Annual Reports: Did I Make A Difference?

This school year went by so fast. It is time for a summer break with the long winter finally over. June is here and its time to reflect.
Usually in June circumstances such as graduation services, annual reports and statistics that need to be gathered force me to reflect on the past school. I remember the days when it seemed like I was failing. In comparison, everyone's youth ministries seem to be growing and my students were still struggling with major issues. I'd look back at the goals we set back in September and yes we made one but in this moment the unmet goals were prevalent in my mind. I had and still do have what I call Global Domination Size Dreams. I've always wanted to have my own talk show to positively influence the masses. I'd like to set up Girl Conferences in Barbados and throughout the Caribbean (That is where my family is from), I'd like to live on a Native Reserve for a month helping students break generational cycles. I want to empower a generation of girls to be bold. I want to rewrite movie scripts (Disney's Brave is on the top of my list). I've envisioned youth under my care in the media for their major contributions to society or being so grounded in the Word of God that praying is like breathing for them. I see them bringing Jesus to school where their friends and teachers end up getting healed physically and emotionally!
Do you have big dreams or multiple dreams? Perhaps you know people who are living your dream right now. When you have Global Domination Size Dreams the everyday steps you take in the present seem microscopic in comparison.
Perhaps you have a dream for your youth group, or the small group of students that you lead, maybe it's a dream for your family or your church and their role in the community. As you reflect on this past year, does it look like you've accomplished very little; that you still have a loooong way to go to fulfill your dreams? Are your parents or family members still hounding you with, "Get a real job!"

I found this commercial on a friend's page. The timing was perfect for me and so I share it with you. Watch this video and be reminded that the little things you do youth worker, matters and it counts. All the dollars you spent this year out of your pocket including gas money, coffee/slurpee money, the $10 you needed to pay to see their recital or theatre production without being reimbursed while you were barely able to make payments on your student loan or rent! Your actions and sacrifice may not be CBC news worthy, no one may ask you to speak at a camp or a youth workers conference this year. The who's who in your denomination or organization still has no clue of who you are or what you do. I remember that place but wait. Please, don't allow the waves of comparison; unmet goals, Global Domination Size Dreams and zero recognition drown out the significance of what you did today and yesterday. It matters and it all counts. In Earth's history books...the data is skewed; in Heaven's history book...your story is viewed.

Thank you for investing in students this year. You are the fulfillment of God's dream by being His hands and feet and beautifying the lives of others through your love. You are making a difference.

In Earth's history books...the data is skewed; in Heaven's history book...your story is viewed. 

Thai Insurance Commercial

The Founder of the Young Woman of Power (YWOP), Alison develops programs that are designed to build girls confidence such as the YWOP PivotFWD workshop which she delivers in Calgary’s Youth Judicial System and a citywide Conference. Alison’s heart for young women is to see the statistics of violence against women decrease and to see females become counter culture/culturally dangerous by growing in true confidence. For more info or to book Alison as a speaker visit www.ywop.ca 

Be Awakened: The Cause for Women

“Really?” Would have been my response if you had told that Sr. High girl who was often mistaken for a boy because of her height and that really bad hair cut, that one day she was going to be the organizer of a girl’s conference. I remember I was timid back then. I was a good Christian kid who never stirred the waters. My friends asked me why I was so nice, and I just smiled not having a clue of how to tell them about Jesus. God is really into the transformation business. I say all of this because I never would have imagined myself in this position. Today I am the founder of a non-profit organization called Young Women of Power fighting for the causes of young women with deep seeded conviction. I can feel it, every day this conviction for the Cause of women gets stronger and stronger. I can’t hide it. For those who’ve only known me since I’ve been involved with Young Women of Power, I HAVE NOT ALWAYS BEEN LIKE THIS! I am so focused, like the eyes of a lion locked onto its prey. Friends buying me books such as Lioness Arising or sending me the movie Girl Rising, and watching women of wonder in my city like Connie Jakab inspiring me to be W.I.L.D. and a Culture rebel for God’s kingdom in big ways. It’s changing me. The girl in her 20’s who was passionate about everything where is she?  What happened? And how did I get here? Is God shaping me into a feminist? Would he do that? I remember the day when God woke me up and turned my commendable-church Christianity into a culturally dangerous one. This is the story of how I got here and founded Young Women of Power.

