Ballenger will talk to teenagers about life-changing decisions and perform a free concert.

“How many of you in this assembly right now know at least one person under 20 who has made a choice or a decision — one that they made, no one made them do it — and now they are dead because of it?”

That’s the question posed in school assemblies around the country by Christian speaker and rock artist Bill Ballenger. The unfortunate average response is that 20 percent of students raise their hands and stand.

Ballenger said, “It isn’t about a band or an organization at that moment; it’s about -- oh my goodness -- everybody that’s standing represents a dead teenager.”

Ballenger is part of Break the Grey, a Christian organization with a purpose capsulated in this line on its website: “Sometimes teenagers build walls to see who cares enough to bring them down.”

“The organization is not only (about) evangelism,” Ballenger said. “It focuses on character development, anti-drug messages, choices, decision making, goals, vision and dreams.”

Ballenger’s passion is to reach out on a heart level to youth who might be dealing with overwhelming problems, which society and schools aren’t equipped to deal with.

“There are teens who dread coming home at night because they don’t know what they’ll find when they get there,” he said.

On top of this, he is concerned that much of our culture has become jaded. “Lots of problems are swept under the rug ... It’s a big, big problem.”

He desires to help youth make life-changing decisions that will last. For that reason, Break the Grey doesn’t merely put on an assembly and leave. Ballenger and crew stay for nearly a week, holding 10 assemblies in area schools from Monday through Thursday and addressing an average of 8,000 students. At the end of each assembly, Ballenger invites students to a free concert on Thursday evening when he shares his music as well as his personal convictions.

Ballenger spoke to 35,500 youth last year, and this year he expects to reach out to 200,000, including students in and around Hayward, Wis., from Sept. 27-30.

“Because such a line has been drawn in this nation, we do not take evangelism into the public school system,” he said. “We promise with integrity that we are coming into the school system to talk about character development.

“At a concert event, we give them what we promised them — a great rock show, a great light show. Toward the end I’ll share with them my personal convictions.”

How does he know his message is being heard?

“These kids need truth. I speak directly to the heart,” Ballenger said. “This is not a just-say-no-to-drugs assembly -- you know, with rules like do this, don’t do that. They listen because of heart — because of heart, passion and truth.”

He challenges them with the story of his own life experience.

Though he became a believer as a child, bad choices led to Ballenger and his wife, Jodie, being arrested in September 1988 when a SWAT team raided their home. Their baby girl was taken into protective custody, and the Ballengers were sentenced to serve six years each in the Indiana Department of Corrections on drug-related charges.

While in prison, Ballenger became involved in the ministry of Chuck Colson’s Prison Fellowship. As a result of changed lives and much prayer, the judge released them after serving only two years, despite an Indiana ruling requiring that at least half the sentence be served. They regained custody of their daughter one month later.

“Our daughter was 3½ when we got her back,” Ballenger said.

Passionate about his life-changing message, Ballenger began recording music in 2001. When his fourth album came out, Jodie told him, “You need to take this into the schools.”

At first he resisted the idea, but God changed his mind, impressing him with a strong desire.

“I felt like it would work, and it has,” he said.

Ballenger spoke at his first assembly in 2005 and began doing events in 2006. A bit of the impact has been recorded on his website in dozens of messages sent to him by middle school and high school students:

“This assembly was just a week after my last thought of ending my problems. ... I walked into the gym thinking it was just gonna be one of those ones where you just try to force no drugs and stuff down our gullets, and I walked out almost in tears because I know what you said is true. No problem or challenge in life is worth taking yours.”

“I, too, have struggled with an addiction, Vicodin. I’ve also struggled with self-esteem, self-identity and self-mutilation issues (cutting), I’m only 14. I’m sick of wearing a mask, thank you so much for helping me realize that I DO need a wake-up call. Let God keep helping you make an impact on other young people such as me.”

“I am an ex-gang member and wanted to tell you your music and testimony has helped me.”

“... By far, my favorite part was your speech at the end. I was at a time in my life where I figured that if I fell off the face of the earth nobody would notice. Then I was thinking, ‘Well, why don’t I?’ You made me realize that what’s inside of me is most important, not what other people think. Thank you so much.”

“God was there because ... one of my best friends got saved that night. I was so happy for him! He took a Bible and still reads it ... the whole thing!! He was one of the kids who got high and drunk to get rid of his problems ... he did those things because his mom died when he was 11 in fourth grade ... he’s in seventh and 14 years old. But, because of your concert teaching him about God and Jesus Christ, he gave up all of those things to get closer to God! Many of his friends asked him why he did it and he just laughs and says: ‘Because I don’t want to gain the whole world and lose my soul.’”

Kids flock by the hundreds and thousands to Ballenger’s free concerts, which community sponsorship makes possible. The Hayward event will cost approximately $10,000.

“That involves a team of up to 20 at some points,” Ballenger said. “Half the cost covers production. We truck in $200,000 worth of gear: lights, stage and sound.”

Linda Talboom has been instrumental in arranging Ballenger’s stop in Hayward, which will culminate in a concert on Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. at Hayward High School. She and her husband first met Ballenger at a grand opening of a Christian school in Blue Eye, Mo., where he sang and spoke.

“He has such a way with young people. I can’t say enough good about him. Jodie is really precious, too,” she said. “From 9 to 90, people were so blessed by him.”

Talboom’s church, Hayward Wesleyan, is helping support her effort, and she has also received the blessing to bring Ballenger to Hayward from other pastors in the Greater Hayward Area Ministerial Association.

