they are grateful

I want to say "thank you" to everyone who makes House of Hope - Illinois possible for teens and their parents. We recently had the opportunity to sit with 3 different local families at our Mokena office, all were in need of help, and all expressed their gratitude to us for being available to them without charge. A parent's tear filled eyes, a teen's smile and hug, and their expressions of gratefulness make it all worth while.

Again, I just want to say Thank You for helping make House of Hope - Illinois a place where teens and parents can turn to in their time of troubles.

How Can I Get to My Teen's Heart?

TIME.

This may not be easy to hear. The saying "quality time is better than quantity" is misunderstood. Parenting means sacrifice. We need to do things with our kids and lean into them by building memories, sharing experiences and establishing strong bonds. This is a main ingredient to draw their hearts toward you.

After spending "quantity" time with your teen, they will begin to see that you really are there for them and care enough to listen to them. In time, they will share their heart with you. Depending on how hard your teens may be or how controlled and manipulated they are by their "world of influence", it might take a significant investment of your time up front. However, it is never too late to start.

Start now. It can be your greatest Christmas gift to them.

God is working

What is God doing at House of Hope - Illinois this month?

• bringing new teens to HOH for help


• bringing new volunteers


• bringing new Board members


• growing our faith


• making us smile :)

We believe God can and does use us to change lives and our communities. He is creating a place where teens can come to and be accepted, listened to, and loved with compassion. This is House of Hope - Illinois.

Be a Prisoner of Hope

Be a Prisoner of Hope? Are you crazy? You've never met my teen! You don't know what I'm going through. You may be right. But the Lord knows. He is your Hope.

Take a look at John 16:33 (NASB) ~ "In the world you have tribulation, but take courage [hope]; I have overcome the world."

We were never promised a struggle free life ~ especially in the parenting department. Wow. Life comes with ease and hardship?! I can't imagine being a parent these days without hope. I would have sunk a long time ago taking my daughter with me.

Believe that your circumstances are subject to change. Not simply because of our strength but because we can rely on our Lord's strength to help us overcome our adversity.

I challenge you to be a Prisoner of Hope. Hope in our Lord. He is just waiting to help us. Let's run to Him.

Cell Phone vs. Bible

Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we flipped through it several times a day?
What if we turned back to go get it when we forgot it?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to our Kids as gifts?
What if we used it when we traveled?
What if we used it in case of emergency?

Hmmmmm............makes me stop and think, where is my Bible, where are my priorities?

Oh, and one more thing - Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because JESUS ALREADY PAID THE BILL .... And no dropped calls!