Rethinking Music

Music is powerful...isn't it? It has the ability to stir our souls in ways few things can. Like story, music is another language of the heart. It conveys truth in a way that is once beautiful and powerful.

The New York Philharmonic recently had the opportunity to play in Pyongyang, North Korea. The communist North Korea, sometimes referred to as the "Hermit Nation," is one of the most closed societies on our planet. Inside this tiny country, the views toward the West range from suspicion to hostility. The video clip below shows American musicians playing alongside their North Korean counterparts in a wonderful display of harmony and grace.



Truth and beauty, carried along by music, can penetrate even the most closed system. What a powerful metaphor for what can happen in our own lives and hearts when we open up to the beauty that is all around us. Opening up is a risk, but one that can change things in ways you never dreamed possible!

Rethinking L.A.

There are some great things going on in L.A.! If you've never heard of O2MAX Fitness Center, you should really visit their site.

O2 MAX, the club for teens opening this Fall will offer teens a positive place to workout, meet a friend, read a magazine, bring a laptop, I.M., study, download music, get a tutor, or just hang out. In other words, O2 MAX will be a place teens can call their 'home away from home' - only now they can associate the routine habits of their daily lives with a healthy and fit lifestyle. - O2 MAX

Staying healthy and physically fit is a critical part of being fully alive!

Rethinking Awareness III

You will never be able to engage adolescents on more than just a surface level if you don’t spend time getting to know them. Often this starts simply by talking about hobbies, sports, movies, music, or whatever they may find of interest. People, in general, enjoy talking about subjects that interest them. Create opportunities for them to share their pursuits and passions in a way that is nonthreatening. A classroom or group setting may suit some students. There are many that would gladly spend hours discussing their zeal for snowboarding, clothes, or video games. However, there is also a multitude that would be reluctant to speak openly about their interests with other students present.

Pay particular attention to the various reactions when an opportunity to share is presented. If someone is reluctant to share something they enjoy, it could be because they have been ridiculed at some point in the past. They may have already received some heart-wounds and started to absorb some of the lies to which they were subjected. Be aware of your students’ responses to various situations. They can provide a great deal of insight into what the students have struggled through in the past or what they are currently dealing with. Try talking individually with students who are hesitant to open up in a group setting.