thought i'd give you all something new to chew on and comment on... actually several new entries i haven't posted... enjoy A Generation In Crisis 1 out of 11 attempt suicide each year 1 out of 10 fifteen year olds and younger have gone through divorce in their life-time. 58% have been involved in objectionable content on the web. 40% have experimented with self-injury (are "cutters"). Use of prescriptions drugs (Ritalin, anti-depressants, etc.) among children/teens has increased substantially in the past few years. Look at that above. Those are true, up to date statistics on our generation. If that alone doesn't strike a chord on your heart strings, and make you think... maybe the following will... This Is A Generation Without Morality By the time the average child graduates from high school, he/she will have watched 19,000 hours of TV including about 200,000 sexual acts and 1 million acts of violence. 1 in 10 high school females have reported being raped at some point in their life. Fear of violence in schools is now the leading "worry" of public school teens. 48% of high school seniors are sexually active (had sexual intercourse in past 3 months). This Is A Generation Without Truth 91% say there is no absolute truth. 75% of teens in America believe the central message of the Bible is, "God helps those who help themselves". 53% believe Jesus committed sin (40% of born again teens believe Jesus committed sin). I don't know what all of that information says to you... but to me, it's a cry for help. A clear desperation for hope and truth in our country, and among our generation. We're labeled "Generation X" - the generation without hope. How sad is that? But also, how true is that... that the way the world is today, that's often times how we're left feeling, helpless, without any hope. But friend, that's so far from the truth... check out Titus 3:7, it says: That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Because of Jesus Christ, and the sacrifice that was made, we are able to become heirs of God - meaning, we are intended to be in a personal relationship with Him, inheriting the HOPE of eternal life in Heaven, inheriting the kingdom of God and all the blessings that fall under that. How incredible is that?! See, there is hope... but not enough people are bold enough to voice that. God bless those that are... but others are too wrapped up in the world rather than giving people what they deserve - the truth. Sure, there's a lot of poverty, despair, violence in this world, and so much more. But can I tell you a secret? You're more than a conqueror and have the power within you to rise above all that and inherit truly amazing blessings that were set aside just for you and your life. Jeremiah 29:11 says, for I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. You see, hope is there... victory is ours in Jesus... but it's up to us, whether or not we obtain it and cling to it, as our very bread of life and strength to press on. Are you settling for the world? Or are you rising above, claiming all that is yours in the name of the Lord and choosing life? (Deut. 30:19-20... choose life, that you might live) I challenge you, rise up and stand for hope. Stand for love. Most of all, stand for Jesus and be His voice to all the world.