Raising Champions: Coaching Children Into Responsible Adulthood (Spiritual Edition). Rufus Jr. Curry Jr.

      

      RAISING CHAMPIONS

      Coaching Children into

      Responsible Adulthood

      by

      Rufus Curry, Jr.

       www.RaisingChamps.com

       www.BeReelProd.com

       www.RufusCurryJr.com

       http://Twitter.com/RufusCurryJr

       [email protected]

      Copyright © 2012

      by Rufus Curry, Jr.

      All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author or publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

      Published in eBook format by Be Reel Productions, LLC

      Converted by http://www.eBookIt.com

      ISBN-13: 978-0-9822-8112-3

      Other books by Rufus Curry, Jr.: One Week Gig

      Acknowledgements

      I give great thanks to the Creator for selecting me for such an awesome position in this world as an example of what a man can be and should strive to be…No dogma…pure, non-judgmental love.

      I acknowledge Doris Morley Curry (mother), Rufus Curry, Sr. (father) and Lucille McSmith Morley (maternal Grandmother), friends, family, Florida A&M University, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc, Parks and Crump PA (Darryl Parks and Benjamin Crump) and anyone who has ever taken the time to assist me, correct me, guide me, encourage me, uplift me and love me as I continue to grow as a man seeking to leave this universe in a better condition than it was when I was born into it. I tip my hat to the many men and women who have stepped up to the task of RAISING CHAMPIONS as they have loved and helped a boy or girl along life’s way. Thank you.

      To my God Children, Tierrah, Jordan and Bryce Turner, Masai and Asante Jenkins, Nicholas McFadden and any student or youth I have ever come in contact with…my aim is to be a Bridge Builder as you grow forward into your lives. I am honored to have been divinely selected to have touched each of your lives.

      To my champions/children Micah R. Curry (son), my love for you inspired me to write Raising Champions. I hope you don’t mind me hanging with you as you grow up and I grow up again. You are my twin brother. My big brother! I am excited about the man you are becoming. To Brianna V. Curry (daughter), the feminine side of my reason to be a child forever, I am excited about where you are and where you are headed as a beautiful, creative and entrepreneurial force. Micah and Brianna I am honored that God assigned me to be your father.

      To my Friend and Wife; Valarie Wanton-Curry, my Muse! It is said that the right woman (not just any woman) has the power to turn a pauper into a prince. Keep doing your thing…It’s working for me. Your support, cheering, correction, promotion, and presence, is irreplaceable and invaluable. I know I am blessed when I look at you and our two children. As Frankie Beverly and Maze put it in the song Happy Feelings, “…I have myself to remind me of love…”, but I am glad I partnered up with you for what is turning out to be one exciting journey. You bless me daily.

      Harry, you were correct when you said, “Most people will tell you that nobody will help you. But all you have to do is start and people will come out of nowhere to help you.” Bro. Harrell, Tom Jenkins’ Bar-B-Que, co-owner, friend, mentor and brother of Omega Psi Phi, Fraternity, Inc.

      Foreword

      Mr. Curry reminds us that dreams can, and often do, come true - and that effort and courage, purpose and direction, fueled by determination of will and the conviction that we may not be given tasks equal to our strength, but that we will receive strength equal to the task, resulting in the following example of how the choice one makes in selecting the direction of their life, can influence present and future generations:

      Two families from the state of New York were studied very carefully. One was the Max Jukes family, and the other was the Jonathan Edwards family. The thing that they discovered in this study is remarkable: like begets like. Max Jukes was an unbelieving man and he married a woman of like character who lacked principle. And among the known descendants, over 1,200 were studied:

      310 became professional vagrants (homeless wanderers living

      on the streets).

      440 physically wrecked their lives by a debauched

      (unrestrained and immorally self-indulgent) lifestyle.

      130 were sent to the penitentiary for an average of 13 years each, 7 for murder.

      100+ became alcoholics

      60 became habitual thieves

      190 were public prostitutes

      20 learned a trade, 10 of them learned the trade in state prison.

      It cost the state about $1,500,000 and they made no

      contribution whatsoever to society.

      In about the same era the family of Jonathan Edwards came on the scene. And Jonathan Edwards, a man filled with divine faith, married a woman of like character. And their family began and they became a part of this study that was made:

      300 became clergymen, missionaries, and theological professors;

      100+ became college professors

      100+ became attorneys, 30 of them judges

      60 became physicians

      60+ became authors of good classics, good books

      14 became presidents of universities

      There were numerous giants in American industry that emerged from this family:

      3 became United States congressmen

      1 became the Vice President of the United States.

      *Adapted from A Spiritual Clinic, by J. Oswald Sanders

      Each of us who have been divinely appointed to shepherd the lives of others can see, from this sampling, how far-reaching and productive our efforts can be, making a difference in the lives of many, by impacting the life of just one ‘sheep.’ Mr. Curry has given us tools that will allow us to work smart, not hard. May the good that he does in the lives of others, be multiplied in his life, a thousand-fold.

      Rev. Benjamin Franklin, Jr

      Pastor, Counselor

      African Methodist Episcopal Church

      Introduction

      Coaching Children Into Responsible Adulthood

      “Raising Champions” is the result of years of experience, heartache, victory, and searching for answers to quench the inquisitive thirst of a hungry mind. As a man, I stand before you and boldly confess that all of the advice I provide for my son and daughter in this book, are the very words I strive to live by every day. As I weaved this heartfelt message to my son and daughter, I recognized that it also has great benefit for me as a man on a continuous search to implement the gifts that God has entrusted me with.