The Jules Show

Ok, so, the first few days of the quarantine weren't so bad. It was sort of like like snow days, only the snow wasn't white - it was yellow....because it was pollen. But it's like, what...who even remembers...how many days into this new anything-but-normal normal we've got going now? Even people I know who are hermits are starting to get antsy with life in the bubble. We're all starting to feel the many emotions that come from isolation. So that's why I used one of my life lines to phone a friend. On this episode of The Jules Show podcast, Taylor Mason, clinical director and staff therapist with Bethel Haven a non profit Christian counseling service in Athens, GA, shares some tips I personally found very helpful in combatting the isolation brought on by COVID 19.

Taylor helps answer questions you may be feeling, like dealing with a sense of loss or grief, tips on how to stay positive and the good and maybe not so good uses of technology. And of course, she offers us all some hope and encouragement from God's word! All great information to help you find a little joy and some sanity during this time of upheaval! Learn more at www.bethelhaven.net

While the pandemic of COVID 19 may not be the end of the world, it's certainly put everyones normal life on hold for the foreseeable future. For so many of us, a major portion of what makes life "normal" revolves around what activity we're shuttling kids to next. Now that the rug has been pulled out from under us and our kids, we're all starting to get concerned. And the kids most especially. In this episode of my podcast, I had a very helpful discussion with licensed therapist and author Candace Couch about how to help walk our kids through this unprecedented time of insecurity. Candace offers us some practical suggestions on how to talk through what's happening with our children, discussing how they feel, identifying the hidden blessings in the midst of the storm and how to reassure them that, no matter what, God is in control. Talking with Candace gave me some tangible ways to handle things with my kids, and I have no doubt you will gain some great take aways from Candace. If you would like more information or to learn about Candace’s new book, “Choosing to Train: Parenting Through Tough Times With Insight and Simplicity,” reach out to Candace via her website, candacecouchcounseling.com.

One of the most exciting times in a private schools life is when they grow big enough to support a football team. But you seldom hear about a community football league growing to the point of founding a a school. But doing things a little outside the box is often how things roll in a college town, and Athens, GA is no different. In this The Jules Show podcast interview, I had a sit down with Patrick Ennis, head of school at Downtown Academy, and he shares with us how this unique school - which is a spin off of a local church's community outreach football league - is helping to change the trajectory of kids lives who are being underserved by the public school system. Patrick unpacks how they are removing financial barriers to provide a nurturing, Christ-centered K-5 option for families who may not otherwise have access to private school education. I know you'll enjoy hearing about Downtown Academy's beginning, because it's a great God story of how amazing things happen when you're willing to take the one next step!

Visit www.downtownacademy.org

Have you ever been in church when the youth pastor got up and asked for volunteers to help with the youth program? What's the response? Usually ...crickets! You'd think the poor guy asked for help training rattlesnakes!

Working with teens can be tough. The boys are rowdy and have zero attention span. The girls can be moody and self absorbed. And need I mention the endless eye rolls? It's no wonder adults avert their eyes and fidget with the church bulletin when the topic comes up.

Yes, working with teens can be a challenge. But let's face it, they are the future of the church. Actually, it's been said they ARE the church.

So, if you feel ill-equipped about what to do with this fickle age group, my next The Jules Show podcast is just for you. Guests Mike Ricks and Daniel Nesmith, two guys who've worked in student ministry for years, have some insights on how to better understand today's teens and how events like The Mix - an inter-denominational gathering of over 35 church youth groups in Athens, GA - play a huge role in connecting young people to Jesus.

To learn more about The Mix, visit www.themixathens.com

I remember going off to college like it was yesterday. The excitement of leaving behind my South Georgia town for the chance to follow my dreams. Waving goodbye to my parents as they left the dorm parking lot, I thought how wonderful it was to be free to do things my way. It was awesome being on my own!! Until...it wasn’t.

