Dave Morgan / Youth Unlimited September 2011
STEPPING UP
A Silent Tug Of War! 
I woke up one Monday morning in September to this text on my phone from a young father:
“Well Dave looks like I’m screwed till the first. Seriously ready to sign my kid over to foster care. I can’t get ahead no matter how hard I try. But also doesn’t help feeling so alone! Without any family to help this is not something I want to do but I need to do. If I can’t get help for me I can’t help my child. He deserves better”!
“These young fathers are in desperate need of our help”. I was reminded again after reading this text how much young fathers are hurting, how alone they are in their struggle. Most of these young men have exhausted every avenue of help from the government agencies. These agencies are suppose to help but are failing due to being over saturated with the many issues of struggling young families. Some dads are on wait lists that are months even years long for help with their specific need and when help finally arrives for the young dad, it's often too late! Desperation and lack of support and direction cripples them while waiting for the Cavalry “so to speak” to show up and rescue them. Many young dads make some kind of drastic decision that put them and their young children in jeopardy. They usually trump the initial problem by erratic and costly decisions to fix their current situations; these decisions are usually made out of desperation to do anything to change what they are currently facing. Some of these young dads just abandon the waiting on the government process altogether, usually because they lack patience and have life pressures resulting in self-sabotage. With no where else to turn some young dads turn to their often dysfunctional parents or families for help and this leads them even further into emotional despair! Unfortunately most have no family to turn to at all, just like the young father who texted me that Monday morning. It’s so important for 'Stepping Up' to continue to give these young fathers hope through practical needs such as work initiatives, mentorship and life skills. We need to help young fathers break cycles of dysfunction and be there when they need us! I could not imagine what would have happened to this young father and his child if we weren’t there to help him in his time of need. This story could have ended with another fatherless child. Fortunately it had a happy ending, this young father ended up keeping his son and has since found adequate living accommodations and is ready to reach out to us for emotional and practical support too! I often wonder how many more of these stories don’t have a happy ending? Please commit yourself to pray and give financially to this ministry so we can continue to be available for these young Dads and their dramatic situations.
Something To Think About!
A Dad's Blessings: A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted.
As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautifully wrapped gift box. Curious, but somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the young man's name embroidered in Gold. Angry, he raised his voice to his father and said, "With all your money, you give me a Bible?" and stormed out of the house, leaving the Bible.
Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care of things.
When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. And as he did, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words PAID IN FULL.
How many times do we miss Spirit's blessings and answers to our prayers because they do not arrive exactly as we have expected? TODAY'S's affirmation: "Today I look beyond the obvious and allow miracles to be created in my life."
As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautifully wrapped gift box. Curious, but somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the young man's name embroidered in Gold. Angry, he raised his voice to his father and said, "With all your money, you give me a Bible?" and stormed out of the house, leaving the Bible.
Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care of things.
When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. And as he did, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words PAID IN FULL.
How many times do we miss Spirit's blessings and answers to our prayers because they do not arrive exactly as we have expected? TODAY'S's affirmation: "Today I look beyond the obvious and allow miracles to be created in my life."
Many Hands Thank you! We received new monthly donations last month equaling $100.00. We are now asking for another $450.00 a month to come in so we can securely be on at YFC working four days a week. To break it down we would need 4 people giving $100.00 a month or 9 people giving $50.00 a month. But if each of you reading this newsletter would give us as little as $35.00 a month, Shaina and I would not only be on four days a week, we would be on full time at YFC! If you can’t give $35.00 dollars a month, would you consider giving $25.00 a month, or even $20.00 a month! Whatever you can give helps greatly and gets us closer to being on full-time. Please continue to pray for this ministry and us. Please consider being a monthly financial partner as well! Stepping Up “young fathers” is committed to changing lives. So be a part of change; partner with us as together we reach out to young fathers! Thank you to all of you giving so generously to this ministry! Shaina and I feel so encouraged by your support! We are getting closer to our goal every month! Thank you.
Dave and Shaina’s UpdateOur family has had a very busy September. Joah, the hockey star, is back on the rink getting ready for another year. He had two goals in his try-outs; hockey season always keeps our lives busy! Liam got chicken pox but not in the traditional way. No, he had a mild case through a vaccine supposed to prevent him from getting it! Yep he is one in a hundred kids to get chicken pox through a preventative vaccine! Lucky us! Shaina and I are still working hard on getting our day care licensed. Please pray for us as we seem very tired lately and a bit stressed. Life has been busy lately and the Licensing process is daunting; we need to get it done sooner than later. Thanks for your Prayers and for so many of you believing in this ministry! Encouragement from the Lord read “Psalm 46:1”, Blessings!
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