I hope this past July 4th provided you and your family an opportunity to celebrate the birth of our Nation with a family time for water melon and homemade ice- cream, some sweet corn on the cob and a lazy time together. If not, then we at the ARKGroup wish you peace and a chance to rest at the time you pick this summer to appreciate one another. You are the "hope" of the world.
If I can help, please call

Bill
William R. Duffy
National Executive Director
281-537-1301

Don't forget: New Training DVDs are available: ARK Facilitator Training, The ARK Group Process and an Introduction to the Course hosted by Pat Summerall. Order yours today at www.thearkgroup.org. This excellent training guide will supplement the ARK lessons DVD's, manuals, workbooks, texts and advertising materials -- equipping you to begin ARK programs today. ARK programs provide breakthrough parenting and teaching "skills courses." With your help, we can make ARKrelationships the norm for the 21st century family, church, school and community.

For our Friends and Followers in the Dallas area, we are excited about our ARK for Churches Programs / with our next Facilitator Training set for September 15. Thanks to a wonderful gift by a local benefactor, we are able to provide ARK for Parents Programs to local churches. The program includes facilitator training, lessons on DVDs, books, and a host of supporting materials and services. We invite you to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity. Contact us today by e-mail, letter or by telephone in Dallas at 817- 268-2100 or Houston at 281-537-1301 to reserve a spot for your church. The seminars will take place at a central location in the 1800 block of North Washington Ave thanks to the generosity of Dr. Curtis Wallace and the Pilgrim's Rest Baptist Church. Commit now, to enable your church family to become the parents and intentional adults in the lives of children that will change the world through your care.

One. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully

Two. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

Three. When you say, "I Love you," mean it.

Four. When you say, "I 'm sorry," look the person in the eye.

Five. Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much.

Six. Love deeply and passionately. Talk slowly and think questions, letting answers evolve over time. Great love and great achievements evolve one step at a time.

Dr. Collins relates a story of one of his visits to the village Eku which lies in the delta of the Niger River on the western coast of Africa. He was a volunteer to a small mission hospital in Nigeria allowing the permanent staff to attend training. The hospital was typical of the area with not enough beds, supplies or staff. The patients were happy to sleep on the floor for the privilege of receiving treatments. He tells the story of a young farmer who had walked to the clinic with progressive weakness and massive swelling of the legs. Without technical tools or ultrasound equipment, Dr. Collins knew the young man was in a serious condition with tuberculosis. He needed immediate drainage of the fluids from his heart sack before the drugs could be effective to treat his condition. He explained to the young farmer the situation and the risky conditions he would have to take to drain the fluid without the proper equipment. The man, fully aware of the circumstances, calmly urged him to proceed, which he did with his own heart in his mouth and a prayer on his lips. Dr. Collins crudely drained the fluid and administered the drugs knowing that the chances of survival for the young man were poor despite his efforts. Feeling discouraged, Dr. Collins approached the young man's bed the next day and found him reading a Bible. "I get the feeling that you are wondering why you came here", the young farmer said. "I have an answer for you". "You came here for me".

In reading Dr. Collins book, my heart was impaled by his words. We are each called to reach out to others. It is not some grand, mysterious act that can give us our "15 minutes " in the spotlight. Our life is fulfilled in simple acts of kindness from one person to another. These are the events that really matter. It is in that place in time that each of us is in harmony with our God. That moment when we are bonded in relationship with a fellow person is where life's true meaning is found. It is the "unconditional love" that seeks no response that brings the sweetest joy that one can experience. We at the ARKGroup are convinced that adults can begin today to nurture the life of a single child (their own, a neighbor's, one in our classes or in our neighborhoods) and with each tomorrow, the world will be changed, opportunities will develop, and life will be more fulfilled. We suspect that you have been waiting for someone to encourage you to release that spirit in you to make a difference. The difference that only you can make in the "quality of life" in your community is enormous. Call us. We are happy to help you make those connections with children who desperately need to be loved.

