Nik

The first step along the path of improving well-being is to identify your core signature strengths. Cross-cultural research has identified 24 character strengths in the areas of wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence. Some examples can include a love for learning, honesty, kindness, leadership, or even hope. By understanding and deliberately utilizing our core strengths on the different life tasks in positive psychology, we can find joy and meaning in life in a way that feels compatible with our personality and who we are.

More than 40 percent of American teens have tried some type of alcohol, tobacco or illicit drug, which is half of those who were presented with the opportunity — this is a staggering statistic. Rosecrance wants you to understand the signs of teen addiction, so you can seek help before it’s too late.

Child advocates have two important challenges--(1) motivating church folk to take to the streets to work with vulnerable youth and children... and (2) working with your legislators and community leaders to see that resources become available through prevention-oriented programs that will motivate these youth in becoming upstanding men and women in their communities.

Jesus lives and dies for neighbors I don’t want to hang with. I may share a common communion cup with them or open a soup kitchen on their behalf. I will even support a treatment center for God’s sake or my safety’s sake, so they can kick a habit. But don’t ask me to love them. Let them be mission projects.

Whether we want to admit it or not, race matters, especially in America.  Systematic racism affects children of color, in particular, black and brown children, emotionally, spiritually, physically and often socio-economically. Particularly harmful is the form of colorblind racism which denies, dishonors and devalues students of color culture and God-given physical attributes.   To be colorblind – to not see race, is to refuse to see the beauty of God’s creation in students of color and to assimilate them into our own ideas of normalcy.

At some time in our lives we experience loneliness. It’s normal and necessary. It should be appreciated not feared. During seasons of loneliness, the dis-eased soul can discover the greatest of cure with time, prayer and surrender —God’s constant presence. We are never truly alone no more than the stand-alone Sequoia Redwood tree.