave his personal testimony about one of the role models that inspired him as a boy.  He spoke with vivid clarity, as if it happened yesterday about how those words catapulted him into his destiny and marked him for life.  John left us with some of the best advice any adult can give a child: Never underestimate the effect that your words have on a young person. The incident was an attorney and former basketball player that he met on the basketball court.  The attorney shared a little about his life and told him that he could be whatever he wanted to be with hard work and diligence. John, as a result, got involved with basketball in high school and eventually played received a college scholarship to play basketball and later played in the Canadian basketball league.  That incident set him on a firm foundation.  The foundation was so firm that his two daughters are both tremendous student athletes.  One of his daughters is well on her way to becoming the Valedictorian in her high school this year. One of the great things I enjoyed about what the interview was what John had to say about the importance of being a father and husband.  He said that it was very important that of all of the hats that we wear, the most important ones are that of being a husband and father.  That, no matter what type of day he has had, it is important that he set the tempo for what goes on in the household. He also shared the importance of being selfless and being careful to take time to both talk and to listen talk to in his marriage in his marriage to his wife and as a father to his children.  Boy, don’t we need more of that in our society, and our relationships.  John also shared about the pivotal decision me made to accept Christ into his life and how life changing his choice of his church was to the true quality of his life. John is making a difference.

Our next guest was Tracy Reed, Chairman of the Board of Another Way Out, an incredible youth mentoring organization that is making an incredible impact on the lives of young people in Atlanta, Georgia.  Talk about enthusiasm, Mr. Reed is walking adrenalin!  He expounded with passion and excitement about the wonderful programs that they offer to youth through Another Way Out. One of the programs I was most impressed with was their After School Program where they tutor students after school and offer them a hot meal.  This program has resulted in a thirty percent average increase in academic performance. Tracy shared some of the many events that they have put on this year including the Annual Southwest Community Family which was attended thousands last month. Their guest performer was singer Howard Hewitt, and hundreds of vendors participated in making it a great success.  Tracy also mentioned other boards that he sits on among them Sisters by Choice, a wonderful organization that provides breast cancer awareness, screening, and treatment for women that can’t afford it. He spoke about the fulfillment he gets from serving others and was equally excited about his work as Vice Chairman of the rapper TI’s youth organization which also has provided tremendous mentoring, as well as health awareness for youth as well. When asked who his inspirations were Tracy said that He didn’t have to look far because he received inspiration right there in his household growing up. He named his relationship with Jesus Christ as his primary inspiration, which was a result of his upbringing in his home. Tracy talked about the importance of the foundation he received from having a rock-solid father and an inspirational mother who loved him was key. He also mentioned how important and helpful it was to have brothers that loved him and set a good example.  But I was most blessed and impressed by what he shared about his wife Crystal, whom he called his biggest cheerleader.  He cited her as his inspiration, and spoke of his marriage to her of fourteen years being his most important occupation.  When asked what we can do to inspire youth, Tracy said that it was so important to be present, encouraging, and supportive, rather that pessimistic. He said that it is always so easy to be a critic and cite the headlines, but we need to be a part on the solution.  When our youth see this kind of support, we can indeed make an indelible impression on their lives for good. What a time! Gandhi, I think said it well when he said: “We must be the solution we seek in the world.â€? Tracy and Another Way Our are being a solution.

Well yet another wonderful time we had. Join us for our next show as we host Phillip Baker. Phillip is a minister, speaker, and author of the tremendous book Creating the Life of Love. He will share some great insight on his book and the subject of love, as well as his perspective on being a minster, husband, and father. You won’t want to miss it. Thanks, once again for joining us. We’ll see you next week! Until then keep your head up to the sky, God on your mind, and remember, this day is a bout as great as you expect it will be! Make it a great one!