Read on...

1. No matter how hard you try, you can't baptize cats.
2. When your Mom is mad at your Dad, don't let her brush your hair.
3. If your brother hits you, don't hit back. They always catch the second person.
4. Never ask your two-year-old sister to hold the chocolate.
5. You can't trust dogs to watch the ice-cream.
6. Yon can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
7. The best place to be when your are sad is Grandpa's lap.
8. The best pantries are located in Grandma's house.
9. Bed time stories are really about your special time with Mom and Dad.
10. Every day is Kid's day.

1. Raising teenagers is like nailing Jell-o to a tree.
2. Wrinkles appear, but they don't hurt.
3. Families are like chocolate chip cookies ... mostly sweet with a few nuts.
4. Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that a squirrel missed.
5. Hugs are the best medicine.
6. Middle age is when you chose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy.
7. Time is a great healer, but it is a lousy beautician.
8. Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes nobody asks you a question.

Life when we were young was one of continual "newness".

If we think about it. When we intentionally commit to share our lives with the young, the "newness' never ends. The world we show our children is the world they will show their children.

We want to know how you help your youngsters to share and to learn the values you treasure. How do you do it? What are your suggestions to share with this very large community of thinkers and doers? What ways can you share to make tomorrow an even greater opportunity for our children's futures?

Please share your ideas and read on...

Research in neuroscience has shown that a loving touch is not an optional aspect of child rearing.It is essential and has been shown that newborns will actually die if they do not receive human touch (studies on orphanages in Crotia "the failure to thrive syndrome" during the terrible period of the Serbia-Crotian conflicts). Loving touches release the hormones oxytocin and dopamine which are essential to normal development. For many reasons, Western society has become a "touch-hungry" culture partially due to the associated fear of law suits and restrictive norms in our day-to- day world. There is an endless supply of cradles, baby seats, swings and exercise saucers to replace the human touch of Mom's and Dad's hands which are busy doing other things. Touch is the universal language that transcends verbal abilities to communicate actual life. A reassuring hug, pat on the head, or gentle embrace conveys a primal message of comfort and tenderness. It is essential to incorporate non-responsive touches into our children's day to providet them the experience of unconditional care.

Research conducted by The ARKGroup with the University of Texas Health Science Center at the Houston Medical Center has shown the connection between a child's positive sense of self and her receiving unconditional love from the primary adults (parents and teachers) in her life.

When a child feels loved for who he is rather that what he does, he is enabled to value himself in spite of his imperfections. This gift of unconditional love is the key to high self-esteem. It is the primary element in creating a quality and courageous life.

At the ARKGroup, we are dedicated to education and to the sharing of processes that create networks of shared experiences of adults that will keep our children healthy. Our programs can make available a number of strategies in your parenting or teaching toolsets that will result in resilient and loved children whose lifestyles are full and are characterized by feelings of compassion, satisfaction, happiness and joy.

We encourage all you to begin ARK for Parenting classes in church, school and/or community center. ARK Parenting is for "Great Parents and Other Intentional Adults" who want to be even better at the most difficult but most treasured job in life; raising children who can be all that is possible for them in God's Cosmos.

Check out this websit for Kid Friendly ideas

• Become a program sponsor by funding an ARK for Teachers Program in School Districts: Electronic Packages for $950.
• Funding an ARK for Parents Program in Schools, Community Centers, Churches, Neighborhood Centers, Sunday Schools, Youth Centers: Facilitator Training Programs for $500.
• Purchasing individual manuals for $30 each to support organizations who need materials.
• Purchasing ARK for Kids or Teens workbooks for $30 each for deserving kids' networks.

Your support of The ARKGroup, Inc. creates possibilities in our churches, community centers, and public schools. If you have an opportunity, idea, challenge, or destiny to fulfill through helping children to grow into their full potential, please contact us. Together we can improve the quality of life in our communities--one child, one family, one classroom, one school at a time. Helping other people lifts one's spirits and gives hope for the future.

Read on...