The hurting and broken are all around us. Through youth ministry for the last 25+ years I’ve witnessed the damaging consequences of a broken family and children growing up without the love of a father or mother, or in some cases both. My heart goes out to single moms who are valiantly raising their children, but the father is absent. This also makes me realize how important it is for families to stay together. We as the body of Christ are the answer, but do we see it?
One of the richest Bible studies I’ve done is going through the life of David. In thinking about these things the Lord brought to mind a small but significant story from David’s life. You can find it recorded in 2 Samuel 9. This is a time in David’s life when God has fulfilled so many of his promises to him. The kingdom is secure and Israel is thriving with their enemies having been subdued. David has time to reflect and he remembers the promise he made to his great friend, Jonathan, Saul’s son. In their love and friendship to one another he had vowed to show loving kindness to his family when David became king. Here we get a great glimpse of David’s godly heart; it was natural when a new king took over to kill any heirs to the throne of the previous king, but not so with David. As he now reflects he asks this question, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” |
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I’ve fallen in love with the sport of pickleball over the past few years. Wendy and I have enjoyed playing here locally and in some tournaments around the southeast. We’ve made some great friends through the sport. Through the encouragement of some of those friends and their help we now are uniting our passion for pickleball with our passion for The Joy House ministry. We’re having our 1st annual “Jammin for Joy” pickleball tournament. This will be held on Saturday August 14th at The Courts @ Bent Tree.
For this first year we’re simply going to do a one day event with mixed doubles play. We’ll have 3.0 level play in the morning and 3.5+ level play in the afternoon. We’re going to have door prizes, shirts, bags and a raffle for all our teams/players to participate in. We’ll have a fun event while raising money to make a difference in the lives of those we serve through The Joy House.
How can you help? We need teams/players. Here is the link for registration with details. Please share this page with all those you know who play pickleball. We need eight Court Sponsors. This is a great way to promote your company and make a difference at The Joy House. You can get the Court Sponsorship info here. We hope many of our pickleball friends will consider joining us for this fun filled day to make a difference in the lives of those we serve. |
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Through the years we have been blessed with some amazing tutors at The Joy House Academy. The Joy House Academy is accredited by the Georgia Accrediting Commission. Our students work on a self-paced curriculum receiving lots of one on one help from both teachers and our qualified volunteer tutors. These tutors come in with skills and expertise in areas that greatly uplift and encourage our students in their academic career.
The tutors we have now are amazing and have been with us from six months to fifteen years. Nancy LaChance who teaches English says "I so look forward to each week’s sessions. I love the look of growing understanding and confidence that often occurs when we work through concepts. And then when they pass their tests! It is a gift to be able to serve and “love on” these kids. You get it back in spades. They are so smart. I do not think I expected that, but I am constantly amazed by how they pick things up. They just absorb concepts like sponges — even some hard ones. And they are so forgiving when I don’t know exactly how to answer the problem and have to review and learn along with them."
We are so blessed that these tutors partner with us and invest their time and knowledge into our students. Lex Barker one of our Math Tutors says "Regarding academics, I find it rewarding to identify and share with students their strengths and capabilities so as to encourage them to persevere in their studies. I also like to help students with the why's involved in mathematics and not just the how to's. As I see it, tutoring is a one-on-one teaching/instruction session. Regarding my interactions on a personal level, I truly enjoy hearing about students' future plans and to motivate/cheer them on to follow through. Having taught in public schools I have to say, by and large, I am surprised by students' cooperativeness and desire to learn the subject matter. It's so nice to feel the students' respect and receive their gratitude. Kudos for this dynamic rightly belong to the school's staff. Another thing that (kind of) surprises me is how most students rise above the circumstances that brought them to the Joy House and don't succumb to self pity, despite the heart wrenching situations many of them face. I often wonder how I'd react under similar conditions."
We want to recognize what a wonderful job these tutors are doing and thank them for their time and adroitness when working with our students.Jim Farinholt another one of our Math tutors says that the most rewarding part of tutoring at The Joy House Academy is"Seeing the satisfaction that the students get when they have conquered a difficult concept." If you would like to partner with us in helping students conquer difficult concepts please call 706-253-7569. |
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