What happens when someone who has been walking through life alone finally discovers they don’t have to do it alone? We are witnessing the answer through our Empowered Parenting Program, and it is more than we could have dreamed, imagined, or hoped for!
Our eight-week parenting courses, including Parenting Without Shame, offer so much more than parenting education. They help parents recognize how their own childhood experiences have shaped their parenting today. Those “aha!” moments can open the door to understanding, healing, and a new way forward. Parents begin to realize that the patterns they experienced growing up do not have to be repeated. They can learn new ways to nurture their children, build healthy relationships, and create a different future for their families.
But the most beautiful transformation often happens through the relationships formed along the way. As our clients meet one-on-one with their mentors, trust begins to grow. Walls come down. What starts as a parenting course becomes a safe place to share the hurts, fears, disappointments, and struggles they may have carried alone for years.
Our mentors offer more than instruction. They offer friendship, understanding, encouragement, and wisdom gained through their own life experiences. Some have walked through single parenting, divorce, betrayal, and seasons of deep heartache themselves. They understand the challenges these parents face, and they can offer hope from the perspective of someone who has walked a difficult road too.
For some mothers, that mentor becomes the trusted friend or mother figure they have desperately needed. For fathers, it can be another man who listens, encourages, and helps them discover the father they want to become. And sometimes, the greatest testimony comes in just a few words. “Life Choices is my home away from home. You guys always make me feel safe, supported, and comfortable with everything.”
Wow! Stop and think about that for a moment. A visitor to Life Choices describes us as her home away from home. That is what happens when someone is met with compassion instead of judgment, when someone takes the time to listen so a relationship can be built on trust, a place where she feels safe to share her heart and receive the encouragement she needs.
Another client expressed her gratitude in these words: “I don’t know what I would have done or where I would be if I didn’t find you guys. Thank you!” These are not simply words of appreciation. They are a glimpse into the difference a caring relationship can make when someone is facing life’s challenges and wondering how they will move forward.
And then there is a testimony that especially touches our hearts. One client had experienced a life marked by chaos and anxiety. Yet, as she encountered true acceptance through the love of Jesus, something began to change. She shared:
“Jesus has changed my life from chaos to still waters. He’s leading me to green pastures. I feel this baby is my green pastures”. For someone who has known so much chaos, the words “still waters” and “green pastures” speak of something precious: peace, hope, and the promise of a new beginning. And to hear her describe her baby as her “green pastures” is deeply moving.
This is why our work matters. We aren’t simply teaching parenting skills. We are building relationships, strengthening families, encouraging healthier choices, and creating opportunities for people to experience the hope and love of Jesus. When a parent begins to heal, grow in confidence, and discover a better way forward, the impact reaches far beyond that individual. It touches their children, shapes their family relationships, and influences generations to come.
I wish you could sit in on these mentoring sessions and witness these moments for yourselves. I wish you could see the relief on a parent’s face when they realize they are not alone, hear the excitement when something finally makes sense, and experience the joy of watching someone begin to believe that a different future is possible.
Your generosity helps make these moments possible – THANK YOU!
Because of you, parents have access to courses that equip them with practical skills, mentors who genuinely care, and a place where they can be heard, encouraged, and supported, and because of you, we have the privilege of witnessing lives being touched by the love of Christ. I am deeply grateful for making this work possible. Your generosity is doing more than funding a program. You are investing in parents, strengthening families, and helping create a healthier future for the next generation.
Thank you for your faithful support; I do not take your generosity lightly. Thank you for every opportunity to walk alongside a parent, every relationship built on trust, and every glimpse of hope restored through your giving. And thank you for being part of what God is doing in their lives.
