Musing From Maddie
Today I felt better – better than I had felt since that fateful night. The guilt still tried to creep in, always shadowing me, but the light that had been born out of the ashes of her death had blossomed new hope.
The response to the #StoneWall Challenge has been tremendous…more than I could have ever imagined. Students from all over are stepping up to help stop bullying. Some of the stories are heartbreaking. I pray continuously that God will give us the right words and actions to not only help those that are being bullied but to help those who cut down others with their words and actions.
It hasn’t been easy. My friends have always joked that I was the ‘good girl’ of the bunch, but when you take a stand against something, I wasn’t prepared for the backlash myself. The whole ‘good girl’ label took on a whole new level of persecution.
I look out the window to the house next door and my lips curve upward. I want her to know she didn’t die in vain, and she will never be forgotten. Some say it’s a little too late, but like Pastor Dave said, it’s like a Phoenix. Out of the ashes the #StoneWall Challenge was born, and we are making a difference one person at a time.
I can’t wait to see where this leads. We will be posting our first #StoneWall Warriors to the blog soon. We might be young, but we are mighty when God is in front of us.
You just read a journal entry from Madison Thompson, a sixteen-year-old student at Victory High School in Victory, VA. Last school year a terrible tragedy rocked the small community and left Madison feeling guilty and lost. You can find out what happened and get to know Maddie and her friends in my soon to be released novel Out Of The Ashes in September.
Hi! I am young adult inspirational author S L Michaels. My stats are being married to the love of my life; I have three daughters and one son (I know. Poor boy, right?), one crazy cat and a freakishly hyper dog that jumps at the sound of a fly.
I am a hopeless romantic at heart – yes, Hallmark is my favorite channel- and have published five contemporary romance novels under the pen name Savanna Grey. If you haven’t read any of my work, you can download Coming Home for free on Amazon, B&N and iTunes.
So, I mentioned my children. My youngest daughter is fifteen. Over the last year I have watched and listened to many stories about kids being picked on. That’s always happened, right? Even when I was a kid. It’s normal. No. Not anymore. I guess I kind of had a come to Jesus moment in my car on the way to work one morning. You know when God wants you to do something, he doesn’t gently tap you - he gives you a big shove.
We had a third teenage suicide in our small town. I kept asking myself, “How does a kid feel so desolate that the only option they feel they have is to take their own life?” I had such a sick feeling in my stomach. It wouldn’t go away. Honestly I prayed asking how I could possibly make a difference. You know they say be careful what you ask for. The floodgates opened up, and the #StoneWall Challenge was born.
I ask junior high, high school and adults alike to get plugged in to their children’s lives at school and their social media activities. It’s absolutely terrifying what these kids are doing to each other via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the like.
That’s why I chose to make the challenge a hashtag movement. Let’s use social media to spread love and intolerance of hatred. Together we can make a difference.
(Stepping of my soap box now. J)
You can find out more about me, the new series and the #StoneWall Challenge
by visiting these sites. I would love to hear from you.
Twitter: @slmichaelsinfo
Good luck
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