The urgency of Ballenger’s mission touched close to home in August when his cousin died of a heroine overdose. Two days after the funeral, one of the young man’s pallbearers died the same way. Ballenger hopes the students he speaks to will make life-changing decisions on a level that will last. He wants them to experience “a Divine Touch.”

“Rehab gets a person where they can think straight,” Ballenger said, “but it has to be something deeper. It has to keep going.”

Free Bill Ballenger Concert

-- Thursday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m.

-- Hayward High School, Greenwood Lane, Hayward, Wis.

-- For inquiries about the Hayward event, e-mail Linda Talboom at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

-- Break the Grey has openings for internships within the organization. To learn more about Ballenger and Break the Grey, or to inquire about internship possibilities, visit www.breakthegrey.com or www.billballenger.com.

The last time we went to our cottage on Rock Lake, I was really inspired to “see” more of God’s creation. What I mean is that I always see how beautiful the lake is, how majestic the trees are and how elegant the pair of black and white loons is gliding on the water. But I wanted to be still and see more deeply. My new inspiration came from Annie Dillard.

My book club had just finished reading the chapter on Annie Dillard from Philip Yancey’s “Soul Survivor.” Before she was 30, Annie Dillard won the Pulitzer Prize for the book “Pilgrim at Tinker Creek.” Dillard observes nature. She sees God in nature -- the master artistry of God as well as the violence of God.

For example, while on her daily walk, Dillard observed a little frog just sitting in the water. That caused her to pause because frogs usually jump away when disturbed. But as she watched, the frog was shrinking until nothing was left of it except its green skin lying on the water like a deflated balloon. A giant water beetle had punctured the frog with venom so strong it liquefied its insides so that it could suck the frog dry. Yikes! I guess there are two sides to God in nature, just as in real life. If only we would open our eyes and see.

Dillard offers this wonderful quote: “Beauty and grace are performed whether or not we will sense them. The least we can do is try to be there … so that creation need not play to an empty house.”

So, back at our cottage, newly inspired to see more, I sat in an Adirondack chair and looked up. A brisk breeze was rustling the leaves on the trees, but I observed that the birch leaves were different -- they were jiggle-dancing in place, making the tree seem like it was covered in jewels. While walking along the lake, I saw some downed saplings that had been gnawed cleanly through, and while watching the lake later, I saw what appeared to be the beaver that was responsible.

The most delightful sighting was the flitting hummingbird. I stood still on the deck and could see the spinning wings of the green-backed little bird while it sipped breakfast nectar from the feeder. The most haunting sighting was after hearing a commotion in the backyard during the night. Feathers, black and gray and white, of a Canada goose were strewn across the grass, a victim of a violent act of nature.

God created it all. Psalm 89:11 says: “The heavens are Yours, and Yours also the earth; You founded the world and all that is in it.”

Being more aware of everything in God’s creation is cause to praise Him for His power and beauty. But being aware of God, who He is and how much He loves us, is necessary for growth as Christians as well. Being still and opening our eyes in a spiritual way will give us knowledge of God that will strengthen our faith journeys and our service to Him.

Sing with me a couple of verses from two songs that ask God to open our eyes.

First sing “Open My Eyes That I May See” – an old hymn:

Can we pray for one another as Paul prayed in Colossians 1:9-12? He prayed that each of us would be “filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that (we) may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.”

As we walk through our gardens and the woods, may we open our eyes not only to the beauty and power of God in His creation, but also to seeing what God has for us in the spiritual realm. May we walk deeply in His presence, hand in hand!

Click below to view.

This past school year my children taught me the game “Yellow Car.” While traveling with a group of people, the winner is the person who sees a yellow car and can call out “yellow car!” before anyone else.

The game was altered after we realized there are a lot of yellow cars traveling the roads of Sioux Falls, S.D. What started out as “Yellow Car” also has become “Yellow Car Slug Bug” or “YCSB.” (YCSB sightings are not as rare as you might think.)

The younger kids like to go by the high school where there are usually seven or eight yellow cars waiting to be spotted. The kids even know where some yellow cars live and they anxiously wait ready to yell “yellow car” as soon as the home and car are in view.

The kids shared the game with their grandparents this past spring. Now my parents play “Yellow Car” as they drive down the road. Recently, my mom came to the house and told us how many yellow cars she had seen on her drive to town.

If you have never played “Yellow Car,” you should give it a try. You can also add the make or model of the car, convertible or hard-top jeep, to the list of names called. Analiese has added “decals” when she sees the Merry Maid slug bug driving down the road.

Playing the game has become second nature during the past months, and now I find myself calling “yellow car” out loud before remembering that I am alone in the car. It has become a routine and daily part of my life.

It struck me one day that this is how God’s Word should be in our lives. It should come out of our mouths, even if no one else is around to listen. We should find ourselves meditating daily on His Word and noticing the world He has created for us as we drive by it in our cars.

Philippians 4:8 says: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things.”

If my mind so easily focuses on the type of car driving by me or parked in a parking lot, should I not just as easily be able to focus on what God commands in the Bible for me to do? When I focus on the things that are true, noble, right, pure, admirable and praiseworthy, I am in communion with God.

It can be difficult in our media-saturated lives to find things that fit this description. But just like yellow cars, I believe I will discover that those things aren’t as rare as I might think. If everyone focused on those traits, think how very different our lives would be. It is much easier to praise God and be thankful for His provision when we are focused on the positive things in our lives.