This Saturday we will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Columbine massacre. From this unthinkable tragedy came an organization dedicated to creating safer, better connected schools: Rachel’s Challenge. Named for Rachel Joy Scott, the first child killed that day, Rachel’s story has started over 30 million chain reactions of kindness and compassion worldwide since her untimely death.
Catch my interview with Darrell Scott, Rachel’s father, and learn about this remarkable girl and how her story is saving the lives of our young people and reducing/eliminating bullying. #columbine #bullyingprevention #kindness #compassionsion
Tag Archives: #suicide
Something We Don’t Talk About
In the 25 years since the Columbine massacre, 394 kids have been killed in school shootings. It’s unthinkable that a place where kids should feel safe has been compromised. But there’s something else.
For every one of the 394, 426 kids have taken their own lives over the same period of time. This equals almost 168,000 dead children. Every 50 seconds a child is admitted to the emergency room because of a suicide attempt while every 79 minutes a child is successful. Yet, our focus remains almost exclusively on the school shootings.
Shooting up a school is wrong. I’m not glossing over it. But we aren’t doing enough to address the mental anguish our young people are experiencing.
It’s easy to point out problems but there is hope. Rachel’s Challenge is the best, most effective school program that truly changes the culture of the school. Kids who used to have issues with each other are now high-fiving each other. Rachel’s story has caused a drop in the youth suicide rate of 3%, but the program is only in .77% of schools. Rival gangs have become friends and bullying behavior goes away because of a story, Rachel’s story.
More on this to come. In the interim, please check out Rachel’s Challenge:
Obey, Or Else
Obedience is a scary word for some. It means compliance with an order, request, or law or submission to another’s authority.
Ah, the submission part gets us every time. We are rebellious by nature. Our rebellion began with Adam and Eve, and it has been handed down generationally for thousands of years. Rebellion is in all of us.
God has given us a perfect blueprint for how to live our lives. It’s found in the Bible. Many people want to pick and choose the areas they will obey, yet consider the others outdated and irrelevant for today’s society. There are no outdated or irrelevant parts of the Bible. If God’s Word was true a hundred years ago, it remains true today. He didn’t change.
Are you frustrated with your life? I encourage you to pick up your Bible and look for ways to grow out of the frustration. Get a version that is written in English and provides context. Start with The Book of James. James was the half-brother of Jesus, and he was the “in your face” Apostle. There’s a lot of wisdom in that short chapter. And it might interest you to know that James didn’t believe Jesus was the Messiah during his life. He believed fervently after the resurrection.
Obedience to the only Authority over your life isn’t scary. In fact, it’s freeing…
Knocked Down, But Not Out
Some days life hits you. Hard. Stress is always present in life. I’m talking about those unexpected, unanticipated hits. Consider how life changing the loss of a child is.*
Our resolve is tested to the maximum in those circumstances. The pain is constant, sometimes overwhelming to the point you can barely breathe. You don’t know if you will ever feel normal again.
The pain gets worse before it gets better. But it does get better. Hope remains alive, like a tiny ember of a dying fire.
We don’t know how strong we are until we get leveled by life. If you are going through hell right now, keep going. Rise…
*This post is dedicated to two families I know who lost a child last fall. Their identities will remain anonymous.
Less is More
I like to talk. Anyone who knows me will verify this. I’m a storyteller and I love to make people laugh through my stories. My life is what I call a “walking sitcom!”
There are times when words aren’t necessary. If your friends, family or colleagues are hurting, they need your presence, not your advice. Just showing up speaks louder than words.
Remember this when those moments present themselves. In those times, less is more…
Depression
Depression is real. There are multiple types of depression: clinical, seasonal, post-partum and more. Where someone says they are depressed, please listen to them without judgment.
The hopelessness of depression can lead to all types of irrational behavior. How many times have you heard of or experienced someone who took their own life, yet they had everything? It doesn’t make sense to those of us who aren’t depressed, but it was very real to them.
The holidays can bring on weird moods. Please raise your awareness to what your friends, family and colleagues are saying. They might need a listening ear…
Pain and Void
Late yesterday afternoon I received a call from a good friend of mine. He was calling to let me know that his son had taken his own life a few days prior. I knew his son. In fact, a couple times per year “Mike” and I would catch a movie together. He was the sweetest kid you ever met, and he was only 18 years old.
Youth suicide is the #2 killer of our young people. The stressors kids are dealing with, along with the immeasurable damage caused by shutting down schools has exacerbated this malady.
Mike didn’t leave a note. In his final days he seemed happy. He was in college and had a job he enjoyed. Mike wasn’t a druggie or drinker. This one is a puzzle we may never be able to put together.
My friend and his family will forever wake up missing a valuable piece of their lives. Holidays will be different. Their pain will get better as time goes on, but the void will remain.
Be kind to everyone. We don’t know what lies beneath the surface…
Our Post-Pandemic World
In the past several months, I have heard from so many people who are struggling with anxiety, depression and feelings they haven’t felt before. The common theme with each of them has been, “I don’t understand why I feel this way. I’ve never been like this before.”
God prompted me to remind them of what we have dealt with since 2020. Isolation has shredded mental health and created new, unhealthy neural pathways. We are hardwired to be in relationship with each other. This goes beyond loneliness. We are experiencing a mental health crisis that’s worse than the pandemic. More people than ever are feeling hopeless and taking their own lives.
If you are reading this and are experiencing similar feelings, please reach out to someone. Your life is precious and has purpose. None of that has changed because of a virus.
The Suicide Prevention Hotline is 988. It’s confidential, free, and it might be the lifeline you need…
Legacy
On the morning of April 20, 1999 two dark and disturbed young men ended the lives of 12 students and one teacher. The Columbine High School massacre will be etched in our minds and hearts forever.
Rachel Joy Scott was the first child killed that day. Rachel was a unique girl. She didn’t care about popularity, and reached out to other students: kids who were new, kids getting picked on and special needs students. Her ongoing life and legacy is shown through Rachel’s Challenge, the largest, most impactful in-school program in the world which creates safer, more connected schools.
Rest In Peace, Rachel. You did not die in vain…
Suicide Awareness…
September is officially the month designated as Suicide Awareness Month. In 2016, suicide became the #2 killer of our kids. It still rages on. Mental health has been shredded through the pandemic. People feel isolated and alone. Hope has been lost. Make sure you are staying connected with your family and friends. If you get a vibe from someone that they might be contemplating suicide, encourage them to seek help. Suicide awareness is a daily practice…
seekinggracedotcom 