ARTreach, Making It Better Program and Tools 4 Teens Unite in Katy, TX

If you live in Katy or Houston, it is very likely that you have heard of the ARTreach program led by Terri Bieber. This program promotes healing and communication through art. Now enter the Making It Better Program where art programs can be administered to kids that need an outlet to express themselves in a positive way. The Making It Better Program, with Executive Director Jacque Daughtry at the helm, has captured the attention of some key community leaders in the Houston area.

Imagine my delight when these two amazing women approached me about incorporating Tools 4 Teens in their programs! What a blessing to come face to face with teens in a classroom setting to TEACH the content of Tools 4 Teens. Pinch me! What a dream to make a direct impact on the future of these special kids!

Beginning in October, I will be testing a program at the Paul Revere Middle School. Students will create a special scrapbook incorporating lessons from Tools 4 Teens. They will be asked to write their opinions on each topic and set goals for themselves in key areas such as purity, peer pressure and forgiveness. At the conclusion of the program, each student will leave with a copy of Tools 4 Teens with their picture right on the cover!

I am so excited to see lives changed and seeds planted. Thank you Terri and Jacque for what you do for so many kids. I can't wait to see our Tools 4 Teens program unfold!

Kelly

Teen Book arrives at The Pregnancy Help Center

Last week copies of Tools 4 Teens arrived at Katy’s Pregnancy Help Center. Tools 4 Life Books and The Pregnancy Help Center have joined forces to make a positive impact in the lives of teens that visit the center.

Executive Director, Debbie Stoddard (seated) is an angel dropped straight from heaven. Her heart for others is unlike anything I have ever experienced. To know and work with Debbie is like having the Holy Spirit reach down to your soul. She has a gift for speaking truth into your life like no other.

Any teen crossing paths with this team will surely be blessed. Each and every volunteer and staff member cares about every life that walks through their door.

Thank you Debbie and your team for your dedication and love for all of those around you.

BRAVO!!

Kelly

Tools 4 Teens teams up with Katy's Pregnancy Help Center

I imagine walking in to the local Pregnancy Help Center as a teen would be somewhat intimidating. More than likely, a young woman would find herself there because she suspects she is pregnant. She may be looking for confirmation of a pregnancy but she will also get much more.

Every person that walks through the doors of the local Katy Pregnancy Help Center will find a wealth of resources and amazing people who truly care. Considered an Educational Resource Center, the center is equipped to meet spiritual, emotional and physical needs.. For many, this visit represents a turning point in their lives. This can mean breaking the cycle of an unhealthy lifestyle. If they choose, young mothers and fathers can be ministered to by staff who will share the word of God. Knowing that God will meet you where you are and knowing that we, as children of God, can begin a new Godly life, regardless of our current circumstances.

This is why I am so excited to be teaming up with Katy's Pregnancy Help Center. Young people will be blessed with a copy of Tools 4 Teens which will communicate hope and a new beginning.

Katy Pregnancy Help Center

http://www.phckaty.org/

-Kelly

Kristin Elliot: A Positive Role Model for Teens

We are excited to introduce you to FaithWest senior Kristin Elliot.

If you watched the recent May 2nd airing of World News Tonight with Charles Gibson, you will have gotten a peek into Kristin's life. She was the featured "Person of the Week" on this national broadcast.

Kristin received this well-deserved honor because of her selfless strength and love for others. Watch the broadcast here: http://abcnews.go.com/WN/PersonOfWeek/story?id=4776877&page=1

As soon as I met Kristin I knew she was a "diamond in the ruff". We knew this was someone who could have a positive impact on many of her peers. This is why she was selected to be in our second edition of Tools 4 Teens.

Kristin's story is featured in the Search for Self and Friendship sections of the book. Her outlook on life is very inspirational and the choices she makes set her on a solid foundation. She is truly a remarkable young woman.

We want to support Kristin and her efforts to raise funds for Kristin's Miracle House. When "Make a Wish" came to Kristin's door to grant her wish, it was not a typical wish she asked for. To their shock and surprise, the staff heard words they have never heard before from a teenager - "I want to build a house for AIDS orphaned children in Africa."

There began a journey that would touch the lives of people all around the world. Through her illness, Kristin never lost sight of what matters most - serving and loving others through the power of Christ.

Address for: KRISTIN'S MIRACLE HOUSE

Make checks payable to: Kristin's Heart

Mail to:
Kristin's Heart
13405 Southwest Freeway, Suite 210
Sugar Land, Texas 77478
Ph: 281-277-1739
Fax: 281-277-3698

Her website is under construction: www.kristinsheart.com

Second Edition Book for Teens

We had a great time Sunday night at KSBJ, with Ann Badger. It was great having an entire hour to talk about our ministry and book -Tools 4 Teens.

It is no surprise that we filled every second of that time with so many exciting things going on behind the scenes- mostly the news of our brand new release of the Second Edition of Tools 4 Teens.

We are so proud of our teen guest - Kristin Elliott. She is such a great girl with an important message to share. Her courage and strength are an inspiration to us all!

Thank you Anne Badger and Ken Farris for your warm hospitality! We can't wait to visit you again!
Kelly

Reaching Teens through New Book

When I set out to write Tools 4 Teens- my first book ever- I jumped in “Kelly-style”- head first and full-throttle. I was determined to knock down every door possible to get a realistic picture of teen life today. I had some idea of what I would find on the other side, right? I was a teen once and thought the issues haven’t changed THAT much. YIKES!

I discovered that not only are there NEW issues facing today’s teen but the old ones still remain and are intensified- the bar raised to a new level.

I will always wonder what the room of defendants and parents must have thought of the stranger who sat in the witness stand to capture the heart and feel of a real juvenile courtroom. I fought back tears by staring at my notebook filled with the names of teens who had gone before the judge. I almost ran from the courtroom in an effort to get to my computer quicker so I could begin my writing. Those teens needed help- big time. The most amazing part for me was that I KNEW I had something that WOULD make a difference in their lives!

While I have met some amazing teens and parents who are walking a Godly path, I also discovered a entire population of lost teens. As each day passed, my pace quickened as I felt an urgency to help…NOW. I realized that many people, myself included, walk through life with blinders on, only seeing what is in front of them. It is when we remove those blinders that we understand the full picture of what is happening to our youth today. I think reality is really tough to face.

It is no surprise that my intensity played out in my writing. Tools 4 Teens is a “OH MY GOSH…..WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING…..LIKE, RIGHT NOW…approach. I wanted to share all this knowledge I had collected so they could begin living a new life- the one God intended for them. All the faces, stories, great advice and scripture I heard were compiled in my mind and notebook. My desire to reach teens with God’s love and power ignited a passion in me I never experienced before.

Having just turned in the manuscript for the Second Edition of Tools 4 Teens, I feel that same conviction again because I KNOW how many teens lives are about to be impacted by this book. To me, there is no greater gift than to make a difference in the life of a teenager…whether it is my own or someone else’s. In the end, none of these teens are our own. They each belong to God and He has entrusted us ALL to love them and guide them through this life- so they can spend eternity right next to Him.

KSBJ Interview

Sunday, April 27th at 6pm KSBJ's host Anne Badger will conduct a one hour interview with authors Kelly Litvak and Shirley Hanson along with teen guest Kristin Elliott from Faith West Academy School. Please make sure to tune in.