Hi Parents,
The birth of a child to teenage parents brings mixed blessings.  The innocence of childhood has slipped away.  Doubt, regret, fear, and shame overwhelms the teen and parents.  Emotions are highly charged.  Parents are shocked and teens are devastated.  The teen knows they have messed up. It is at this point in their life that they need to feel the love and care of family and friends. God understands the heart of each teenage parent.  Our job is to simply continue to show them Christ's love. 

​Mary was probably in her mid-teens when she became pregnant with Jesus.  Today, people might have looked down on her or felt sorry for her.  The same would have been true then, especially since Mary and Joseph were not yet married.  She must have wondered what people would say and how she would be treated when people found out she was pregnant.  Her thoughts must have been all over the board and considering her plight, it is easy to imagine her saying "no way" to the proposition.  The culture of the day demanded that unless the father of the child agreed to wed the woman, unmarried life was all that remained for her.  That, or death by stoning.  But Mary took the news with grace, acceptance and willingness, all the while knowing the risks, and said, "May it be to me as you have said."  Mary had a firm faith that said, "I trust in you Lord, to take care of all of the details."
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Ask your teen...
How would you feel if you discovered you were going to be a parent?  What would you do?  How would having a child change you?
​What would you do if a friend came to you with news of an unplanned pregnancy?  Would you abandon your friendship and never look back, or would you be as supportive as possible?

Challenge your teen...
​Write about a situation in which faith gave you hope and helped you to rebuild your life.

Prayer...
​Lord, let us dare to see the people others have rejected, to love them with your never-ending love, and to point them to your grace and forgiveness.  Give us the strength to be a good friend even when we don't know how to help.  In the powerful name of Jesus, we pray.  Amen.

Dear Parents,
Are you, or do you have, an introvert in your home?  Rest assured, being an introvert is not a disease.

In the book "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Won't Stop Talking," Susan Cain describes introversion as "a preference for environments that are not over stimulating."  Introverts tend to find their center and renew their energy by spending time alone.  They need time to be by themselves, to think things through, and to discover new ideas before rejoining others.  Introverts thrive on quiet.  Interacting with other people is important, but so is spending time alone - by yourself and with God.  Whether you are an introvert or not, spending time alone is OK.

​Even those who are introverts can become lonely.  Introverts are thinkers and crave time alone, but that can also create loneliness and isolation from others. Try to practice saying NO to actions that keep you isolated and say YES to those that open you up the possibility of growth, relationship, and blessing others.  Genesis 2:18a says, "Then the Lord God said, 'It is not good that man should be alone.'"  God created us to be in relationship.  We seek that love and acceptance from other people.  If you or a loved one is feeling isolated, reach out.  God wants us to enter into fellowship with the people around us, and often we need to take the first step.

​So how do we do that?  In tough times, saying yes and no to the right things is important: 

• ​Say NO to the idea that loneliness is forever.  Sometimes loneliness seems unending, but knowing that this too shall pass is crucial.
• Say NO to comparing your life to the lives of others.  Never compare what you know about your own life to what you don't know about someone else's.  all of us have moments when we feel utterly alone.
• Say NO to the "overs" - over-sleeping, over-eating, over-TV binging, over-video-game-playing.  Overs eventually add shame to loneliness and deepen isolation.
• Say YES to diving into the word of God to discover how David, Jeremiah, Job, Naomi, Paul, and Jesus handled loneliness.  Look for ways they were able to carry on, assured of God's loving care for them.
• Say YES to trying something new - a new recipe, a new art project, a new book, or a new way of spending your time.  Transform loneliness into opportunity.
• Say YES to reaching out to someone else who is lonely.  Loneliness leads to self-absorption.  Refuse to let that happen by establishing new relationships.  Find ways to play a part in healing someone else's lonely heart.

​Ask your teen...
​What are solitary gifts you believe God would like you to invest in others?

​Prayer...
Dear Heavenly Father,
​This weary heart longs to be near you.  I'm tired of searching for comfort, acceptance, and love in the people around me.  I want to go to the source.  The world can't quench my thirst.  My quiet place is where I, a dehydrated Christian, can drink from the well that won't run dry.  On many days, I forget to make time for you.  I've allowed my own voice to become part of the noise when I call on your name in the midst of chaos.  But when I am still and the world around me seems to have paused, I can feel you with me.  Lord, hear my cry; your daughter/son needs to hear your voice.  Knees planted in the loose strands of my thin carpet, palms turned up, ready to receive your blessings, face horizontal to the ground bowing in the presence of the Almighty One.  This is my table for one.  The empty plate in front of me was ordered so that I may be filled with the spirit and not of the flesh.  The empty seat next to mine is occupied by a figure who [is] seen by faith.  Your faithful servant in Christ. Amen.

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Hi Parents!
Have you ever asked why we worship?

​Psalm 96:4 (NRSV) says "For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be revered above all gods."

• ​​Worship is the act of showing reverence or adoration to our God.  We can worship in a variety of ways, from observing quiet time in the morning to singing praises in the evening. 
• Worship can be the expression of personal thoughts in a direct conversation with God.  It can also be the prayers and praises of a community gathered in church. 
• Worship is also the personal relationship that children of God have with their heavenly Father.  It can be a time to pause for prayer, to dig into the word of God, or to learn more about God's knowledge of and love for each and every individual under the sun. 
• Above all, worship is reaching out to believers and non-believers alike in Jesus' name and spreading the word of God to all we meet.

​To love God with all our heart, soul, and strength, we worship daily.  If we love God, it means we can worship anywhere, any time.  The true expression of worship is acted out every time we choose to give God authority over our lives.  When we whisper a prayer of thanks, we worship.  When we honor our parents, we worship.  When we stick up for a kid being bullied, love those we think are unworthy, or use our gifts to do well in school, we worship.  It doesn't matter how loud our praise is when we honor God in the little things we do.
​"Worship is an it-is-well-with-my-soul experience." Robert Webber

Ask your teen...
How does worship help you to trust that, in God's hands, all will be well?
​When and where will you worship God this week?
​What has God blessed you with? Great conversation with a friend, the gift of playing the trumpet, the crisp October air?
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​Prayer...
God, be present in the communities in which we worship, and fill us with the love of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Hi Parents!
​As a small child I can remember going to the library every week and picking out a stack of books.  I could hardly wait until my chores were done so I could dive into my latest selections and let my imagination introduce me to new people and new places. 

Have you ever considered the reason why we read?  For some it's an escape, a way for us to get away from daily troubles.  When we pick up a book we enter another existence where we can do or be anything.  Reading can also allow us to communicate experiences, emotions and ideas with others. It's imagining what it's like to be someone else, of putting ourselves in their shoes.  Reading can also help us think outside our own personal perceptions about people, places, or life experiences and give us empathy.  When we read, we learn more about those around us, those who came before us, and we learn more about ourselves. 

God calls us to be empathetic and compassionate toward all of creation.  When we begin to understand others and what they experience, we can better embody Christ's love in our service to them.  We can become stronger followers of Jesus.  The next time you pick up a book, consider how it might help you to empathize with someone else.  The compassion you show may change someone's life.

Ask your teen...
​What books have inspired you?
What characters have been your examples and your friends?

​Challenge your teen...
What character qualities have they encouraged you to put into practice?
​What book, that you were required to read, has surprised you with truths you hadn't expected?  Continue to be open to reading new authors for insight and enlightenment.

​Prayer...
​God, you know everything about me.  Give me teachable spirit, that I may learn through other's experiences and stories.  Amen.