Cathy's Corner

Cathy’s Corner

 

I just can’t begin to tell you how excited I am about Young Moms By Choice. What is that you ask? Well, it is a ministry we started last summer to teens and twenties Moms. It started out as Teen MOPS and has changed to Young Moms By Choice because they chose life for their baby. We reach girls anywhere from fifteen to twenty-five. We meet on Wednesday evenings and this fall we began a Sunday morning connection class for them as well.

 

Word has slowly gotten out about our ministry. Last week we were able to provide a lunch meeting for the Director of Social Development for the HEB ISD and for the counselors from Trinity, Bell and Keys High Schools and two of the Jr. High Schools. We told them all about our program and what we had to offer their girls who are pregnant or have children and then what we could do for them. As a result of that meeting, this past Wednesday two of our leaders and one of the young women who is in that ministry went and spoke at Keys High School to twenty-five young women. Wednesday evening thirteen of those showed up for our meeting. Two came with the Father’s of their babies and two came with their Mothers. We had one young woman come from the Mid-Cities Pregnancy Center. Can I just say that God showed up in a huge way? We were expecting maybe five to eight - but fourteen new girls - and to come with two fathers and two mothers as well, not to mention the babies that came along. It was awesome. So while we were planning for maybe twenty-five total, God had other things in mind. We were scrambling around for more chairs, worrying about the food and how we were going to reach these girls. I got to see the story of the fishes and loaves live and in person. The food multiplied and it was just an incredible thing to see how God provided in each and every circumstance.

 

Beckie Smith is our leader. She changed plans in the middle of everything. If you know “planned-out Beckie,” you know that she likes everything to be ready to go right down to the last detail. She was unmoved and unstoppable. Her husband, Jeremy was pitching in getting chairs, going to the kitchen to get their leftover food, and helping in whatever way he could. Then the rest of the leaders, Jenna Williams, Angela Faughtenberry, Dawn Webb, Sara Duke, Kristen Trawick, Sara Thompson, Daisy Lico, and Kathy Hanson all carried out their assignments as well. In addition to the ministry to the moms, we also have begun a ministry to these dads as well. That is being led by Jeremy Smith, Will Theisen and Jonathan Faughtenberry.  When the girls break off into their groups the guys get together and have their own time of learning from Godly Christian men.

 

I cannot begin to tell you what we are seeing God do in the lives of these young people. Imagine yourself in the situation of being a young teen or twenty something, pregnant or a new parent when you are basically just a kid still yourself. Yes, for the most part, they got themselves into this mess but they CHOSE to give that child life. Thus the name Young Moms BY Choice...and they had a choice. Our world gives them the option of aborting their baby, but they chose to give their baby life. So here they are, most of them are ashamed; they are embarrassed; they are getting grief at home. In some cases, they can’t do the things they used to do with their friends. They may or may not be accepted. So where do they turn? We have given them a place to come and be accepted for who they are and for what they are going through. They can join with others who are going through the same things that they are. We aren’t glorifying what has happened. We are walking through it with them and caring about them and being Jesus with skin on. We are pointing them to Jesus. We are showing them what true Christians can be like. We are showing them that our church doesn’t judge them or condemn them and we are showing them how to be better parents.

 

I wish I had more space to write because this is just the tip of the iceberg.  So pray for this ministry and for all of those involved.  May God be glorified in all we do.

 

Have a great day in the Lord!