The Interpreted Rock

By Ryan C. Schultz It was my sophomore year and I was coming off a big decision to attend a new High School. I was feeling pretty content about my decision. I was fulfilling my dream; I made the high school baseball team and was playing my favorite sport. I had worked hard to get where I was and it took a lot of practice and not much else. I stayed busy and that’s how I liked it; a practical use of my time. I never had a down moment where I was bored and didn’t know what to do because I was always playing or practicing baseball, working hard on getting better. It was a lot of fun and I had a lot of good experiences from being on the team. I had made friends with those on my team, but most of them I had been friends with because we played on the same club baseball team for years. Throughout the baseball season I noticed that I was starting to act different from the way I wanted to be acting. I knew that the baseball team was having a bad influence on me, but I didn’t really car...

By Stephen C. Schultz This is a very interesting topic. I'm always amazed at the emotional extremes that people express as the topic of sex is discussed. Some say teenage sexual interests and experimentation are normal, while others decry it as "sin". As a father of four, three daughters and one son, I am very concerned about what they see and are exposed to on the web. There is no question that this life's journey brings with it inappropriate and often hurtful experiences. My responsibility as a parent is to love and care for my children, help them reach their god given potential, and assist them in navigating those rough waters they will inevitably face throughout their lives. This does not mean I don't protect them from experiences or images that may be inappropriate, however, I can not shelter them either. Within my work , I have had the unfortunate experience of assisting parents who have had their teenage sons involved in sexual misconduct of...

By Stephen C. Schultz I turned on the news and heard stories of a recent mall shooting in Oregon, sexual abuse by a government officials intern, companies going bankrupt and families losing their jobs. There are parents splitting up, teens using drugs, and whole communities feeling "entitled" to a certain standard of living. On the surface it seems pretty bleak. Yet, I also experience the “Good Samaritans” who reach out and assist others. I see the food banks that miraculously get enough turkeys at Thanksgiving. I hear of the “Sub for Santa” and “Toys for Tots” campaigns that instill hope for families and protect the innocence and imagination of their children. There is nothing quite like bringing a smile to a child’s face. During this Holiday Season, I would like to share this example of Christmas giving that crossed cultural barriers of language as well as economics to forever change the life of a little boy. I hope you enjoy t...

By Stephen C. Schultz I had the opportunity to spend some time with David Altshuler, M.S.   in Miami Florida this week. He invited Brent Hall, Executive Director at Discovery Academy , and me over for lunch. What a pleasure it was to see David again. Through the course of conversation, the discussion turned to family heritage. We discussed how stories and experiences passed from generation to generation help create a sense of identity and belonging. David shared a story of his grandmother, as a young teen, working outside the home as a secretary for two dollars a day. He related how she took pride in her work and willfully shared her earnings with her family.   I was reminded of how I take great pride in being raised an “Oregonian”, and the fact that my father, grandfather and great-grandfather all had experience working in the woods as loggers. There were stories of logging trucks losing their breaks on rugged switchbacks. I recall hearing about my fath...

By Graham Cook Chief Executive Off The Rails Kids Ltd Northumberland . UK. www.offtherailskids.com Mobile - +44 (0) 7872 665022 The following is a journal of my recent trip to the USA where I visited Wilderness Programmes and other Boarding School / Residential Treatment Centres in Southern Utah.   Saturday 10 th November – depart London Heathrow at lunchtime and arrive in LA late afternoon the same day.....transfer to Las Vegas arriving early evening for an overnight stay at the Luxor on The Strip. Sunday 11 th November – waken to a lovely warm Nevada sunny day, not knowing that my host (Steve Schultz from RedCliff ) had battled through a snow storm the previous afternoon and stayed nearby overnight so as to collect me and then to drive me back north up the I15! We travelled in bright sunshine up to St George where we had an early meal (avoiding the coach loads of New Zealand pensioners at the Marriott) and an early night to catch up on some much needed sleep....