Hope is....no strings attached.

Sometimes unpleasant things sneak into my heart and take up residence without me knowing.

I don't know why I'm surprised when I turn the corner and find them there but I am. They are kinda like cockroaches. You don't always see them but if you live in the south you know they aren't ever that far away. You turn on the light in the middle of the night or you open the garage door and suddenly one is scurrying past your foot.

It's always gross and if it happens in front of a guest it is always embarrassing.

Recently I was startled to discover an attitude of pride and expectation had moved in temporarily. Not cool temporary visitors like backpackers in a European hostile. More like cockroaches that need to be stepped on before they breed.

It was bound to happen. By nature what we do in our ministry is complicated. Tangled. Messy. When you spend your days in urban ministry you find yourself in a position to 'do for' people which can be a dangerous place to be.

Dangerous because you can slip into a role of a provider instead of a facilitator. Shift from being a fellow traveler to a tour guide. When that happens it's a short trip to pride and unwarranted expectation. False ownership.

False ownership? I liken it to the opposite of entitlement (when the other person feels they have a right to my help). Or perhaps a near cousin. It's when I believe I have rights and control over what belongs to someone else. It happens when I have helped a person out and they don't do what I think they should with that help. At that moment a pseudo-righteous indignation rises up in me and says, 'Hey! I did that for you and now you aren't holding up your end of the bargain! You're supposed to make better choices  because I did this for you.'

Perhaps that sounds reasonable to you and it is definitely a natural feeling. But at the heart of it resides a lie. The lie says 'I did this for you.' That's where I mess up and it's also when I leave the door open for those disgusting cockroaches to sneak in to my heart.

Jesus said when you do this for the least of these you do it for me. When I make the mistake of 'doing for' someone instead of serving Jesus first then I'm already going down the wrong path. 

I don't help people because they need help.
I don't help people because I can fix them.
I don't help people because I have something they need.

No. What I do is I love Jesus.

I love Jesus when I feed someone.
I love Jesus when I clothe someone.
I love Jesus when I give someone a ride to a job interview.
I love Jesus when I share a meal with someone no one wants to eat with.
I love Jesus when I listen to someone no one wants to listen to.
I love Jesus when I teach someone to read or help someone with their homework.

I love Jesus. Period.

What happens after that is between Jesus and whomever I have loved in His name.

I don't own that. He does.
 

I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.’

^37-40 “Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’

Matthew 25:36-40




Brian and Heather Flood are full time missionaries in downtown Savannah. They are the founders and directors of Hope Academy in Savannah, GA. Hope exists to partner with adults in their adult education needs and to help them discover and achieve their life purpose.To learn more about Hope Academy or how you can impact downtown Savannah one life at a time contact Brian Flood at bflood56@outlook.com.

Visit them on Facebook or at www.hopeacademysavannah.com or to donate and Share Hope with a Student go to their Go Fund Me page, www.gofundme.com/hopeacademysav .

 

•  

One Bite at a Time: 3 Tips for Preparing your Teen for College

A Monday night in our house: The rants. The tears. The fist shaking defiantly at the heavens.

And that's just me! Oh friend, hear me. Oh fellow parent on the road to releasing independent young adults (who will only return to visit), learn from me and what I could have done sooner if only I had listened to my own advice to other parents and students.

If you want to avoid the meltdowns that can come with getting your child accustomed  to the expectations of college professors than heed my call!

In this brave new world of increased access to dual enrollment more and more high schoolers are starting college early while still in high school. This can be a great opportunity but it's important to remember that they are taking bonafide college classes that count towards their permanent college transcript. Dual enrolling can help students transition to college life but it can be a very bumpy road if students are not prepared with some basic organizational life skills.

Here are my 3 Tips born out of the blood, sweat and tears of my own parenting experience and from teaching my students at EAL.

1) Check Emails Daily!
237% of all college work is online (slight exaggeration). Get your teen an email account and have them get in this daily habit.

If they don't have reason to check their email yet then sign them up for an e-newsletter they can read every day such as a devotional or news alert (tip: if they don't already read the news then this is a good way to introduce them to it, turn it into an assignment if you must).  Or send them a daily chore/task reminder for home responsibilities.

College professors communicate almost entirely online. Same for college administrators. Homework assignments are posted on line and the students submit them online. Assigned reading and discussion groups are also online.

This is true of bosses and co-workers in the work place so learn how to do it now!

Paper is an endangered species! Rare is the professor who provides a comprehensive syllabus in paper form that details ALL of the assignments. Don't be that kid who didn't check their email after a Thursday class until Monday night and discovered they had assignments due the previous Friday that weren't mentioned in class or on the paper syllabus. (Insert rants and raised fists here.)

2) Get A Planner....for your student- not you.
Teach your teen how to plan their time and organize all of their responsibilities with a planner (a week at a glance may be best but pick one that has room to write in).

http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com
/736x/d3/d6/bf/d3d6bf80e316881980bb980ba8c5c79b.jpg

College life is not predictable nor is it routine. Not like an 8-3, Monday- Friday class schedule. It can feel like that whip it carnival ride that flings your car in and out with no apparent rhyme or reason.

