By Roderick O.

Earth Day

Last Wednesday, April 25, 2012, morning chapel service with Pam Allen focused on Earth Day. With documentaries and special prayers for our planet the students left the chapel with a different view on the world.

The documentary presented how much waste and garbage humans use every years and every day. It showed where our garbage goes after we throw it away and how we can prevent our world from becoming a giant dump. They had clips exhibiting that scraps of trash that don’t get thrown away end up in oceans, woods, beaches and endangering animals. There was a certain clip that hit me the hardest and this clip showed a young bird tangled up in a piece of trash not able to get loose.

Pam asked, “How does this relate to our spiritual lives and God?”

From listening to her preach about the question I believe that this has everything to do with God and our spiritual lives. God made this earth for us and we are not doing our jobs as followers of Christ if we don’t try and keep it clean and sanitary.

We then finished with specified prayers for our earth and for our lives.

By Roderick O.

Easter Sunday at The Family Foundation School

With over a thousand hidden eggs, a scrumptious ham and pie supper, and a game of Bunny Bingo, Paul G. and his crew transformed The Family Foundation School into an Easter filled campus. God granted the grace of gratitude during this day. You couldn’t walk by someone without receiving a bright smile and a warm “Happy Easter” greeting. All staff and students were in a cheerful mood not only because of the Holiday, but due to the fact that it was a beautiful day outside. Paul provided the activities and Bill C. provided the food but God provided us with a warm relaxed atmosphere.

Easter chapel service is one that I am familiar with; considering my family is Catholic and I go every year, but this one was different. Father Chris blessed the chapel at the beginning of the service with sage. Then he continued his blessings by spreading oil among the students. “I was in constant prayer throughout the whole service and I had an overwhelming sense of inner peace due to the presence of Christ,” said Cameron S. a practicing Presbyterian. Similar to Cameron, the tranquil service allowed me to practice my search for Christ and express my gratitude for God.

The serene service was followed by an Easter Supper hosted by Bill C. in the families. There was Ham, corn pudding, potatoes, vegetables and Apple Pie; no one left the meal hungry. Once the supper ended, all the families joined Paul G. in the gym to start the Egg Hunt outside. With students enjoying the beautiful weather, the Hunt was a success. Mann House retrieved the most eggs and received a prize, but everyone won in the end because no one was left without candy. After the Hunt was over the student returned to the gym for several rounds of Bunny Bingo. Every winner received a candy box of their choice.

This was my second year of Easter at the school and both times have been memorable. I would be lying if I said I didn’t miss my family on this day because I did, but the school provided an Easter than wouldn’t have been possible if I was home. Bunny bingo and an Egg Hunt with over a thousand eggs is a pretty special day. The entire Holiday reminded me of how much I love my family and how grateful I am for my journey at The Family School.

By Roderick O.

With Easter approaching Pam A’s Wednesday morning chapel service was based off some of Jesus’ words at the last supper. Before he passed out the bread and wine he told his disciples to love each other as he loved them. Why is this so difficult for us? I know that I allow my own character defects dictate how I act towards other people. In reality my actions can either have a positive effect or a negative effect.

Pam strongly expressed during the scripture reading how God gave up his only son to save us. She then stated that she has a son of her own and that she wouldn’t give up her son for the world.

God loves us so much that he sacrificed his only son for us. Even when Jesus was suffering a horrible death his last words were “forgive them father for they know not what they do.”

So know I go back to my question, why is it so difficult for us to love on another? There is already enough hatred in the world as it is, so why add more? One act of kindness and love can make a person more prone to passing that act of love and kindness onto another person. If I wanted to be loved and respected than I must treat others the same way. Despite the movie Semi-Pro’s idiocy, there was a clear message in it; everybody love everybody.

Spirit of the Week

By Roderick O.

Wednesday morning chapel services are usually a delight. This week was no different. Pam’s reading came from John talking about a Samaritan woman meeting Jesus. The reading followed a video clip of a song which the entire student body sang. Since I’ve been at the school this was always the best moment for the students; when everyone was singing together like one big family.

