I Cried Today

My first meeting this morning was at 8am at the Holy Cross Youth Center. As I arrived outside the Youth Center, I received a text message regarding Hebrews 2:18. That has nothing to do with this story but it may have meaning for you today. (Hint, hint. Go, look it up.) I was meeting a gentleman with whom I had connected via Facebook. I had posted a message on the Diocese of Buffalo Office of Pro-Life Activities at:  https://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_143337903771 He contacted me and we agreed to meet.  We had a good meeting and discussed how we might work together in being proactive to save more lives. I took him over to see our gym and after we left, I discovered that my keys were locked inside.

After my new friend left, I walked down to the Holy Cross Church Office to borrow a set of keys to unlock the gym. The only reason I went to the office is because I locked my keys in the gym. While I was there, I checked my mail and found 2 letters. The young man who works (very hard) at Holy Cross walked over and let me in to retrieve my keys. I then went to my van and opened the mail, and I cried.

The one letter was from our food program administrators, nothing earth shattering there. The other letter was spiritually volcanic.The letter contained a check as a donation and some tops Gift Cards. Those items are needed and appreciated as our funding is at an all time low. The letter was nice but it was the final sentence that made me cry: "Let the children know that they are valued and cared about."

 
Those words are huge and cause a spiritual shift in the heavenly realms. Why? Because many of the young people around us do not feel valued and cared about. Most of them live in "Fatherless Homes." They walk around Buffalo and see street corner cameras, courthouses, office buildings, lights on the Peace Bridge and yet,  their classrooms are lacking adequate textbooks. Classrooms are crowded. Employment is scarce. The government spends millions on intervention while a fraction is pent on prevention. That translates into a message that says to young people: "We don't value you."

I left Holy Cross with tears in my eyes and headed down Hudson Street just across Niagara. I saw a church van from Kentucky that said: "Hill and Dale Church." I drove past thinking I should stop and welcome them to Buffalo but I was teary eyed. I drove up a few blocks and felt the Holy Spirit nudging me to go back so I circled around the block and parked behind their van. A man was talking to a group of young people in a community garden across the street. I walked up and the man recognized me from a previous meeting we had at Elmwood Taco Shop. I addressed the group, told them about the letter and why I had tears in my eyes. I also gave them a little history of YWAP in Buffalo and thanked them for giving value to other people. I assured them that their actions had spiritual implications.

 When I first met Sean, I was at ETS to meet with Gary Fallesen and Jordan Rowley from http://www.climbingforchrist.org/  After we ordered our food and sat down, we prayed before we ate. Sean (a complete stranger to us) walked up and said that he noticed us praying and asked if he could sit down and eat with us. He was welcomed warmly and we had some good conversations.

That's the last time I saw Sean until this morning. He is a great human being doing great things for the Kingdom of God. We exchanged phone numbers and I just believe that we will cultivate these Holy Spirit coincidences.

This is a great time to be spiritually awake in Buffalo. The Holy Spirit is connecting lives in very cool ways. It's time to take notice regarding coincidental happenings and cultivate them. The lady who saw my remarks in a Buffalo News Article called me and then sent a donation with a letter that made me cry. A man saw my posting on a Facebook page and sent me a message and then we met. A man saw me praying with other men and asked to join us. I saw a van from Kentucky and stopped to welcome them and met a man who I had previously prayed with.  Pick up your staff and part the Red Sea over Buffalo, it's time!

Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody.

"Find new ways, 

  in as many ways, 

    in more excellent ways, 

      on all of your days, 

        to show love." 

Bob Kuebler
YWAP Director

Youth With A Purpose

In School & After School
In The Mountains & In The Hood

157 Locust Street

Buffalo, New York 14204

716-830-8240

"All Children Are Gifted" 

http://www.facebook.com/bob.kuebler

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Youth-With-A-Purpose-Inc/111808805513470

http://thebrightspotreport.blogspot.com/
If you are looking for a speaker for parents or youth or both, please call us.  

The Bright Spot Report: Ladies Leadership Camp 2011

The Bright Spot Report: Ladies Leadership Camp 2011: "YWAP Smiles, lot's of them! Each YWAP Leadership camp gets better than the previous camp. It always happens without fail. That's the vie..."

Ladies Leadership Camp 2011

YWAP Smiles, lot's of them!

