Welcome to The New Journey, a
program about real life people,
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with real life
testimonies, doing real life
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ministry for Jesus Christ.
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I'm your host,
Pastor Marquis Johns.
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Join us on The New Journey.
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Have you ever wondered how Mary
might have felt being a young
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lady pregnant out of wedlock?
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Well, on today's show we
have one such young lady,
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who may just help us
understand how Mary was feeling.
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Mariah Hunt, how are
you doing young lady?
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I'm good. Good, fantastic.
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And her mom, Shannon.
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Shannon, how are you doing?
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I'm doing great.
Fantastic, fantastic.
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Before we get started,
I just want to commend you
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on the step that you are taking.
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This is very courageous.
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What you're going, most
young people wouldn't do.
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When they find themselves
in this type of a predicament,
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or situation they clam up, they
isolate themselves, because they
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fear judgment, and they fear
people just not understanding
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what they're going through.
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And so I want you to
know that we commend you.
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Thank you. Is that
alright? Yep. Good.
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Now, I do also want you to
know that we're going to ask
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you tough questions.
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But we're asking these questions
because we feel like you telling
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your story will help some
young lady, who may be in your
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position, or who may be
contemplating doing some of the
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things that got
you into this position.
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So what you're doing is
you're being a good model,
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you're helping us understand
what's going on in the mindset
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of the teenage young
person who ends up in a
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pregnancy situation.
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So with that being said, why
don't you tell us a little bit
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about yourself,
like where are you from?
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Um, I'm from
Indiana, a really small town.
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Okay. Which really
small town is that?
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Craigville. Craigville, okay.
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I was thinking Craig's
List when you said that.
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But in any event...
So Craigville, Indiana.
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Tell us about... Are
you currently in school?
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Yep, I'm in 11th grade, and
I go to school full time. Okay.
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And I still live at home.
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Okay, still live
at home with mom. Yes.
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Okay, fantastic. Now,
here's where we take the turn.
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So tell us about... Are you
still with the young man who
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you're having the baby by? Yes.
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Yes, okay, so tell us the story.
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Where did you guys meet?
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How did you guys meet?
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Was there a twinkle in his eye?
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Was there a sparkle in yours?
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Tell us about that.
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Um, we met at
school my sophomore year.
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And we started talking,
and dating, and now we've been
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together for a year and a
half, and things are good.
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Okay, so tell us
about this dating.
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You know, I'm a little bit
old, and removed from the scene.
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Shannon, I don't know if
you remember what it was like
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in high school dating,
but we're out of the loop.
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So how does take place?
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Do I kind of pass you a note?
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Do you pass me back the note?
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How did the whole
relationship come about?
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Um, we passed notes in
school, back and forth,
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because we
weren't allowed to talk.
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And then we'd talk outside
of class, and outside of school,
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and he'd come over. Okay.
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We'd just hang out,
and that's how they do it
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these days, I guess.
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Okay, so Shannon
you were okay with...
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Tell us his name again. Tyler.
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Tyler, so you
were okay with Tyler.
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You knew Tyler? Yes,
we know Tyler very well.
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Okay, okay. So Tyler and you
are starting this relationship
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and now you're spending some
time in school, but you're also
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spending some
time outside of school.
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So are you guys going on
dates, or are you just dating?
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We were dating. We would
go on dates, and we would just
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hang out, and we usually
just hung out at my house,
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or his house, or
places like that.
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And so, Shannon, you
were okay with this dating?
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Yes, we were okay with that.
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She was sixteen
years old at the time.
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And to me it wasn't a problem
for them to be dating at all.
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Okay, okay. So up to this
point, had you guys had the
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birds and bees conversation,
to where we start talking about,
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Hey, this is what
happens in these situations?
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Had you had that conversation?
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We'd had that
conversation awhile ago.
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And it was very
prevalent in my mind that this
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is what's going on, and I
know what goes on these days.
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And please be careful, whatever
you do, please be careful.
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Okay, okay. So now you and
Tyler, you and Tyler are dating,
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and how long are
you dating before the
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relationship becomes intimate?
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We were dating for six or
seven months before we started.
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Okay, and so mom, you and
mom have had the conversation
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about the birds and bees.
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Now this relationship becomes
an intimate relationship.
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Now I'm assuming this
was the first time for you.
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Yeah. Okay, so this first time,
based on the conversation that
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maybe you and mom had had,
did you take some precautions
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the first time that
you guys were intimate?
