I am going to do what I am going to do. Thats the hardest part of leading students. Family teens as well - you can role model, speak to them, share your heart, cry over them, pray until you have no more heart left, spend more time with them than my wife, invest countless hours into them - and they still do what they want to do. Regardless of you are anyone else. I WANNA - is those selfish words that just screams "its all about me". Yesterday was such a blurr for me, Carol, Kyle and my Beaver family ... Tony and I searched every avenue we could in reaching out into the community looking for Kate. I have so many emotions right now dealing with this and rightly so - yesterday I was just numb and thinking that this would be over any minute now. But here we are ... a television show in reality. Lost teenage daughter living on the streets in a city far away which she has never been. No money, no credit cards, no ID - she has nothing. LOST- lost in this world and also in the next. God is not in her life - yes going to church but I just dont get it. Forgiveness - I have experienced that because everyone just keeps forgiving me. WHY? I dont' understand that. Kate just doesn't understand the power that grace and forgiveness gives us. We don't deserve it but she has experienced it and wonders about it ... but like many of us - she does what she wants to do and they will forgive... I am good. I wonder what God thinks of that sin we keep doing...knowing that He will forgive us when we come back to reality and ask for it? Its such a sad place to be. We are supposed to turn from our sin knowing that by turning from it - it is removed from our lives.
Living on the streets - teenager - lost. Hurting people all around because of the choices that were made - a WILL that is lived out over everyone elses and to every ones expense. "I am going to do what I want to do."
That is a sad place to be. If you are in this place today - I pray that you look around and see what your decisions are doing to others. If mom and dad have told you "no" and you are doing that anyways - in secret or not - think about that and honor them. If you are doing something in your life that is bringing shame to your family... honor them and turn from it. Change the life direction that you need and align yourself with Christ. Our sin nature pulls us away from that Christ center line in our lives. Many of us are hitting the guard rail with sparks flying thinking we wont go over the edge. No harm from this can come to me or those around me. Believe me - it already is causing harm if that is where you are today. Get to the center line loved ones and align your life with the power and perfect will that Christ has for you.
Nehemiah 9:5-6
"Stand up and praise the LORD your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting. [a] " "Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. 6 You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.

Such a tough place to be in day 2 of this nightmare. I am trusting you God for a good result in all this mess and pit that this morning brings. I praise your name above all this junk and decisions and personal will over yours. I pray your hand is mighty in the direction that all this needs to take. I thank you for those who are praying for Kate and for us. I thank you for each of them, their hearts, their words and their friendships - brothers and sisters in You.
Amen