Each YWAP Leadership camp gets better than the previous camp. It always happens without fail. That's the view that you see when the camp is over and all of the youth have returned home. It is not because the young people are any better than any of the other young people that have come to a YWAP Camp. I think the camps get better because the YWAP Leadership Team of Mentors learns from the young people.

There used to be an old hamburger commercial that asked the question: "Where's the beef?" We never ask that question at camp because there is almost always a 'beef' of some kind amongst the campers. There may be a pre-existing feud caused by "boy friend stealing" or gossip. Sometimes it's gang related. There is always a point at Camp where you feel like this particular camp has more beefs than all of the other camps combined. That perception comes from precedent setting behaviors in previous camps. We always have beefs, so I don't lose sleep over people arguing. I have adopted this philosophy from my Mother: "This too shall pass." They will get over their beef with the help of a Certified Mentor.

Peace on top of Mouw Mountain

 Our job as Mentors is to gently nudge our campers in the direction of becoming compassionate beef-breakers. Conflict resolution at it's best includes empowering the beef holders to solve their own beef. At YWAP, we believe strongly in Pre-Conflict Resolution. I will write much more about that concept in our teaching series but for now it simply means: "Act in a manner that is conducive to fostering mutual respect." If you are trying your best to respect somebody, you will find that many beefs are not worth having. Respecting others means "cutting some slack for their behaviors." No, I'm not talking about complacency and lack of accountability. I'm simply saying: "Don't hit somebody over the head with a silver hammer just because they are in a bad mood."

No, this is not a beef. This is a good old fashioned YWAP Dunk!

I still smile when I recall what happened at about 3am on Sunday morning, June 19, 2011. I was sleeping (or trying to.)  I heard people going up and down the stairs and it sounded like a stampede. When we camp on Mouw Mountain, I sleep in a utility room outside the main entrance of the cabin. I'm kind of like a posted guard outside. I got up thinking that with all of the loud noise that there might be more trouble. I opened the door and found everybody sitting at the kitchen table talking. One of our YWAP Staff Mentors, Silvia was among them and it was peaceful so I went back to my utility room and went to sleep. The next morning, when she finally woke up, I asked Silvia what had happened to create such pleasant conversation? She said they decided to go around the room and tell each other two things; 1. What they liked about each other. 2. What they didn't like about each other.
It seemed like they decided to solve their own beef by being brutally honest with each other. This was Power Moment Mentoring at its best. Sometimes we want to jump in and spew all of our experienced gained wisdom into a situation that only needs people to listen. Silvia, a YWAP Mentor did a great job of listening and facilitating some Power Moment Mentoring.

Silvia said that they didn't go to sleep until the sun came up. I sat outside as they slept. The previous nights campfire still contained enough embers to burn again. I witnessed a beautiful sunrise thanking God for another beautiful YWAP Camp on Mouw Mountain.

Another Bright Spot at our Ladies Leadership Camp was the addition of our newest Relationship Mentor: Jessie Przybysz. She was spectacular and made this camp better because of her presence. She guided the girls up and down the wooded hills and valleys and into the creek beds. She was a great encourager and motivator. The girls had a blast becoming beneficiaries of Jessies's makeup party. Thank you Silvia and Jessie, YWAP would not have been able to have this camp without you. To our other YWAP Mentors Mama and Aitina, we missed you and we can't wait to have you back at our next YWAP event.

This is Jessie leading the way on a YWAP Walk.

If you would like to see the pictures of the 2011 YWAP Ladies Leadership Camp with Buffalo Public School #3, please go to the following link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.234323929928623.69044.111808805513470

For an excellent article and video about YWAP in the Buffalo News, please follow this link:       http://www.buffalonews.com/city/article467690.ece

*Note: The exercise used at camp at 3am will become part of the YWAP Relationship Mentoring Curriculum.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. Go do something nice for somebody.

"Find new ways, 

  in as many ways, 

    in more excellent ways, 

      on all of your days, 

        to show love." 

Bob Kuebler
YWAP Director

Youth With A Purpose

In School & After School
In The Mountains & In The Hood

157 Locust Street

Buffalo, New York 14204

716-830-8240

"All Children Are Gifted" 

http://www.facebook.com/bob.kuebler

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Youth-With-A-Purpose-Inc/111808805513470

http://thebrightspotreport.blogspot.com/
If you are looking for a speaker for parents or youth or both, please call us.  