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No. No. Can I ask why not?
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What was it that, you
know, was the situation,
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was it one of those where
you were spending time together,
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you were looking in his eyes,
he was kind of looking in your
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eyes, and you said,
Oh, this feels right!
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And so you move forward?
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Or why didn't you
take those precautions?
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I guess we didn't really plan
on it happening, and it was one
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of those situations where
you just... It kind of happened.
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And then... So we didn't plan
on it or anything, and I guess
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we just weren't prepared.
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Okay, okay. So now after
this how are you guys continuing
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the intimate aspect of your
relationship? Yes, we did after.
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And in the process, did you ever
say, Okay, well this time lets
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take those precautions?
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Were there ever
moments when you decided,
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we will take precautions, versus
others where, in the heat of the
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moment, if you will, you
didn't take those precautions?
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Yeah, after I didn't really
want to be in this situation,
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and so I thought we'd
better take precautions
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so it doesn't happen, but it
wasn't always like that, so...
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Okay, and how did Tyler feel?
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Who brought that up?
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Who said, Hey, maybe we
should take these precautions?
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Was it you, or was it Tyler?
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It was kind of a conversation
we both had, because we both
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thought that we're too
young to be in this situation.
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And we really didn't want it to
happen, so... Sure, sure, sure.
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Okay, so now, young lady,
Indiana, high school crush,
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high school sweetheart.
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You guys have been in a
relationship for 6 or 7 months,
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the relationship
becomes intimate,
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you continue the
intimate relationship.
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At which point did you
share, or did you share with mom
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that you had now
become intimate with Tyler?
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No, I didn't tell her, but
I kind of figured she knew.
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Okay, so let me ask this
question, and then I want to
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I want, Shannon, I want
you to weigh in on this.
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Why didn't you tell Mom, seeing
as how you had already kind of
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had a conversation about it?
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Because what the viewers, and
what the audience, and even I,
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would like to know is, what is
it that prevents teenagers who
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are sexually active, or who
are being intimate, from sharing
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that relationship with a parent,
adult, or someone that they
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trust who's older than them?
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What was it, given that
you had had these conversations
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in the past, that prevented you
from sharing with your mother
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that you were now being
intimate with your boyfriend?
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I think she already knew.
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And I kind of figured
she knew, so I didn't think
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that I had to tell her.
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I didn't really want to
have that conversation with her.
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I mean, we have a
good relationship,
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but it was kind
of awkward for me.
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Why don't you think
teenagers who are active,
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why don't you think
they talk to their parents?
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What do you think
is the reason why?
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Well, for some teenagers it
might be that it's an awkward
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situation, or they don't know
what their parents will say,
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or they feel like since they're
doing something that most adults
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do, that they don't
need to tell their parents,
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because they're grown up,
and they can do what they want.
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Okay, okay. So now, Shannon,
Mariah says she didn't talk
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to you about it because
she knows you're not stupid.
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Right. And so she figured,
well, she already knows.
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I'm not going to go up and say,
Hey mom, guess what I'm doing.
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Did you know? I had
my suspicions. Okay.
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I wasn't 100% positive,
but there were times when
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we would be like, No, you're
not going up to your room.
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If you do go up
there to do homework
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the door stays wide open.
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You know, things like that.
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Trying to take our own
precautions at the same time.
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Sure. But no, I
don't think that I...
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I think, maybe, she didn't tell
me because she would think I
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would be disappointed.
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Right, right, right, right.
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And so, I want to go back
to the statement that you made,
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Mariah, that a lot of young
people aren't forthcoming with
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that information, because
they feel like they're adults.
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So at which point you and
Tyler were engaged in intimacy
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did you feel like, Hey, you
know, I'm kind of an adult here.
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I kind of know, you
know, I can take care of
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myself a little bit.
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Were you feeling that way?
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I guess, kind of. I mean
it's something that adults do,
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but still I felt
like I was a teenager.
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So, I mean yeah, I guess I
felt superior, and older, but...
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Right, right,
right, right, right.
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...it really
didn't change anything.
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Right, right,
because there is...
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I remember growing up, and
Christ tells us we have to have
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this childlike faith, you know.
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And in having childlike faith,
I have sometimes wondered,
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and pondered what
exactly Christ meant.
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And so, Shannon, maybe you will
remember growing up as a kid,
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you wake up in the morning,
and you go to the shower,
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and you have faith that
the water is going to be hot.