The reading talked about how Jesus asked this Samaritan woman for some water from the water well. The Samaritan woman was surprised because no man has ever asked her for water or even treated her with any respect. She got so little respect from men that the guy she was with didn’t even tell her his name. Jesus knew everything about her life down to every detail. She realized that honesty was not something she practiced in her life. She soon realized who Jesus was an d ran to the town to spread the good news; Jesus was there.

Honesty is something that I have struggled with my entire life. What I have found out about myself is that most of my lies stem from being fearful of the unknown. I get scared of consequences or of what people will think of me. What I have also realized is that, God isn’t the truth; the truth is God. In order to stay spiritually in touch, I must be honest.

By Roderick O.

Pam A.’s Wednesday morning chapel service this week brought awareness of other people to the students’ attention. How does what we do and say affect others around us?

“In a race all the runners run. But only one gets the prize. You know that, don’t you? So run in a way that will get you the prize. All who take part in the games train hard. They do it to get a crown that will not last. But we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”

This reading, on Wednesday, was taken from 1 Corinthians 9:13-36. To me, this reading questions our motives behind what we do. When it comes to helping out other people, do we actually care about the person’s well being?

I know for myself, I am an extremely self-centered person and sometimes helping others is an ego boost. I am not seeking to help this person out more than I am seeking to feel better about myself.

The reading helps remind me that I should be “running in the race for an everlasting crown.” In modern language, I should be doing it for the other person and not for myself because God’s ultimate wish for people is to love one another.

Roderick O.

Every prayer time in Talbot House we sit silently and meditate for before we start. We do this to center ourselves and better our connection with our higher power. When meditation is over, I choose a psalm to read from the bible, one usually reflecting my feelings for that day. My friend Sebastian S., who leads prayer time with me, reads a story from the AA book. One story in particular had more of an effect on my spiritual life than any religious service that I had attended gone to the entire week.

The story reminded me how blessed I am to be at this school. (Talbot House has recently gotten some new students that have been struggling with adjustment and acceptance so I thought this was perfect for them.) I expressed my feelings of gratitude for the school to the whole family. I told everyone that instead of looking at this school as a punishment that they should look at it as a gift from God. Not everyone gets a chance like we do to redefine our lives. Some people take the opportunity for granted and I don’t want my family members to miss the chance. I hope they take it to heart.

By Ileana A.

“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience.” When I heard this quote, by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, this morning during chapel, I was quite struck with the idea that I am not a human being. Oddly, there was also a sense of immediate relief. I felt freer after hearing those words.

I am not a human being.

It never occurred to me that I, who usually talks about having a soul, or an inner spirit, could actually be that inner spirit having a human body and living in a human world. I suppose the sense of relief comes from realizing that it is okay to feel awkward and foreign in new situations. And even better, that it is completely normal and natural to be seeking help from and giving thanks to something spiritual and soul-like and mystical. Indeed, I was made in the image of my Higher Power.

I am a spiritual being.

By Ileana A.

With the start of the season of Advent, Christmas is in the air here at The Family Foundation School. The families have been decorated and there is talk about the upcoming shopping trip. This week’s nondenominational chapel service focused on just that. According to statistics, America spends an average of $450 billion on Christmas gifts each year. If you were to ask a child what Christmas was about, they would most likely respond with “presents!”

However, Advent is about waiting for Jesus and preparing for the celebration of his birth. Having Christmas spirit is really about giving, not about receiving useless presents that are quickly forgotten after being used two or three times. And it’s not about giving those useless presents either. It is about giving of yourself, your time, and your love. Jesus would have us do as he did, and spend time helping people in need.

During the chapel service, we watched a short clip from www.adventconspiracy.org that really hit the nail on the head. This year, I plan to spend as much time possible helping people here at the school. Presents are nice, but rarely do I remember who gave me what. However, I’ll always remember the people who have been there for me.