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You Got in My Head

Hello friends,

"Your friend Mr. Fitz got in my head. He got even me thinking. We never pay attention in that class, but everyone was listening," a star football player at Verdugo High School said to my friend Cordell Bowman. Before the class started the teacher told me, "Now this class might get out of hand, and if it does we will just usher you out of the room."

Another teacher, after hearing my sharing, said, "You have to share this with more people. So for the next 90 minute period, please go to my friend's class for 45 minutes and then come back to my class. You got me thinking too." Another teacher shar
ed, "You talked about values, something these students seldom hear about, and that was good."

For four classes in a row, I shared in this LA high school. I never have had such attention from students during high school classes. They filled the time with lots of important questions. I was worn out, energized, and very encouraged when it finally ended.

In Fresno, I shared with the Fresno Pacific University (FPU) Peacemaking faculty and with the MCC staff in Reedly. They both said, "We appreciated hearing your sharing; when you get back this way be sure to let us know ahead of time, so we can set up some speaking venues for you."

Ron Classen of FPU has for years had a Victim Offender Reconciliation (VOR) program going there. In New Zealand, a VOR has been adopted and it has cut court cases in New Zealand by 75%. A recently elected Fresno councilman has said, "Getting the Victim Offender Reconciliation program adopted by the city of Fresno is one of my top priorities." I told them, "This is real peacemaking, too."

I also shared in three churches in California and at William Jessup University. In each of them I was very encouraged by the interest in peacemaking. People are getting tired of war, are coming to realize more and more that it just does not work and are a
nxious to hear about an alternative.

The main purpose of this trip was to celebrate with our daughter Emily her great achievement of graduating from Physician's Assistant School in Oakland on December 2, 2006. We are quite proud of her. And thanks to the help of many friends, I was able to share my CPT slides and experiences at ten places.

Here we are at Emily's graduation. Left to right is me, my wife Lyn, daughters Jamie and Emily, and son Andy.



Pray with me that the seeds that were sown in California would sprout, grow, and flourish.

Jim

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