See, there was this night when I was cruising with some friends  around the 10 Loop in Athens and thought it’d be great fun to weave in between the caution barrels the road crew has left out to keep normal drives safe. Needless to say, this did not end well for me. Let’s just say those barrels are HEAVY! So, there I was, Miss Large and In Charge, I’m the Boss Of Me, crying home to Daddy about what to do with my broken car.

My dad is the best and I’m here to tell you I called on him and my mom plenty of times to help me figure out how to get me out of whatever jam I managed to get myself in. I don’t know what I would have done without them.

I came to a whole new level of appreciation for my parents when I found out about a non-profit called Lydia’s Place. Their mission is to come alongside young people who are aging out of foster care and who are seeking post high school education.

Most of these students have had a rough start to life, but they are beating incredible odds against them and are getting into college. Thankfully, if they can actually get into a college or tech school, their tuition, room and board cost are coveted by the state. But if you have ever been off to school, you know there are lost of extra costs. And sometimes- ok, often times - unexpected costs.

Like a parking ticket. Which pretty much everyone who’s ever been to college gets at sine point. For most of us, we call mom and dad, beg them for the extra cash to get us out of the jam so we can register for next semester, we promise it’ll never happen again and easy peassy, we’re back on track.

If only it were that easy for a foster kid. Most of these kids said goodbye to their parents long before they entered college and the idea they could call mom or dad never crosses their mind.  A simple unpaid parking ticket can lead to a cascade effect of problems.

In my podcast interview with April Farlow, she shares the stories of how Lydia’s Place is help these young people thrive. From providing dorm essentials and financial assistance with unexpected bills, to just mentoring with learning how to be an adult, Lydia’s Place is helping “the least of these.” By being the hands and feet of Jesus, the volunteers at Lydia’s Place are showing kids who have come to distrust almost everyone, that there is a God who loves them and who will never leave them.

If you're like me, sometimes you suddenly get a great idea and say "it just hit me!" But the idea didn't REALLY hit me. However, for my friend Alex Abraham, his great idea actually DID, quite literally HIT him!

In my podcast interview with Alex, he and his wife Emilee share the story of how, when Alex was pulling out of a parking space, a kid riding a bike which had faulty brakes ran into Alex's truck. He helped the kid up, fixed his brakes and before he knew it the kid was on his way. But the idea of how Alex could help kids in his community was planted.

Fast forward a few years, and Alex and Emilee are now running a non-profit bike shop in Hogansville, GA called Pedal Forward, a place where local kids come to learn about bike repair and can even earn a new bike by participating in the shop's six week Earn A Bike program.

But the kids are learning so much more than bike repair skills. Most of the kids who come to Pedal Forward are from low income families, many from broken homes. Some really tough family situations. So while the kids are there, they are fed a meal  and hear a lesson about Jesus love for them.

Alex and Emilee are being the hands a feet of Jesus to kids who often times fall through the cracks. So many kids are starved for positive attention, and the all volunteer staff at Pedal Forward are a great example of how just a few people who want to make a difference for the kingdom of God can make a difference when they just step out in faith.

Click here to listen to my podcast interview with Alex and Emilee Abraham

Pedal Forward website: pedalforwardhgvl.org

It's been said mission trips do more for you than you ever do for the people you're supposed to be helping, and Shane Daniel would attest to this fact. When he left out on his very first mission trip, he just thought he was going down to Nicaragua to help on a church build. A one time thing. Little did he know, that trip would change his life forever. Because of a random conversation with some young boys, Shane found out the kids loved baseball - apparently, even more than soccer -  but they couldn't afford the equipment.

Shane made a promise to those boys to come back the next year with everything they needed to have a real team, and he's been going back ever since, hosting baseball camps for teams from all over Nicaragua.

Listen here to my podcast interview with Shane about how Christ Through Baseball is sharing the Gospel and spreading the love of Jesus with baseball. Learn more at www.christthrubaseball.com