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After you get out of the shower,
you have faith that when you
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open the refrigerator there's
going to be cold milk in there,
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and a box of
cereal for you to eat.
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You have faith that your clothes
are going to be there, because
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you have faith that your
parent is doing their job.
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And so the adult component
is not just what got you here as
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a child, but it is also taking
care of, and being responsible
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for the child
that you bring here.
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Have you and Tyler, or had you
and Tyler kind of thought about
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that once you actively, once you
have an active intimate life?
00:10:09.24\00:10:13.38
I don't think we
thought about it.
00:10:13.41\00:10:15.41
I mean we didn't think that,
Oh, that couldn't happen to us,
00:10:15.44\00:10:19.18
or that's not going to be us.
00:10:19.21\00:10:21.22
So what you didn't think;
you didn't think that pregnancy,
00:10:21.25\00:10:24.39
or something
couldn't happen to us? No.
00:10:24.42\00:10:26.15
You thought, Well,
this could happen to us.
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I mean, it's possible, but we
never really thought it would.
00:10:27.72\00:10:30.39
so we didn't
really think about it.
00:10:30.43\00:10:32.56
We're, it wasn't
something we talked about.
00:10:32.59\00:10:36.06
Okay, so that fateful day, and
again, this is probably a very
00:10:36.10\00:10:43.34
candid conversation that we're
having here, granted, but...
00:10:43.37\00:10:46.21
So the day comes when
you realize that you've,
00:10:46.24\00:10:50.25
your cycle has lapsed.
00:10:50.28\00:10:52.25
Take us to that day.
00:10:52.28\00:10:53.88
Take us to the day
when you realized...
00:10:53.92\00:10:55.72
And Shannon is already...
00:10:55.75\00:10:57.95
Take us to the day when
you realized, Uh oh, I think
00:10:57.99\00:11:02.82
I may be pregnant.
00:11:02.86\00:11:04.19
I remember that day
very well, actually.
00:11:04.23\00:11:08.13
Then walk us through
it, if you don't mind.
00:11:08.16\00:11:09.60
Um, I woke up and I realized
that I hadn't started my period
00:11:09.63\00:11:14.30
for a couple of days,
and that wasn't usual.
00:11:14.34\00:11:17.07
So I usually started in
the middle of the month,
00:11:17.11\00:11:19.81
and I was waiting for it.
00:11:19.84\00:11:21.21
And I heard that if you stress
about it then it doesn't come
00:11:21.24\00:11:24.61
just to scare you.
00:11:24.65\00:11:25.98
So I took a couple of days, and
just thought, Oh, it will come.
00:11:26.01\00:11:30.15
But then I woke up
that day, and I found out,
00:11:30.19\00:11:32.05
I mean, it's been too long.
00:11:32.09\00:11:34.09
It's just not going to come.
00:11:34.12\00:11:35.46
So I remember I
called Tyler, and I told him.
00:11:35.49\00:11:37.99
And he's like, Oh,
don't worry about it.
00:11:38.03\00:11:40.56
You'll be fine. Just
wait a couple of days.
00:11:40.60\00:11:42.90
So I waited a
couple of days, and then...
00:11:42.93\00:11:46.50
So we're stringing
together a couple of days,
00:11:46.53\00:11:49.00
a number of times. Yeah.
00:11:49.04\00:11:50.37
So we're waiting for about
a week and a half, two weeks.
00:11:50.41\00:11:52.54
Yeah. Okay. So it
wasn't just one day.
00:11:52.57\00:11:54.58
I kind of knew, and it
took me a while to realize that
00:11:54.61\00:11:58.55
Wow, I guess it
can happen to me.
00:11:58.58\00:12:00.85
So... Uh huh, uh huh.
00:12:00.88\00:12:02.22
But I remember I was upset,
and I didn't know what to do.
00:12:02.25\00:12:04.49
I didn't want to
be a parent. Right.
00:12:04.52\00:12:06.12
I mean, I didn't
want to tell my mom.
00:12:06.15\00:12:08.32
I didn't know what
she was going to think.
00:12:08.36\00:12:10.09
So it was a very, it
was a hard day for me.
00:12:10.13\00:12:12.99
And I just remember crying,
and being upset, and not knowing
00:12:13.03\00:12:17.30
what to do, but
wanting to talk to my mom.
