Dear All, It has been a great privilege to communicate through Warriors-Sanctuary, but the time has come to go Inactive. My assignment is changing, pulling me away from the group that makes WS possible.... Read more here

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In the 1986 movie, “Hoosiers,” a rural Indiana high school basketball team with new coach Norman Dale improbably finds itself preparing for the state championship in a huge Indianapolis arena. So much larger than anyplace they had played previously, the team starts to shrivel as they feel dwarfed by the huge playing area.
That is, until their coach brilliantly defuses their fear by having the team members hoist a volunteer to carefully measure the distance from the floor to the hoop. Just like back home in Hickory, the measurement is exactly 10 feet. No matter what the fearful surroundings, a true picture of the situation helps conquer fear.
Considering the challenges families face as the school year resumes (earlier wake-ups, unfamiliar surroundings, new friends, etc.), parents who engage their children in the process have a head start. “Fear not” is a phrase used much in the Bible. Helping our kids see that they need not fear school, or school-related issues, takes the sting out of fear.
For young children, sometimes facing the first year of school, this will be a big change. Help them prepare by setting a firm wake up time, perhaps driving by the school, and talking about what it is like to go to school. Details of organizational planning will only help with busy mornings in the home. Parents, you are in the position to help by openly facing your children’s fears.
Home schooling families also face a new schedule and expectations, even without a brick and mortar school building. Home is now a learning area as well as a home. Work with your kids to define school, study, and free times of the day.
Middle School/High School students can be facing their first adult-like challenges of passing from classroom to classroom, managing a locker, and keeping closer track of time (especially with after school activities). Show your kids you care about their lives by asking about these issues and helping them see that the challenge can be met successfully.
I had lots of fears in Junior High and how well I remember both my parents coaching me through encouragement, Scripture, and reframing situations my pre-adolescent mind viewed as overwhelming. As I learned to practice their good advice, school became a great place.
High school to college … what a huge change! This is a major test of adulthood for many Americans as now they can be the ones to decide how late to stay up, what they will and won’t do, and, of course, to bear the consequences of these actions. Parents who keep in touch, without hovering, can be a huge resource as somehow, gradually, college students start to realize Mom and Dad actually understood quite a bit about life!
Whether it’s preparing for a new schedule, new acquaintances, activity try-outs, or going off to a campus away from home, parents can help kids by intentionally engaging their fears.
Like Coach Dale, helping our kids meet and conquer their fears will set them up for greater success, in school and in life!... Read more here

Ready for some good news?
A man from North Korea trained to kill the President of South Korea was changed while in prison, through the caring thoughtfulness of a South Korean military member. Kim, Shin Jo, a former trained assassin, is now a pastor in South Korea.
Check it out for yourself: http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/08/09/south-korean-pastor-is-also-a-trained-killer/?hpt=C2... Read more here

Do you remember where you were on August 2, 1990?
I was in Denver taking some summer courses in marriage and family therapy, a reservist not yet on active duty.... Read more here

When a military member dies, whether from a wound, an illness, or an injury, loved ones are left with all the puzzling feelings that surround death, complicated by the challenges of military life.
An excellent place to find understanding and acceptance is T.A.P.S.–Trajedy Assistance Program for Survivors. These people really care and many of them have lost a loved one with a military affiliation.
Find T.A.P.S. at www.taps.org or call them at 800-959-TAPS.
There is help out there!... Read more here