Dear Friends,

Have you ever heard the comment, “Kids these days?” It’s an expression that has been passed on throughout the decades. Typically, when this is being said about youth it is not a flattering statement. It is an admonishment on their wardrobe, work ethic, and behavior. In a way, it is past generations saying that today’s youth is a lost cause and perhaps there is no hope for them. However, I would ask of anyone who has ever muttered this statement, one simple question: What values or characteristics have you instilled in the hearts and minds of the youth?

Proverbs 22:6 tells us, “Train up a child in the way he should go; and even when he is old he will not depart from it.” (ESV) It boggles the mind, the idea that we are so astonished and dumbfounded when a young person falls away from the Lord when we have not done enough to nurture and train them as a child.  Imagine for a moment that a child was taught in Kindergarten that “2 + 2” equaled five. If this is how they were trained, this is what they trust to be true. Would you be surprised if in the next grade they were to get this math equation wrong on a test? While each of us have our God-given free will to either embrace the teachings of the Lord or walk away from them, they must be taught to us. This responsibility is squarely upon us. As parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and mentors, it is incumbent on us to speak into the lives of the children we are so lucky to have influence on. Future generations are depending on you.

I urge you to prayerfully consider making an investment in the children in your community. The Lodestar Guidance leadership training program is a curriculum that highlights 48 biblical, proven characteristics that will grow character and faith. It is safe to say that we are in a “character crisis” in America today. Our greatest defense in fighting this epidemic is by training up our children. For more information, contact Tim McAvoy at (540) 236-5982.

Blessings,

Steve