Walk this way . . .

As I walked along the street in downtown I saw a man and his son walking in front of me. The dad trodding along the sun skipping almost as the sun shine around him.

As the son got too close to the street the father simply pointed to the position where he wished his son to be, no smile, no loving touch, just a point onthe sidewalk where the son knew he had to be or suffer the consequences.

The son quickly obeyed and the walk continued. The father trudging along the son now in step with the father. Sadly I watched the skipping and smile leave the boy almost as a shadow cools the space in which a person exists.

In the next moment a speeding car goes by and I realize the love of the father. The boy does not realize this because the gesture was cold, forceful, without speaking but still spoken louder than words.

Does the boy realize the love of the father? I often give direction to my kids that in my mind is filled with love and compassion and supreme well being of my kids but the delivery speaks louder than words.

Have you gotten direction from your father and questioned why He would have me move to the other side of the sidewalk? Oblivious to the traffic inches away.

Decide this day how you will guide your children and in what context you will hear the voice of the father!

The move to Aurora, now 11 years ago.

11 years ago Heather and I felt Gods call to Aurora from Naperville. It was more than a move from an apartment to a home, or change of location by 9.1 miles. It was a change in life, attitude, issues and life.

We made the move for 1 reason and for many. At the time we were in the Big Brothers program and had a little on the near east side of Aurora. Jordan was wonderful, we would pick him up and bring him to Naperville to enjoy things like the river walk, ice cream or games in our apartment. The one thing I will never forget was the day he looked me in the eye and said you go back to your safe home in Naperville and I am stuck here.

You see Jordan had seen a murder by the time he was eight years old. This neighborhood I would not ride through because of its reputation is now the neighborhood I was drawn to in order to reach the kids whom I see as having very few opportunities.

Many things have happened in these 11 years since we moved in but the most impactful thing in my life just came full circle recently. We met a young man just prior to moving into the neighborhood - lets call him Jimmy since I do not wish to use his real name.

Jimmy was a born leader, someone who you knew would one day make a huge impact on peoples lives. He was a kid whose past was catching up to him at age 12 when we met. He mowed our lawn for a whole year, we would spend time with Jimmy and his brothers and others on the block. One night I invited Jimmy, his brothers and another kid on the block to sleep in the back yard in our tent.

This experience was not something they had ever experienced before? They almost did not believe I was suggesting it! Opportunites like this would present themselves over and over again. The next year Jimmy wanted more moeny for mowing the lawn. Here was the deal, I would double his pay that he had recieved the year prior. 1/2 in cash, 1/2 in an account in my name that he could use for college expenses WHEN he went to collge. He liked it, he was hooked.

The years past, I saw Jimmy getting more and more inovled in the gangs, Jimmy was a Latin King. He had many family memebers involved in the gangs, it was a way of life. Over th enext several years I would hear about him, he was a suspect in a horrific muder, amor peircing shells, fully automatic weapon. Almost too much to hear but I knew it was possible. Anything is possible in this gang lifestyle the kids are drawn to.

Well this summer who shows up at my door but Jimmy, fresh out of prison, he is excited - "you'd be proud of me Mr. Hook, I'm helping the feds" yes Jimmy, but your stupid, there gonna get you, your living in the hood.

Jimmy now in his early 20's is invinsible, at least he thinks so. I get the call one night at 11:00, he needs to be bailed out of jail, an old traffic violation, a court date missed while in prison, the system at work , the system at its best. How does a kid working as an informant to the FBI, get caught up in this, how do they not kep him out of Aurora, how do they not protect him.

I bail him out of jail only to feel I have done something horribly wron just a few weeks later.

On our way home one night, all the kids in the car it is about 8:30 and we are heading down a main drag in town and we have many police cars screaming by, then in front of us commotion, a chase on foot, cars parked on the street. We keep moving, the safe thing to do when the police need space to do there job. We turn down a side street on our way to our hosue, now just 10 blocks from home and we look down another side street, many cars, fully engulf an intersection just a block away.

Something bad must have happened. Yes something bad, we find our later that it was Jimmy, shot 10 times, now missing 90% of his intestines, his life will never be the same.

This is our experience in Aurora, this is why we have come, we are home.

The First Day

I had a first day with this blog about well 6 months ago.

This new first day is different.  i am different.  Keep an eye on the blog we will see where God takes us.

I am ready!

The first day of the rest of my life!

A new blog - i ost my old one, boo hoo hoo