Help your child realize they need to budget their time and include time for travel, eating, rest, play, part time jobs, special interests (music, sports, etc.) in addition to class time and homework time.

• List all of their fixed personal responsibilities first (i.e. classes, practices, job, etc.) on the calendar. Include travel time.
• List fixed family and personal commitments (i.e. small group, church, dinners, etc.)
• List times of rest.
• Look at the available time left over and highlight it so they can see where they can do school work. Remind them they can fit some types of assignments into small windows of available time if they are intentional (i.e. waiting between class/practice, in the car if being driven, etc.)
• Evaluate if anything needs to scrapped or adjusted.

This way when they check their emails daily they know WHEN they can finish that assignment they didn't expect because they have a full handle on how their time is spent.

They may prefer a calendar app eventually but it will probably work better to start them with a hard copy to master these skills first.

Tip: Our family is all connected to the same electronic calendar (we use Outlook) and all of our phones and emails accounts receive alerts about appointments, prayer requests or anything we all need to know about.
 
3) Teach them how to be their own advocate.
In college (and dual enrollment) you are not going to be there for them to plead their case to a professor or administrator when they get sick, have a computer crisis that prevents them from doing work or a learning disability that needs an accommodation.

Encourage them now to talk to and email their high school teachers, coaches, mentors or other adults who have authority in their life.

Put the responsibility for getting their work done, organizing their day, solving scheduling or assignment conflicts on them.

http://www.wordsonimages.com/pics/185853-W
inston+churchill%2C+quotes%2C+say.jpg

Guide them with suggestions for how to think through and solve every day problems of life. Share with them how you work through logistical conflicts so they know how to do it themselves.

If they have learning disabilities be sure to help them learn how to navigate the special needs department at their college and how to talk about what they need.

Preparing ourselves to be parents of young adults is as hard as it is to prepare our teens to be independent, responsible adults but you can do it!


Heather Flood has been homeschooling her 3 minions since 2003. She writes curriculum for Jill Dixon's Eclectic Academy of Learning and is the director/history teacher of the satellite campus in Rincon, GA. She has been teaching other peoples children since 2004. When not hanging out with kids and teenagers she can be found with her husband assisting adults pursuing hope for their future at their non-profit ministry Hope Academy of Savannah. And drinking coffee...lots and lots of coffee.

Joy Board...

 
 
Our friend Matthew Rogie suggested we have a Joy Board for students and volunteers to post what gave them Joy today or what they are Grateful for. When the board is full I will relocate all the post its to a poster board and hang them on the wall so when things get tough they can look at all they have accomplished. So they can remember why they shouldn't give up. Why they are on this journey.

What gave me JOY today?
Team teaching our first students with the lovely (and brave) Cheryl Lauer at Hope Academy and meeting a brand new homework coach introduced by the faithful and sure Jake Zauche . Sadly I forgot to take a picture of our class because I was too busy having fun doing what I love (so...not really sad). ‪#‎hope‬ is ‪#‎hopeacademy‬ ‪#‎loveis‬ ‪#‎youknowyouareateacherwhen‬ ‪#‎youwillteachwhatyouaregiven‬
May 29, 2015











Joy is contagious.... yesterday's Joy Board asked "what makes you joyful?" Students at Hope Academy answered "getting another chance to redeem myself", "being back in school", "looking forward to a bright future." June 3, 2015











Hope is...a second chance. #joyboard #joyis #hopeis #loveis #choosecompassion #hopeacademy — with Brian Flood at Hope Academy. June 10, 2015











 Brian and Heather Flood are full time missionaries in downtown Savannah. They are the founders and directors of Hope Academy in Savannah, GA. Hope exists to partner with adults in their adult education needs and to help them discover and achieve their life purpose.
To learn more about Hope Academy or how you can impact downtown Savannah one life at a time contact Brian Flood at bflood56@outlook.com.

Visit their Facebook page or to donate and Share Hope with a Student go to their Go Fund Me page, www.gofundme.com/hopeacademysav .

Love is listening and laughing....

Hanging out with our homeless student who was difficult to understand a month ago but after a month of visiting and having conversations he is speaking more clearly and has a lot to say about life. He is teaching us from scripture right now. Reminds me of all those stories of Jesus "just" spending time with people. Love is listening and laughing with people.

Originally published on Facebook June 3, 2015
(These mini blog posts are my attempt to chronicle our journey.)


Brian and Heather Flood are full time missionaries in downtown Savannah. They are the founders and directors of Hope Academy in Savannah, GA. Hope exists to partner with adults in their adult education needs and to help them discover and achieve their life purpose.To learn more about Hope Academy or how you can impact downtown Savannah one life at a time contact Brian Flood at bflood56@outlook.com.

Visit their Facebook page or to donate and Share Hope with a Student go to their Go Fund Me page, www.gofundme.com/hopeacademysav .

Hope is a second chance

Hope is....witnessing someone face obstacles, that keep most in similar circumstances trapped, continue to take steps towards a transformed life.

Today our homeless student met us at church and worshipped with us. Afterwards he went forward to receive prayer and to become a member because he wants to be plugged into the Body of Christ and serve others.

