Today, I’m continuing to share with you portions of my CareNet Pregnancy Center’s banquet speech.  Are you called to carry a torch?…

Each year my heart breaks more and more for our young people and the culture that they are being raised in…it is crude, indecent, immoral and at many points simply evil.  Parents are overwhelmed trying to stay up to date on technology, terminology, and social media all the while trying to raise young people with godly character at the same time dealing with homework, homecoming and hormones. 

Equally disturbing are the number of people willing to accept defeat giving the next generation over to captivity and darkness.  They say things like…it is too far gone.  It is what it is and we may as well accept it.  The next generation has no conviction, is given to immorality, they are lazy and entitled. 

We agree that this culture is indecent and immoral; however, we believe they can be more.  This generation can be all that the Father has called them to be.  The Word tells us that our children were born for such a time as this that He goes before and behind them, He covers them with His wing and He is their shield and defender.  They are more than conquerors.

CareNet is committed to coming alongside parents and families as we raise the bar in our community. 

We have offered abstinence presentations since 1988 and continue to today…but in 2004 our mentoring programs were birthed.

We now offer 7 different mentoring programs; Chosen, Squires, Pearls, Bravehearts, True U, and Lead Council, #reach4greatness are character development programs offered free of charge to public schools. 

In 2013 we had over 15,000 interactions with parents and teens through our abstinence and mentoring programs that is almost double from the year before!  But in 2014 those programs increased exponentially…in one year’s time we grew from serving 4 school campuses and 11,000 students to 19 campuses and over 25,000 students.

We mentioned at our banquet last year that we were in the final stages of a book for parents.  By the grace of God and lots of hard work and input from many people, we released the book last September.  And tonight for the first time, we have an accompanying prayer journal and a DVD teaching set that covers the information in the book.

This project was so important to us for many reasons…

·      On average teens spend over 7 hours each day participating in social media and the internet. 

·      We allow our 3rd graders to have cell phones, our 5th graders to “group date” and when they become teenagers we hold our breath and pray.  We label success as a teen make until high school graduation and not being pregnant or addicted to drugs.

·      1 in 5 mobile searches are for pornography

·      93% of boys and 62% of girls are exposed to internet porn by age 18.

·      76% of first encounters with online predators happen in chat rooms.

·      39% of teens have sent or posted sexually suggestive messages.

·      26% of teens and young adults say someone has written something about them online that was untrue.

You will remember that over the course of an 18-month period, I engaged in conversations with a group of 14 college students whom we refer to as the “Lifeguards”. 

They accepted the challenge to be vulnerable, they asked hard questions, and they answered even harder ones. Through Facebook messages, texts, late night phone calls, and time together, I got to know the hearts of these amazing young men and women.

The process of completing Rescue was a difficult one.  I want to share an exchange I had with the Lifeguards as we were finishing the project.  I had gone to the mountains to finish my part of the writing and was completely overwhelmed.  I sent this text to the Lifeguards.

I am in the mountains this week and my goal is to finish my part of the writing. I don’t really have words to describe how I am feeling spiritually. Every time I have designated time to work on this project we have faced attack and it has been in every area you can imagine. This time has been no different. Every obstacle you can imagine attempting to get in the way of this time focused on the book has been thrown at us. This week has been the most intense one for me personally I have experienced as an adult. I have been overwhelmed with thoughts of “people think you and all that you stand for is a joke.” I can’t really explain all of it, and I am trying to battle through…but what I would like to do is give up. I won’t do that because I believe in what He’s called us to do and this will be such a help and encouragement to families. I believe the Lord wanted me to ask you to pray for the project, pray for the families that will be impacted, and pray for me. I love you so and value your prayers more than you can know. I am so very proud of all of you. Struggle well.

Many of them responded with very encouraging words…but Andrew called me.

“Mrs. Candy…remember Noah? He built an ark to be a shelter in the storm before it had ever even rained! And it didn’t take him a year or two, but 100 years to complete it. We are building an ark, a safe place for families to run in times of trouble, and if it helps only one family, then it was worth all of our sacrifice.”

This is our prayer for parents: that in their times of trouble, storms, and high seas they would have an ark to run to for refuge. In today’s culture, parents are fighting against high tide and deep waters to raise teenagers who fear God and seek righteousness. It isn’t easy on good days and can come near drowning us on bad ones. But the fact is we serve a God who will never abandon us or allow us to become lost in a sea of trouble. His Word and His precepts are a refuge, a safe place, and an ark where we can protect our families from the onslaught of the enemy.

“For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you…For the spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:6-7

CareNet has served over 111,000 people in some form of captivity, like the Egyptians, over the past 27 years. Some barely surviving.  They had been beaten, gone hungry and done without.  They had seen their mothers weep and sometimes their babies die.  They had learned not to make eye contact, but to simply obey and work hard, very hard.  They understood captivity.  Slavery was simply their lot in life.  Likely they welcomed the darkness at nightfall.  They may have been most comfortable in the dark.  There was no hope, there was only the understanding that tomorrow would be like today until…you and others like you.  

You are different.  You talk differently.  You are bold and have the audacity to look sin in the eye.  You speak of God, I AM…and you know Him. 

When you pray, when you volunteer…when you give…you declare to this community… to those who feel as though they are in hopeless darkness

 “Up!  Let’s go…you are no longer a slave.  You do not have to exist this way any longer.  God has set you free.” 

You see, you aren’t a slave.  You know freedom and you carry a torch….


My love,