Newspaper Page Text
M CI ION C
ForsyUiLife
Sunday, May 27,2012
A ,
.
ADLEN ROBINSON
Columnist
Ministry
assisting
former
prisoners
One day I noticed a
small newspaper ad
about a fundraiser for a
local nonprofit 1 was
unfamiliar with. I went
to my computer to find
out more about the orga¬
nization.
Set Free After-Care
Ministries is a prison
ministry of sorts. It helps
released prisoners re¬
enter society by working
with them to find jobs, a
place to live, etc.
1 had to know more, so
1 called founder and
executive director Tom
Ailanson We agreed to
meet for coffee.
From the moment Tom
began telling me his
story. I was riveted. At
one point, I stopped tak¬
ing notes and just lis¬
tened.
Tom came from a
strict family and attend¬
ed Georgia Military
Academy (which today
is W'oodward Academy)
in College Park. After
playing football for and
graduating from the
University of Georgia.
Tom became a profes¬
sional cowboy. He told
me about his exciting
life as a cattle ranch
manager, horse trainer
and rodeo rider.
A driven person. Tom
is a self-described work¬
aholic. From any outside
view, Tom’s life seemed
pretty normal.
Due to some horrible
events in the late 1970s,
Tom found himself in
prison with two life con¬
victions. For someone
who had never been in
trouble with the law
before, you can imagine
he was more than lost in
the midst of a sea of
other inmates.
It was at this darkest
hour of his life that Tom
gave his life to Jesus
Christ and became a
Christian.
Perhaps not surpris¬
ingly. Tom confronted
his new faith with the
same gusto and determi¬
nation he approaches
everything else.
Tom said his entire life
changed and he eagerly
attended church meet¬
ings in prison. "1 began
sharing my faith with
others ministering to
the other men who were
serving with me."
The organization han¬
dling the prison ministry
with Tom was Full
Gospel Businessmen's
Fellowship International.
Tom's eagerness and
ability to minister to oth¬
ers did not go unnoticed
He went on to become
chapter president of the
FGBMFI.
“They taught me how
to pray and to turn it all
over to God,” Tom
explained. "I found I
was more concerned
about others than I was
about myself. • *
WTiile in prison, a
businessman from the
"outside" began mentor¬
ing Tom and promised
him a job upon release.
After 16 years, Tom
was released from prison
and began the process of
re-entering society. It
See MINISTRY 16C
Editor Kevin Atwtll can be reached at editor#for$ytimew8.Cfin or (770) 887-3126.
FAITH
Juggling for Jesus
Man reflects
on outreach
for seniors
By Afyssa Lafteone
alarenzieSWorsythnews com
Tossing three puis in the an and dnipping
them promptly afterward, Tony Dodd joked
tliat his act is “picking up "
The 73-year-old juggler isn’t as agile
with the pins as he once was, but he says
it's all right
‘The audience may not he forgiving if you
drop a pin." Dodd said, "but God is "
He recently retired his ministry. Juggling
for Jesus, after about two years of perfor¬
mances for residents in senior living facilities
Dock! journaled during the experience Mid
published the book "Journey with
Outstretched Hands" this spring
He had spent some tune at the Cumming
home for seniors that his mother was staying
in. and he'd seen the monotony of their lives.
He took some of his dubs to the assisted
living facility to juggle for them
"It's a big deal to those folks because
they don't get out much," Dodd said.
"Anything visual is a real blessing to
them, a change of pace.’’
After his mother s death at 90 in 2007, he
put together a full routine and in 2010 began
traveling to different senior homes about two
or three times per month.
“I've used hum* x and juggling to help get
across the message [of tlx* Bible)." he sard
The 45-minutc performance was
designed for adults rather than kids, and
so the commentary and the jokes arc a
central part of his act.
Dodd says he can juggle "anything from
to nuts "
soup
Then he starts to toss around two coconuts
and a can of tomato soup
Some of his other tools include rings,
scarves and even knives
He learned the art while he was trapped
in his Ohio home during a blizzard in 1977.
But he didn't pick it up again until he felt
the calling for the juggling ministry
Like juggling, faith wasn't always a part
of Dodd's life
Though raised in the church, he
describes himself as a "Christian in name
only" until age 58.
“There was something missing in my
life, and I didn't know what it was," Dodd
said.
He found a flier fix a nearby church that
welcomed people to stop watching "Elvis"
I B » B B M B B fl * B £ I I
I
Terry Dodd signs a copy of his book for a cus¬
tomer.
Students reach out fencing team
Lambert first school
to add sport in county
By Jennifer Sami
l$8mi4#forsythnews com
Preston Yun spends a lot of time on
guard.
Even before Lambert High School
started a fencing team, the lOth-grader
was an avid fencer.
•• It's something I've always been
doing.” said Yun, team captain. "I
thought it would make a good addition
for the school. It’s just something I'm
passionate about, so I thought I could
share it with other classmates."
Yun was taking lessons with a hand¬
ful of other students at Lambert. The
group approached the school's princi-
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PtKXOf by Atyna Fortyib County News
Terry Dodd juggles for customers at Hobby Lobby in Cumming. He uses his
act as part of his Christian ministry.
rerun', and mine le.un about
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Dodd fud found what he
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First Redeemer Church, has
written seven books — both
fiction and nonfiction — that explore the
messages of the BiNc
"Journey with Outstretched Hands." his mo*
sq>
pod one ofhis other passions in
life — the Northsidc Hospital
Ftxsyth Auxiliary
Fnxneach N«»k sale. $5 will go
towwl suppi rung the auxiliary 's
scholarship turxl and other needs
for the hospital community
LXxkJ has Ixxt. a member (>1 the
hospital’s volunteer grrxip f<x five
yciTN, shtxt)> after he lost his wife
of 45 y ears to career
He spends a couple days a
week volunteering .ind has volun
leered in several roles He's cur
rcntly at the helm of interviewing
voluniccr appfieanls
Past president of the oiganiza
tion, Barbara Moran, said Dodd
pal and athletic director about bringing
the sport to campus.
It was their dedication, along with
parental support, that inspired math
teacher Andra Cruse and science
teacher John Brock to sponsor
Lambert's first fencing team this year.
“W'c're the first school in Forsyth
County to have it," Cruse said. "In our
area, there's much more of a broad
interest. Some kids play football,
we've got soccer, we've got lacrosse,
we've got the equestrian team. So this
is just one more opportunity for stu¬
dents to explore other avenues."
Cruse said she was first approached
with the idea by students on her math
team, several of whom are fencers.
Though she's not a fencer, Cruse
See FENCING 13C
I
"Ml
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has
been an asset fix tlx- auxil
uxy
"He's humexous. He's venous." Moran said.
"Wherever your feelings arc. he can be tfxtre fix
you
Since mocung him those five years ago, she
always knew he was an autfxx. but he didn't
reveal his juggling hobby until a Christmas
party fix the group about two years ago
Moran helped Dixid w ith a recent fundrais
er for the auxiliary and book sale at the
Hobby Lobby in May. as he entertained cus¬
tomers with his act.
“One of the lines 1 like to use is: How
many tnes docs a 73-year old juggler gciT'
he sard. "As many as he needs."
On the Net
Learn more about Terry Dodd and
Juggling for Jesus at terrygdodd
books.com.
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For the Forsyth County Newt
Lambert High students practice fencing. This is
the first year the school has offered the sport