He has been applying for jobs all over downtown (and getting to them with the bike donated for him- please thank your friend LeAnn and tell her it's being used well).

We see a lot of different types of people at Hope Academy and one of the qualities we observe that increases the chance of escaping poverty is showing up. Our friend shows up to every appointment we make, every class, every coaching session, and every interview. As one coach commented he has the 'want to'. 

 We have also observed the importance of the well placed 'break' or second chance that results in opportunities like a job that lead to a transformed life.

Please pray for him to continue to be filled with courage, boldness and faith to persevere every day. He has experienced many blessings the last couple of weeks including from the hands of my Facebook friends and family. Thanks for sharing hope with us! ‪#‎hopeis‬

Originally published on Facebook on June 7, 2015



Brian and Heather Flood are full time missionaries in downtown Savannah. They are the founders and directors of Hope Academy in Savannah, GA. Hope exists to partner with adults in their adult education needs and to help them discover and achieve their life purpose.To learn more about Hope Academy or how you can impact downtown Savannah one life at a time contact Brian Flood at bflood56@outlook.com.

Visit their Facebook page or to donate and Share Hope with a Student go to their Go Fund Me page, www.gofundme.com/hopeacademysav .

Hope is never too late

We've been working. A lot. Usually 6 days a week.

So when Brian said he was going to a work day at the Whitefield Center** this past Saturday I was reluctant about him going. I thought he should rest but we agreed it was important to go.

While there Brian met a retired man named Max* who lives in a nearby senior assisted living community served by the Whitefield Center. Max used to be a construction worker but now is unable to do the fine motor skills work due to arthritis. He shared with Brian how he dropped out of high school at 16 to provide for his family and how he wished he could earn his GED.

As the day progressed he opened up to Brian about the biggest challenge he faces. Max can't read. He watches the joy his wife receives when she reads books but he can't experience it himself. This proud man opened up to Brian and became visibly moved as he humbled himself and shared his struggle. Brian encouraged him and said we could find him a coach who could teach him to read.

Max's eyes filled with tears and asked why. Brian shared simply, God loves us. We love God and because of that we share His love with others. He told Max there would be a day when Mack would be encouraging the younger students at Hope to not give up on pursuing their purpose.

Please pray for Max as he starts his journey, for a volunteer reading coach to come forward and for Max to find his God given purpose.

Originally published on Facebook June 17th, 2015.


Brian and Heather Flood are full time missionaries in downtown Savannah. They are the founders and directors of Hope Academy in Savannah, GA. Hope exists to partner with adults in their adult education needs and to help them discover and achieve their life purpose.
To learn more about Hope Academy or how you can impact downtown Savannah one life at a time contact Brian Flood at bflood56@outlook.com.

Visit their Facebook page or to donate and Share Hope with a Student go to their Go Fund Me page, www.gofundme.com/hopeacademysav .

*name changed
**The Whitefield Foundation and Center hosts Hope Academy
‪#‎hopeis‬ ‪#‎loveis‬ ‪#‎showingup‬ ‪#‎choosecompassion‬ ‪#‎hopeacademy‬ ‪#‎nevertoolate‬

Hope deferred...

Last time I talked about the two qualities imperative to conquering the mountains in front of us and two women who have both the 'want to' and the 'show up'.

But what happens when one of those is missing?

Today we had 5 no shows; people who had appointments to see how we might help them on their journey as well as students who didn't come to class.

We've learned that is to be expected and aren't generally discouraged when potential students don't make their appointments. Showing up to that first interview is a litmus test of sorts. It indicates someone wants it enough to deal with inconvenience, discomfort or difficulty. If they show up we have hope they will go the distance.

But what happens when someone has a deep 'want to' but can't manage the 'show up'?

What if you have big dreams but your one chance to earn some money keeps you from going to GED classes or getting help from your homework coach?

What if you have the potential to not just get your GED but be the first one in your family to go to college yet your family can't or won't support your efforts?

What if you are surrounded by people who believe in you, cheer you on but your kid gets sick or you're too exhausted from working the minimum wage job that barely pays your rent to make it to class?

How do you not get discouraged? How do you not give up?

I found myself trying to give a deeply motivated student encouragement to not give up. I told her we're here for her and, "I know this is a tough balancing act but I believe in you and your potential to achieve your goals."

Photo by Rebecca Flood 2015

Determined she said, "I want to accomplish this dream."

"I know you can, don't get discouraged," I coached hoping my words helped.

So how do you do it? When it feels like the world is against you at every turn? How do you keep your 'want to' when you can't show up? How do you not lose to discouragement?

She told me how, "I won't when I have God."

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life. Psalm 13:12

Brian and Heather Flood are full time missionaries in downtown Savannah. They are the founders and directors of Hope Academy in Savannah, GA. Hope exists to partner with adults in their adult education needs and to help them discover and achieve their life purpose.

To learn more about Hope Academy or how you can impact downtown Savannah one life at a time contact Brian Flood at bflood56@outlook.com.

Visit their Facebook page or to donate and Share Hope with a Student go to their Go Fund Me page, www.gofundme.com/hopeacademysav .