00:12:17.33\00:12:19.10
And so you've come to the
conclusion, I am, I'm, pregnant.
00:12:19.13\00:12:23.34
Yeah. You talked to Tyler.
00:12:23.37\00:12:25.64
This is no longer, I think,
it's possible, it's maybe,
00:12:26.68\00:12:31.51
I don't know. It's definite now.
00:12:31.55\00:12:33.98
Yeah. You talked to Tyler.
00:12:34.02\00:12:35.35
What is Tyler's reaction?
00:12:35.38\00:12:36.72
He, I guess you could
say he was, he wasn't as
00:12:36.75\00:12:41.76
worried as I was. Uh huh.
00:12:41.79\00:12:43.12
He kept telling me
everything was going to be okay.
00:12:43.16\00:12:45.19
And I guess I was the
one with the most doubt,
00:12:45.23\00:12:48.03
and the most like, I
mean I didn't know what I was
00:12:48.06\00:12:51.93
going to do, or what I
was going to tell my mom,
00:12:51.97\00:12:54.17
or how people were
going to look at me,
00:12:54.20\00:12:56.71
or anything like that.
00:12:56.74\00:12:58.07
And he just, he just
was, It will be okay,
00:12:58.11\00:13:01.21
and just so sure that
everything was going to be fine.
00:13:01.24\00:13:03.88
So, I mean he was happy
about it, but I mean I was,
00:13:03.91\00:13:08.25
I guess that I was the
one that was the most worried
00:13:08.28\00:13:10.62
in this situation.
00:13:10.65\00:13:11.99
And so Tyler
is... How old is Tyler?
00:13:12.02\00:13:13.59
He's sixteen. And he's in
the same grade as you? Yep.
00:13:13.62\00:13:16.76
Okay, so same
school, same grade.
00:13:16.79\00:13:18.53
So now, let's paint the picture.
00:13:18.56\00:13:20.63
So we have this sweet,
innocent girl, if you will,
00:13:20.66\00:13:24.83
who is smitten with
this guy in her class.
00:13:24.87\00:13:28.47
They begin a
relationship; passing notes,
00:13:28.50\00:13:31.87
talking in the hall way,
dating outside of school,
00:13:31.91\00:13:35.01
and mom knows about it.
00:13:35.04\00:13:36.38
His parents know about
the relationship as well,
00:13:36.41\00:13:38.25
I'm assuming. Okay.
00:13:38.28\00:13:39.61
Parents know about it six
months into the relationship
00:13:39.65\00:13:41.88
the subject is broached.
00:13:41.92\00:13:43.25
Here we are, we're being
intimate, we continue on,
00:13:43.28\00:13:46.02
and then that fateful day
happens where, Oh my, goodness!
00:13:46.05\00:13:49.66
I can't believe it!
00:13:49.69\00:13:51.03
Like you said, it can,
and it has happened to me.
00:13:51.06\00:13:54.06
You go to Tyler,
and Tyler is like,
00:13:54.10\00:13:55.56
Hey, it's going to be okay.
00:13:55.60\00:13:56.93
So does that calm you
down just a little bit?
00:13:56.97\00:13:59.83
Not really. Not really? No.
00:13:59.87\00:14:02.00
Tell me about that.
00:14:02.04\00:14:03.37
It was good to know that
he thought that everything was
00:14:03.41\00:14:06.27
going to be okay, and that
he wasn't like, Oh well, I guess
00:14:06.31\00:14:10.25
I'm just going to leave. Right.
00:14:10.28\00:14:12.41
I know I wasn't too worried
about it, because I know he's
00:14:12.45\00:14:16.18
a nice guy, but I was just
glad that he was okay with it.
00:14:16.22\00:14:19.29
And I mean, even though it
should have made me feel better,
00:14:19.32\00:14:22.32
I kind of just... I was
more worried about my mom.
00:14:22.36\00:14:24.83
Right, right, and
that's where we're going next,
00:14:24.86\00:14:27.36
because there's now at
least two other conversations
00:14:27.40\00:14:29.86
that have to happen.
00:14:29.90\00:14:31.23
There's the
conversation with his parents,
00:14:31.27\00:14:32.70
and the
conversation with your parents.
00:14:32.73\00:14:34.77
Walk us up to the point
where what you're thinking,
00:14:34.80\00:14:37.77
what's going on in your
mind when you know, Oh my,
00:14:37.81\00:14:40.68
I have to tell mom about this.
