For those of you who don't know, Tim and I attend New Life Church in Renton.....great church! Our pastor, Troy Jones, has been doing this three week series called "Taken". It's about our children, young nieces, nephews, our friends kids, or any young person we know and how this world and Satan are coming after our kids. It has stirred something in my heart. As a mom, I would never sit back and allow anyone to take my child....so why let the world or Satan take my child.
-2800 teens get pregnant everyday
-approx 3,000 teens a day will try cocaine for the first time
-Alcohol kills 6 1/2 times more youth than all other illicit drugs combined
-16.9% of high school students had seriously considered attempting suicide during the past year
-52% of teens report they have sexually active friends
-39% of teens said they know someone who has been shot
I don't know about you, but these stats scare me. We live in a world full of evil. I know that I won't always be able to protect our little girl, but I will do everything I can to raise her so she'll make the right choices.
Proverbs 22:15 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
1 John 2:15-17 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world -the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes, and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and it's desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
Ok, so I couldn't decide between these two verses, so I used both. Both are so important! I just love the book of Proverbs.....a very practical book that's black and white! The Lord calls us to train up our children....translation....teach your children right from wrong. Not "your" right from wrong, but God's right from wrong. In doing this, we will set a path for them to follow. My baby girl is too young to fight for herself or chose her path, but she won't be too young forever. At some point, she'll have to make the decision on whether or not she'll continue to follow that path we've brought her up on. This is the moment when you pray and hope that the way you have brought them up is God's way and that they will make the right choices and stay on the right path!
I also love the other verse in 1 John. Like I said before, we live in a sinful and evil world! I will not let this world or satan swallow my daughter. I know she'll be tempted and struggle with drugs, alcohol, sex, violence, self image....and much more. I also know that I have the Lord fighting with Tim and I. It is my prayer that she will grow up to be a woman filled with self-confidence, compassion, mercy, a Godly woman who won't conform to the ways of this world, but conform to the ways of the Lord!!
So, who's with Tim and I to stand up and fight the enemy and to not let our children be "Taken"???
(Sources: Teenage research Unlimited 2003, familyfirstaid.org, soundvision.com, livejournal.com. gdcada.org)
