Taekwondo Teaches Courage by Karla Grove

Courage is an integral part of what we teach at Franklin Family Taekwondo. It is such a valuable skill in life. It takes courage for a child to learn to advocate for themselves, to voice their own opinions and feelings. It takes courage to survive your first job interview or apply to a college. It takes courage to stand up to a bully, and it takes courage to walk away. 

We had a young boy once who was afraid to kick and punch toward another person. He was 5 years old when he started training. For a whole year, we could not get him to engage in sparring. We kept trying and kept encouraging him. He had his sparring gear on and his partner would kick and punch in his direction. But this little boy would just stand there. Until one day.

I will never forget the day when he broke through that shell. He found the courage within him to throw one punch. He was so excited about that one punch. Within just a few minutes he was engaged in his first ever sparring match. The smile on his face was priceless. He turned to his mom and yelled across the school,

Begin Anew needs teenage homeschoolers to volunteer!

Begin Anew empowers individuals to overcome the obstacles caused by poverty by providing education, mentoring, and resources. The program provides three curriculum tracks for students: High School Equivalency test preparation, Computer and Job Skills, and Life Skill English. Enrollment in our services is open to persons of all faiths and culture. Begin Anew serves the Middle Tennessee area through five locations in Nashville, Madison, and Franklin, Tennessee.

Begin Anew is looking for teenage homeschoolers who would want to volunteer with our organization. We are also in need of childcare volunteers. If you're interested in either volunteer opportunity, contact Laura Flemming by emailing: volunteer at beginanew dot org.

Home Alone with Kids by Jennifer Smeltser

January brings continued cold weather in Tennessee and the only thing many of us want to do is just stay home. That may seem like a good idea, and I am sure it is, unless that leaves you with a house full of stir-crazy children. Although you may be tempted to send them outdoors to play, your mom instincts will probably set in reminding you of the frigid temperatures. So, what do you