Youth Boot Camp...guess who was invited?

 Well, here I am speaking to a group of teens about some of the interesting and not so interesting events in my life.  I am still trying to figure out how I ended up as one of the Speakers.  All I know is that I have a very simple rule of thumb that I try to live by: "See a need...meet it".  Sounds simple but, it can sometimes be overwhelming because those words hold me captive. This simple rule has taken me to places  near and far. So, on this particular occasion I was asked to come out and speak to a group of kids during an empowerment conference known as "Boot Camp". There was a need in our local community....so, off I went. 

As I have said so many times before, I don't pretend to have all of the answers to any of life's most pressing issues so, the only thing that I can do is be honest about my faults, mistakes, accomplishments, regrets and goals. Most people, regardless of their age appreciate honesty.

(speaking to a group of High School kids about opportunities to serve in our local communities.) Many people are under the assumption that poverty and homelessness does not exist in America but, it does. In fact, one  out of 50—or about 1.5 million—American children are homeless each year, according to a 2009 study by the National Center on Family Homelessness.
We also discussed the many opportunities to serve abroad.  To my surprise, there were quite a few children who stated that they would sacrifice something for the opportunity to help a child in their own city or even in another country.