Devil Celebrates Delayed Rapture

          The Rapture did not happen and I think the devil celebrated on Memorial Day Weekend 2011. At least he did on the West Side of Buffalo, New York. Outbreaks of gang violence left several men dead. Another gang attack left an innocent girl in jail for two days and homeless men battled over their homeless territory under a bridge.


          You might be wondering how the devil could slither his way into a Bright Spot Report. Well, his darkness has a way of bringing out brightness in good people. Even if you don't believe in God, I'm sure everybody believes in good versus evil. This was a weekend filled with evil and yet evil did not win in the end. I've already written how there is a Bright Spot in a murder. That was one of the hardest stories that I have ever written. You can read it at:
 (http://thebrightspotreport.blogspot.com/2011/06/can-murder-be-bright-spot_03.html) I will write about the innocent girl in jail after her court case has been completed. This story is about homeless men fighting on the street below their viaduct homes.


          Saturday was a very harrowing day as we dealt with the murder of the father of one of our YWAP Staff members.  On Sunday we went to court and found out we would have to post bail for the innocent girl. We did not have bail so we found a Bondsman who gave us the full afternoon to raise the needed capital for his fee.The whole weekend I cried a lot as each murder of someone close to you hurts worse than the previous death. We have dealt with many killings in the last ten years here in Buffalo. On Monday, I wanted to take a few hours to recharge before I went back to assist the family of the innocent man who died. I went for a run. Before I had covered one mile, I saw three men wearing only shorts (they were shoe-less and shirtless) yelling at each other. They were standing underneath a viaduct with broken beer bottles littering the sidewalk. They were at the end of a bottle throwing battle and now continued with a verbal assault. They were all very drunk.


          Two of the homeless men lived on one side of the street. The other homeless man lived diagonally in a separate viaduct across the street. It was not a beautiful day in the neighborhood. The two men went back to their side as I approached. I asked the first man what the problem was as the other men continued to scream that I should call the Police regarding their neighbor. One of the men then came toward us and the man I was talking to ran into the street narrowly missing oncoming traffic. Realizing that he could get hurt or cause an accident, I called the Police. A Patrol car arrived and I think I detected a slight smile as the Officer got out of his car and walked toward us. He said that they were getting way too many calls and if this behavior continued he would have to evict them. I think it was a regular routine for him, he smiled and left. I stayed to talk to the men.


          The single man told me that his neighbors had stolen seven dollars from his pocket as he slept. I then told him that God had a plan for his life but he would never use the gift that God had given him if he continued to live the way he was living. We prayed as he grabbed my hand and squeezed it until I hurt. He then turned around and headed up to his living quarters under the bridge. He was crying and looked almost like a sad puppy dog after being scolded, his self esteem was gone. I hurt for him.


          I walked down to where the other men were. The shorter of the two kept saying: "God bless you." He also told me several times that he had a Bible up in his "home." He said he had lived there for five years. He tried to keep his friend away from me. I think he was comfortable in his captivity in a bottle of alcohol. His friend walked up and glared at me. I launched into the same speech that I had given the first man. I told him that God had a plan for his life. His gaze began to soften as the Holy Spirit worked on him. I declared: "demon alcohol be gone in Jesus Name." I said it several times as his friend tried to divert his attention. I spoke to his heart and told him that he was healed in Jesus Name. He finally and tearfully walked away and headed up to his "home."


          You might think I'm a fruitcake after reading that story. I'm okay with that. The truth is, I cared for those men and I could feel their pain and embarrassment. Imagine what it would be like if you sank that low. Even if you said to yourself: "Today I'm going to get up and look for a job" who would hire you? Dirty, smelly, unshaven, unkempt, fearful, ashamed and beaten, how do you even begin unless somebody pours love on you. There is a Bright Spot here because I will continue to pray and I believe you will pray also. Here's a quote taken from The Message: "Take this most seriously: A yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is no in heaven. What you say to one another is eternal. I mean this. When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I'll be there." Matthew 18:18-20 


Dear God, I ask that those homeless men find a home in You. Amen


Bob Kuebler
6-4-11
10:24 PM

Can A Murder Be A Bright Spot?