00:14:40.71\00:14:42.44
I was scared, very scared.
00:14:42.48\00:14:46.18
I mean, me and my mom
have a great relationship,
00:14:46.21\00:14:48.35
but sometimes
we're not very good at
00:14:48.38\00:14:49.98
communicating with one another.
00:14:50.02\00:14:51.49
And so I knew that this
conversation had to happen.
00:14:51.52\00:14:54.72
I just put it off
as long as I could.
00:14:54.76\00:14:56.66
And how long was that?
00:14:56.69\00:14:58.03
Four and a half months.
00:14:58.06\00:14:59.39
So, mercy! Okay, Shannon.
00:14:59.43\00:15:02.13
Yeah, yeah. Shannon, we've
tried to keep the doors open
00:15:02.16\00:15:07.17
when they're studying, we know
that they're going on dates,
00:15:07.20\00:15:10.71
you know that
they're hanging out.
00:15:10.74\00:15:12.07
We're not stupid, so
there's a possibility...
00:15:12.11\00:15:15.28
We know that they're probably
intimate with each other.
00:15:15.31\00:15:20.12
And so, at four months? Uh huh.
00:15:20.15\00:15:27.32
And were you showing yet?
00:15:27.36\00:15:29.06
Like how far along are you now?
00:15:29.09\00:15:31.09
It's almost six
and a half months.
00:15:31.13\00:15:33.19
Almost six and a half months.
00:15:33.23\00:15:34.56
At four months
were you showing at all?
00:15:34.60\00:15:35.93
I, yeah, yeah. And so,
were you doing, were you doing,
00:15:35.96\00:15:39.77
were you taking the precautions?
00:15:39.80\00:15:41.14
Were you wearing the bigger
shirts, and things like that,
00:15:41.17\00:15:42.60
so as to put mom
off a little bit? Yeah.
00:15:42.64\00:15:44.64
Mom, now, okay
so have you noticed
00:15:44.67\00:15:48.31
anything up to this point?
00:15:48.34\00:15:49.81
She was
cheerleading up to this point;
00:15:49.84\00:15:52.05
cheerleading for the
high school team. Wow!
00:15:52.08\00:15:55.45
Right. Up going
to school every day.
00:15:55.48\00:15:58.05
I didn't notice her
being sick in the morning.
00:15:58.09\00:16:00.29
I didn't notice any of
the telltale signs. Huh.
00:16:00.32\00:16:02.96
Until I did notice one
day that she had stretch marks
00:16:02.99\00:16:07.00
on the side of her
belly, and I thought, Wow! Okay.
00:16:07.03\00:16:10.73
Hold on a minute! Okay.
00:16:10.77\00:16:12.10
So did this create the
atmosphere for the conversation,
00:16:12.13\00:16:14.80
or did you come to mom
and say, Mom, I'm pregnant.
00:16:14.84\00:16:17.04
That kind of
created the atmosphere.
00:16:17.07\00:16:18.61
Okay, so you saw these
stretch marks, and you went in.
00:16:18.64\00:16:20.61
You said, Hey,
what's going on here? Right
00:16:20.64\00:16:22.14
So tell us about that.
00:16:22.18\00:16:23.51
It was very difficult because
once I realized what those
00:16:23.55\00:16:27.68
stretch marks meant, it
was hard for me not to see,
00:16:27.72\00:16:30.85
and not notice, and I was very
disappointed at first. Okay.
00:16:30.89\00:16:36.73
Not so much in her, but
disappointed for her future.
00:16:36.76\00:16:40.73
Okay. And what that
meant for her future,
00:16:40.76\00:16:44.00
and how much more
difficult that was going to be.
00:16:44.03\00:16:46.03
And I'm not sure what
else to say about that.
00:16:46.07\00:16:53.78
I mean I just, still
there's nothing, you know,
00:16:53.81\00:16:56.85
we can't change that.
00:16:56.88\00:16:58.21
I tell her all the time,
God doesn't give you more
00:16:58.25\00:16:59.58
than you can handle.
00:16:59.61\00:17:00.95
Uh huh, uh huh, uh huh.
00:17:00.98\00:17:02.32
I tell her that all of the time.
00:17:02.35\00:17:03.69
So is there a time now,
the realization has hit:
00:17:03.72\00:17:06.35
We're pregnant. Right.