It was October 2007; I was a volunteer youth pastor at the time. I was sitting in my car with one of the core teens from my youth group. She was pouring her heart out as she shared with me about the events over the past couple of days after her sister age 20 or 21 at the time had been raped by two co-workers. My heart sunk. This was a family of 5 girls Jodi, the sister she was talking about being the oldest. This news was disheartening because Jodi just regained the courage to ride the transit alone. You see in 2006 Jodi was sexually assaulted almost a year to the date of this new incident. Tears strolled down my face as I listened to her sister tell me the story of what happened. I was disturbed and had heard this story before, it is like perpetrators know exactly who they can take advantage of. It was uncanny; it was literally a couple days shy of the exact date that she had been previously raped. This is not an isolated case, I’ve heard other stories similar to hers; in my experience girls who have a history of abuse or low self-image and self-esteem are extremely vulnerable to sexual predators. Girls are taken advantage of just because they didn’t understand their true value or realize their greatness. It doesn’t have to be. Jodi’s story was the final straw for me, as Bryan Adam sings tears are not enough. Her story provoked me to act. As I drove home the vision and concept for a Conference that would raise the confidence of girls and teach them street smarts was now under way and Young Women of Power (YWOP) was born.

Since that day I swallowed the red pill and my eyes have been open to how deep this rabbit hole actually goes. From Human Trafficking, to how females are portrayed in media, to recognizing the need for women in positions of influential leadership and the constant battle for personal confidence. I was invited to attend a training session hosted by youth justice. As the speaker spewed her statistics on girls in North America, I held my head down as I could no longer clear the floodgate of tears fast enough strolling down my face.

In an article in Time Magazine it stated that every century faced a moral challenge. In the 19^th Century it was Slavery. In the 20^th Century the issue was Totalitarianism. The moral challenge of the 21^st Century is the brutality against women and girls.

Being Black, I recognize the severity of slavery; it’s the very reason why I would never want to travel back in time. To see the brutality of women and girls in the same category with slavery awakened a moral cause. I own a CD filled with all of Martin Luther King Jr.’s messages. As a speaker and follower of Jesus Christ, he has been a role model and inspiration to me. He was a man who was culturally dangerous. Listening to his messages I was in awe of how he used his speaking skills and inspired by Faith for a moral cause. I longed for that. It was in that place God answered back whispering my cause into my spirit. My voice would be used to raise up and empower women and making right where things have gone very wrong for the sake of societal restoration, personal healing and justice for God’s glory.

I’ve often felt the need to clarify to people that I am not a feminist because there is a negative connotation with that word. It’s the equivalent of an Ismaili Muslim having to clarify I AM NOT A TERRORIST! There are different approaches and philosophy’s surrounding feminism, but in its purist form the definition according to dictionary.com is advocating social, political, legal, and economic rights for women equal to those of men. This includes seeking to establish equal opportunities for women in education and employment. By this definition, God has instilled in me the heart of a feminist, however I AM NOT AN EXTREMIST!

A FEMINIST
Someone who believes the radical notion that woman are people.If you believe that women and men should have equal rights, you are a feminist. There’s nothing "extreme" about it.http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=feminist

God’s brought me to a place where I will no longer stay silent on issues concerning females. As a result He is expanding my borders and giving me a platform in my city not just with teens but with women as well. My prayer is that whether you are a male or a female that God would open your eyes as He did mine to see the moral challenge we face today. That you too would no longer turn a blind eye on the enemies assault against women, but that you would rise up and be intentional on how you are investing in the lives of females all around you. I pray that your Christianity will not be tame or lame but that it will be culturally dangerous in our society.

The vision of Young Women of Power is to reduce the statistics of violence against women. We do this by providing conferences, workshops and mentorship for teenage girls. YWOP is not an exclusive Christian Club but it is our gift to the city, equipping all girls by inspiring female greatness. This is year 5 for us. We are still young with lots of room for growth. If you would like to be or perhaps you already are an advocate for teenage girls or young adults please contact me so we can see how we can collaborate. If you would like to know more about Young Women of Power visit our website at www.ywop.ca to see how you can be involved. Our desire is to go across Canada with this and we cannot do that alone. So send me an email or send your girls and attend our conference in Calgary April 25-26 2014 and prepare to be awakened.

The Founder of the Young Woman of Power (YWOP) Conference, Alison develops programs that are designed to build girls confidence such as the YWOP PivotFWD workshop which she delivers in Calgary’s Youth Judicial System. Alison’s heart for young women is to see the statistics of violence against women decrease and to see females become counter culture/culturally dangerous by growing in true confidence. For more info or to book Alison as a speaker visit www.ywop.ca 

The Valentine's Day Talk!

Valentine's Day Friday is just around the corner. Are you doing the Valentine's day Talk?  Check out this video and please reconsider.

There is so much you can do. Feel free to use the lighter illustration in the video. Happy Valentine's Day.

P.S. This is my first video blog ever! Your feedback and tips are most welcome. You can send them to the email posted in the video.

The Founder of the Young Woman of Power (YWOP) Conference, Alison develops programs that are designed to build girls confidence such as the YWOP PivotFWD workshop which she delivers in Calgary’s Youth Judicial System. Alison’s heart for young women is to see the statistics of violence against women decrease and to see females become counter culture/culturally dangerous by growing in true confidence. For more info or to book Alison as a speaker visit www.ywop.ca