I know in my heart that "all things can work together for good."{1} I know in my heart that the murder of a good Dad can become a Bright Spot. I know in my heart that "the tongue is the pen of a ready writer." I am not at this moment a "ready writer."{2} If I were a ready writer, the words would flow from my soul into the heart of a ready reader. I don't believe anybody is ready for murder.

I sit here struggling for words. Although I struggle for words, the tears seem to flow without effort. I cannot get used to being around senseless killings. The killings are senseless yet seem to inflict pain on all of my senses. Each murder seems to be like a saltshaker pouring out on a raw wound in my heart. I do realize that my heart is a muscle and it can grow through the breaking process. The physiological process of building muscle includes breaking down the muscle, rest and nourishment. Well, a murder breaks your heart, that's for sure. Rest comes in the form of nourishment through Love. That is my starting point in my attempt to find a Bright Spot in a murder. Bright Spots can grow in dark places.

These were my opening comments in several Buffalo Schools during our Relationship Mentoring classes last week: "Last weekend, Memorial Day Weekend 2011, was one of the worst weekends of my life. I am a lot older than you guys and that means I've lived through many weekends in my life." I proceeded to tell my young audiences about the murder of a man who was an innocent victim. He was a good father, a good husband, a good friend, a good neighbor and a good employee. He was the Dad of a girl who is a leader at Youth With A Purpose. She works in our kitchen and always spoken with love about her Dad. Just one week ago, this young lady and two friends saved a life. A young woman came into our Youth Center at Holy Cross very distraught. She said that she had overdosed on drugs and wanted to die. We talked for a short time until she heard a siren and then ran out into a driving downpour. The three girls ran after her and stopped her just before she was going to run in front of a car on Niagara Street. They brought her back to the Youth Center and we eventually got her to the hospital. The murdered man's daughter was part of a group that saved a life. In the battle of good versus evil, leadership is always attacked by evil. There is a spiritual imbalance in Buffalo, New York right now. The "good" need to get busy.

When I asked this young leader to be a mentor for a Leadership Camp with a Buffalo School, she said I had to meet with her Dad. I met with her Dad and he had many questions regarding our program and his daughter. He wanted to know the exact details of where, when, who, why and how about everything. That is the mark of a good Dad; he cared and put his love into action. That's how I remember him. There is one thing I forgot to mention; he was also a good Grandfather, he was shot fixing his Granddaughters little pink bike. He was murdered in the midst of showing love. That part of his murder is a Bright Spot, he died showing love through servant hood. I will continue speaking his legacy to keep him alive through my words.

After 5 classes in Buffalo School #6 and speaking to over 100 students, the impact of this story was immediate. Students asked about forgiveness and that became our lesson. Forgiveness can be an excruciating process but the fruit is life changing and life saving. Nobody is born a murderer. Nobody jumps out of the womb and says: "I want to kill somebody." Murder is the by product manufactured by a life of pain that has created so much scar tissue over the heart that the light of love no longer penetrates. Unforgiveness can harden your heart. Picture the hardened heart as a "brick heart." The "unbricking" of a hardened heart is a slow, often painful process. One process of making a brick would be heating clay and then dusting the clay with sand. To reverse that process would be removing the sand - one grain of sand at a time. The road to forgiveness travels down paths of patience and perseverance, one grain of sand at a time.

The students at another school listened with a compassionate understanding that birthed deep questions, we explored forgiveness as well as manipulative behavior, gang activity and innocent people who are murdered. One student stayed after the class was over. This student was a relative of another man who was murdered. The student was sad about the relative who died but really wanted to talk about a dead Dad. He's actually still alive but he might as well be dead. He never keeps his word and now this young person wants to cut him out of her life as if he is dead. One girl's Dad was murdered and the other girl’s Dad has killed his relationship with his daughter. Forgiveness can be hard to fathom, dead or alive.

If any one of these several hundred students were able to change lives or save lives, they would create a Bright Spot. One act of forgiveness is a seed that can grow into life giving tree that lasts forever. The story of someone who died innocently after showing love through servant hood can create new life in others. It's been done before: they called him Jesus. Yes, we can find Bright Spots in senseless murders; it is up to us to speak words of new life.

Go do something nice for somebody.
Bob Kuebler

{1} Bible; Romans 8:28
{2}Bible; Psalm 45:6