The Ripple Effect: To Develop Character and Spiritual Formation

My grandchildren and I were standing at the edge of a still lake feeding the ducks, when my granddaughter picked up a pebble and tossed it into the lake. The pebble quickly sank to the bottom of the lake, but the effect of the pebble created many ripples. They keep spreading and spreading from the center and there was no way to stop them. The Ripple Effect is based on the concept that we are connected. We can and do affect each other. The result is a building of community that will affect how we treat others and the way we live our lives. All of us have passion for something as well as a vision and hope to use our gifts and talents for a greater purpose. The Ripple Effect was originally written as a textbook for a character class curriculum using an athletic medium designed to change the culture of sport that provided collegiate student athletes with application model for character-driven athletics. Today, it has become a resource that provides a guide that can apply to anyone who has an interest in desiring to pursue competitive excellence that emulates Christ. We live in a culture today that promotes comfort, not challenges. We want instant gratification free from consequences of our choices. Our choices and actions represent who we are; what we believe and define our character. The ripple effect provides a foundation for a person to better understand who they can become. The most important relationship a person will ever have is with themselves. The question is, are we doing the best they can to become more than they have become. Each ripple has a message, which is the pebble, a theme, which is the ripple effect, and an application that provides the action necessary to develop and improve character. To reach significance in the athletic arena as well as life one needs to be able to embrace competition, establish quality relationships, and develop values, rules of the road that become the lifestyle. What happens when we experience the ripple effect? We become a person with a Christ-like perspective with a renewed purpose, a new sense of direction, and enhanced relationships.