00:17:06.39\00:17:08.46
Is there a conversation that
you have with Mariah and Tyler
00:17:08.49\00:17:12.99
about the situation?
00:17:13.03\00:17:14.36
Do the families, like
tell, lead us through that.
00:17:14.40\00:17:17.00
Because this has to have been...
00:17:17.03\00:17:18.37
We had a family conversation
with Tyler's mother,
00:17:18.40\00:17:22.10
his step father,
myself, and the two kids. Okay.
00:17:22.14\00:17:26.64
And sat down and said, We
know that this isn't going to be
00:17:26.68\00:17:29.61
easy, and we're here to
help you as much as we can.
00:17:29.64\00:17:32.31
And I wanted to make sure
that his side of the family
00:17:32.35\00:17:34.58
was also just as supportive,
because I can't do this
00:17:34.62\00:17:38.15
all by myself; they certainly
can't do this all by themselves.
00:17:38.19\00:17:41.89
Right, right, right.
00:17:41.92\00:17:43.26
They need to finish school.
00:17:43.29\00:17:44.63
They need to go to college.
00:17:44.66\00:17:45.99
They need to
still better themselves.
00:17:46.03\00:17:48.86
They're still teenagers.
00:17:48.90\00:17:51.53
You know, they're still kids.
00:17:51.57\00:17:53.64
So, now, unfortunately, or
fortunately, depending upon
00:17:53.67\00:17:58.77
from which angle you're looking
at this, there are a number of
00:17:58.81\00:18:01.18
options when a young
lady finds themselves in
00:18:01.21\00:18:04.18
in this
predicament and situation.
00:18:04.21\00:18:06.55
Did you ever entertain
any of those other options?
00:18:06.58\00:18:10.22
Do you understand
what I'm asking? Yes.
00:18:10.25\00:18:11.59
Did you ever entertain
any of those other options?
00:18:11.62\00:18:14.39
Yes, I did. I thought for quite
a long time about adoption,
00:18:14.42\00:18:21.63
and I really, I mean, I know
that they're people out there
00:18:21.66\00:18:26.07
that would love to have
kids that can't, and I'm blessed
00:18:26.10\00:18:30.37
that I can, but I'm just
not a strong enough person
00:18:30.41\00:18:33.07
to be willing to, I mean
put joy in somebody else's life,
00:18:33.11\00:18:37.85
I know that, but I just, I
couldn't put myself in that
00:18:37.88\00:18:42.82
position to do that.
00:18:42.85\00:18:44.19
And I knew that with the
help of my mom, and with Tyler's
00:18:44.22\00:18:47.69
family, and with Tyler
that, and with God, that I could
00:18:47.72\00:18:52.09
do it, no matter what, so. Okay.
00:18:52.13\00:18:54.90
So, so, so, so, so,
Shannon, God where are You?
00:18:54.93\00:18:59.20
Where are You right now?
00:18:59.23\00:19:01.27
I prayed a lot about this.
00:19:01.30\00:19:03.34
I prayed for answers.
00:19:03.37\00:19:04.97
I prayed for guidance.
00:19:05.01\00:19:08.01
I prayed for Him to just show me
the way, and what am I supposed
00:19:08.04\00:19:11.08
to do as far as how to even
deal with her in this situation.
00:19:11.11\00:19:16.62
I mean, because I
was not happy. Okay.
00:19:16.65\00:19:19.32
So, and I got the
answers that I needed. Okay.
00:19:19.35\00:19:22.72
And that's why I'm here with
her, and I've been by her side,
00:19:22.79\00:19:27.10
and we're going to be alright.
00:19:27.13\00:19:29.73
So your baby is
now having a baby.
00:19:29.76\00:19:36.81
Now this is just a moment for
you, and I don't know if you've
00:19:36.84\00:19:40.21
been able to
share this with her.
00:19:40.24\00:19:42.38
How are you feeling
about becoming a grand mother?
00:19:42.41\00:19:49.02
I've already chosen the
name Nana, so it doesn't
00:19:49.05\00:19:52.72
sound like grandma. Okay.
00:19:52.75\00:19:54.19
And I'm, you know,
I'm excited for you.
00:19:54.22\00:19:59.63
I think you're going
to be a fantastic mother.
00:19:59.66\00:20:01.96
I wish that you
would have waited to do it.
00:20:02.36\00:20:05.07
But I'm here for you, and
I'm going to help you as much as
00:20:05.10\00:20:09.44
I can, and as much as you need.
