Co-Founders Message

"Who Should be Teaching our Children about Sex?"

The New York Times recently published an article that made us at AMFM wonder why a government supported abstinence education program had very little, if any, impact on students in the state of Texas .

Finances couldn’t have been the problem since they were given $1 million dollars annually. The program delivered their message of abstinence through billboards and educational programs in thirty-three area school districts.  In addition to the funds given to implement the program, Texas draws in more federal money than any other state, bringing in $17 million to promote the message of abstinence. However, Texas has seen the smallest decline in teenage sexual activity. In fact the article indicated only a 1% difference in spite all their efforts and funding.

So why was there very little impact on the teenagers’ decisions to have sex? 

- Eric and Jennifer Garcia

Please click here for more.

Pearls Of Wisdom - Focusing Your Life

"Motivating Yourself!" - by Bobb Biehl

If you were to ask me the difference between a mature person and an immature person, I’d say one of the most fundamental differences is this:  the immature person has to wait for someone to motivate her/him, whereas the mature person has discovered some way of internally motivating herself/himself. 

In this piece I’m going to give you three fundamental things that will help you to motivate yourself whether anyone else is around or not.

Please click here for more.

Leadership

"The Black Box of Greatness in a Leader - Part Two"

- by Bruce McNicol

“Immersion in the furnace of leadership formation began with a painful experience with a beautiful young woman.

Emily Cavanaugh was a dark-haired college classmate whom Tyson had asked to marry him, even though they had known each other only one semester. After months of deliberation, Emily finally accepted his proposal.

But one evening at a class party she sat with him on a swing and told him she had to give back his ring. ‘I’m not sure we’re right for each other. I just don’t see any real purpose in your life yet.’ She was interested in an older student, Charles Massy. She saw in him what she didn’t see in Tyson—goals, plans, responsibility.

Tyson was devastated. ‘All the stars have fallen out of my sky,’ he wrote to a friend.

Please click here for more.

Prayer

"Prayer is the Key to Everything" - by Jennifer Kennedy Dean

Prayer is the key that unlocks all of the treasures of the Kingdom of God . It is a key that He has placed in your hand and invites you to use. Prayer is the conduit through which all the power and provision of God flows.

One of the questions people often have about prayer is: “If God knows what I need, why do I need to ask Him for it?” Jesus tells us in Matthew 6 that we do not need to worry about things because the Father knows everything we need (Matt. 6:31-32). He says in Matthew 6:8, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Yet, He teaches us to pray, “Give us today our daily bread” (Matt. 6:9). He states the need to ask in even stronger terms when He says, “Ask and it will be given to you” (Matt. 7:7). Don’t you find that interesting? Jesus assures us that God knows everything we need, yet tells us to ask Him for it. Consider why God has set things up so that prayer releases into our lives what He knows we need and wants to give us.

Please click here for more.

 Ministry Team Spotlight

"My Single Mom Life - by Angela Thomas"

- submitted by Tom and Helen Wheeler, Single-Parent Family Ministry Team

Perhaps a wonderful life is more valuable when the lessons to acquire it are hard fought, and the journey is many days that feel like two steps forward and fourteen steps back.

My last six years, wrapped in a whirlwind of emotion and activity, have been the most difficult yet the most rewarding I have ever known. Loving four children through their crazy lives, providing for us all, managing a home, and thinking about caring for myself feels a little like running the whole, wide world. Many of you know that.

Please click here for more.