LIMA — Sadly, it is a message that has to be spread to students younger and younger as generations go by.
St. Gerard Catholic School kicked off Positive Addiction Week with guest speaker David Kohout. He has been reaching out to youth for 28 years with his gift of public speaking in front of more than 500,000 students. While his presentation carries the moniker “Talk is Cheap,” the message is anything but that. The message is aimed at character, establishing confidence, and providing hope in the lives of young people.
“It starts at home,” Kohout said about having to speak to children at a younger age. “When we were kids, if we would have spoken to our parents like some kids today, we would have been on the floor.”
Kohout gets around the handcuffs of not being able to say “God” in public schools by saying he is “standing in the presence of greatness.” However, speaking at the private school, Kohout said God can deliver. He talked of his high school days of drinking, smoking pot, and using vulgar language before he came to Jesus.
“My mouth was so vulgar that I probably would have made Satan blush,” Kohout said.
Kohout became saved at 18 and was able to establish old friendships that had been severed because of his ways.
“It lifted such a weight off of me,” he said.
He said the children have to be ready to make hard choices. He said you have to be able to cut the strings.
“You have to cut the strings from people that may be bad influences if you want to change your life,” Kohout said.
Kohout explained that cutting the strings is important to get in good practices.
“You get away from that stuff and there is a better chance you reiterate it,” Kohout said. “It becomes part of your character.
Kohout told the students to build their relationships on five elements, love, trust, respect, understanding, and forgiveness. He stressed forgiveness because he said Christians sometimes shy away from it.
“We sometimes take our wounded, round them up, and shoot them, Kohout said. “We don’t build them up.”
Eighth-grader Ethan Truex, 14, said the message got to him.
“I am an emotional guy,” Ethan said. “The message that I got was that God is always with you, even when you are not acting the right way.”
Eight-grader Kaylee Rigg, also 14, said she learned to be true.
“I can’t choose who I am, but I can choose what I do,” Kaylee said. “He showed me it is OK just to be myself.”
The week continues Tuesday with a demonstration by the Lima Police Department K-9 Unit, a presentation on human trafficking and a panel on opioid and heroin addiction. Wednesday will focus on life skills and healthy alternative workshops. Thursday the students will hear from SAFY representatives on the SAFY Drop-in Center, eating disorders and healthy eating, and juvenile drug court. Friday the students will hear from keynote speaker Liz Ferro and compete in a 5K run.
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