Thank you for joining me on the blog today! I want to share with you my recent speech at the Amarillo CareNet Pregnancy Centers & Mentoring Programs Banquet. We had the privilege to share with more than 1,200 people!

“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.” Psalm 133

The unity in faith that CareNet represents is powerful and I believe it is having a Kingdom impact on our community. It takes all of us from the Board of Directors, to our Advisory Board, the staff, the volunteers, our prayer partners, the more than 50 local churches of all denominations that we partner with and our donors…it takes all of us to accomplish the work He has called us to.  We are a team, a family.  That is your identity. Your calling…to join together as a family of believers and to make a Kingdom impact. Thank you!

Our theme this year is from Colossians 1:12,  “The Father has qualified you to share in the inheritance of His holy people in the Kingdom of Light.”

Just to be honest with you, there is rarely a day that goes by where I am not completely humbled and thankful that He has qualified us to share in inheritance. As a part of that inheritance, He provides us with the resource and giftings necessary to accomplish what He has prepared for us to accomplish for His Kingdom.

Aren’t we thankful that there is something bigger than us that “as the heavens are higher than the earth His ways are higher than our ways?”

We live in a day and time when it is imperative for us to understand that His ways are higher than ours, His thoughts are not our thoughts, and we are who He says we are.  It is interesting that we go through seasons in our culture where there are different buzz words. Certainly, the word of the hour is identity or identify… we are all trying to figure out who we are, what we identify as, what is our purpose, our very essence, our inheritance, our identity.

I looked up the definition of identity: The definition of identity is – the FACT of being who you are…the FACT of being who you are. The fact.  Not the opinion or feeling.  The actual fact of who you are is your identity.

We are all addicted to facebook, Instagram, twitter, and The Bachelor, Big Brother and This is Us (I must admit I love This Is Us…)

But, why? Why are we all so anxious to see what is next in the life of Jack and Rebecca…why does teenage Kevin who seems to have it all have such low self-esteem? Or Kate, why is appearance such a hurdle for her? And then Randall who is so smart and precious always trying to measure up and be good enough?

Why are we so caught up in other people’s lives? Because identity is at the forefront of everyone’s thoughts.

Our children are not a blank page with no boundary, no outline for their life. We have gone from telling them that they can be sexually immoral and we will erase the consequences, which by the way is a lie, we cannot save them from the consequences. To now telling them that they can choose to be whatever gender they want to be or if they don’t like male or female, they can make up their own. We have departed from reason, and all in the name of allowing our children freedom to be who or whatever they “want” to be.

What I can tell you from my experience working with the next generation is that they are feeling much like a newborn baby fresh from the womb of his mom.

When a baby has lived 9 months in the safe, warm womb…in an environment that when the boundaries were felt and touched, brought comfort and security. When that baby is born and now his arms have no boundaries there is nothing to touch for perspective and security, they flail…so we wrap them, we hem them in, they can feel the boundaries…and it brings security and comfort.

There are things in this life that are facts, our opinion of those facts or our desire that certain facts didn’t exist is irrelevant.…if you jump off the roof you will land on the ground and hard due to gravity. If you touch fire with your bare hand it will burn every time. If you have sex outside of marriage there will be consequences. You were created by God either male or female. You do have purpose and our God has created in advance good work for you to do. You are a child of the greatest King and you do have an inheritance.

Our children, our teens, the next generation…they have plenty of voices giving them permission to be rebellious, confused, lazy, entitled, tolerant, victims, immoral and hopeless.

At CareNet, we believe that we are called to be a voice declaring to our children that they can achieve greatness, that there is reason to hope, that there is a foundation and Rock from which to find their footing. We declare to the next generation that when difficulty comes, they are equipped and their Good Father has provided them a weapon for the battle. They will have to fight but He is with them and so are we. There is truth and no reason to feel confused and afraid. They have an inheritance and they are not alone. We are giving them permission to be different, to be who He has called them to be.

In 2000, we began offering mentoring programs because we believe in the next generation and we are willing to fight for them…these programs have grown from our first program, Pearls, to a total of 7:  Chosen, Squires, Bravehearts, True U AND Lead Council, #reach4greatness are character development programs offered free of charge to public schools.  The Lord has given us tremendous opportunity to serve the students in our community.

In 2016 we offered Lead Council on 5 campuses, in 2017 that number rose to 9 public school campuses.  In 2016, CareNet presented #R4G 1,051 times…in 2017,  over 2332 presentations by a speaking team of approximately 50 speakers!   Okay now listen in…in 2016 CareNet had 51,732 interactions with parents and teens through mentoring programs…in one year that number grew to 101,241…an increase of over 50% in one year!

I recently received this note from an elementary school teacher: “I am so proud of CareNet in Amarillo.  It means so much to me to see solid young Christians leading my students in character lessons.  Every topic is important for us to teach our kiddos and y’all have such a great and easy way of delivering the message.  Your mentors are excellent in relating to the students. I also appreciate the solid truth that is inlaid in every lesson.  Thank you for all you do to show Christ’s love to Amarillo students.”

And another student told me that her favorite day of the month is when CareNet comes. She says she turns to her friends and says, “look Hope is coming through the door…”

To be continued.

 

Click here to give to CareNet Pregnancy Centers & Mentoring Programs today! Thank you!

 

Thank you Nicole Dunnam Photography!