00:20:09.47\00:20:11.51
Thanks, mom. We
can get through this.
00:20:11.54\00:20:14.44
Great, great, great.
Now, this is the segment,
00:20:16.54\00:20:20.22
this is the portion of time
in the show where I want to give
00:20:20.25\00:20:22.35
each of you an opportunity
to speak to our audience.
00:20:22.38\00:20:25.79
First I want to
start with you, Mariah.
00:20:25.82\00:20:28.32
Out there right now there's
a young lady who is watching,
00:20:28.36\00:20:30.76
who loves their
boyfriend just as much as you
00:20:30.79\00:20:34.73
probably loved Tyler,
and who's contemplating
00:20:34.76\00:20:37.50
taking that next step.
00:20:37.53\00:20:39.50
I'd like you to speak to them
and tell them what you think
00:20:39.53\00:20:45.31
they should do
in that situation.
00:20:45.34\00:20:47.01
As a matter of fact, almost as
though you have it to do over.
00:20:47.04\00:20:50.61
Oh, wow! And then I also, I not
only want you to address them
00:20:50.65\00:20:54.35
in that fashion, but I want you
to also then talk to the young
00:20:54.38\00:20:58.09
lady out there
who's 15, 16 years old,
00:20:58.12\00:21:01.19
and she's currently pregnant.
00:21:01.22\00:21:03.12
I want you to talk to
both of those young ladies.
00:21:03.16\00:21:06.53
Right over my shoulder here,
I want you to speak to them
00:21:06.56\00:21:10.73
about the decision that you've
made, how it's effecting you,
00:21:10.77\00:21:13.34
what you would do if
you could do it over.
00:21:13.37\00:21:17.21
And how trusting God in
this situation is helping you.
00:21:17.24\00:21:23.21
Go ahead. In this situation
I would say that to any girl,
00:21:23.24\00:21:28.12
that it's not worth it.
00:21:28.15\00:21:30.65
No boy in high
school is worth it.
00:21:30.69\00:21:32.59
I mean, if they say that
they love you, they may mean it,
00:21:32.62\00:21:35.39
but that doesn't mean that you
have to, or you shouldn't feel
00:21:35.42\00:21:39.29
forced to, or
anything like that.
00:21:39.33\00:21:41.26
School is really important,
and I would, I honestly wish
00:21:41.30\00:21:44.40
I would have waited.
00:21:44.43\00:21:45.77
Uh huh, uh huh, uh huh.
00:21:45.80\00:21:47.64
So now in the audience watching
right now there is a young lady
00:21:47.67\00:21:52.87
who's 15, she's
16, she's pregnant.
00:21:52.91\00:21:55.08
What I want you to do now
is I want you to speak to her
00:21:55.11\00:21:58.21
about how trust in
God can pull you through
00:21:58.25\00:22:01.12
a situation like this, almost
as though, like what you would
00:22:01.15\00:22:05.05
say about your mom.
00:22:05.09\00:22:06.42
You know, how mom,
she's your mom regardless.
00:22:06.45\00:22:08.49
She's here. I want you to speak
now to that young lady and say
00:22:08.52\00:22:11.66
to her, speak to her about how
trust in God through a situation
00:22:11.69\00:22:14.86
like this can really anchor her.
00:22:14.90\00:22:18.27
Well, I think God works in many
different ways, and He's always
00:22:18.30\00:22:21.64
there, and no matter what, He's
not judging you, or looking down
00:22:21.67\00:22:25.94
upon you, or anything like that.
00:22:25.97\00:22:27.71
He will always help you
just like your parents will.
00:22:27.74\00:22:30.01
He loves you no matter what.
00:22:30.05\00:22:32.11
So I just know that without
the help of my parents, and God,
00:22:32.15\00:22:36.35
and with all the support
that I wouldn't get through it.
00:22:36.38\00:22:41.39
But, yeah. Alright, alright.
00:22:41.42\00:22:43.49
Now Shannon, we're going to
take a more informed perspective
00:22:43.53\00:22:47.46
on this,
because you're a parent.
00:22:47.50\00:22:49.53
And out there there is a
young lady, there is Mariah,
00:22:49.56\00:22:55.27
who is now active
with her boyfriend,
00:22:55.30\00:22:58.84
or she's contemplating
being active with her boyfriend.
00:22:58.87\00:23:01.24
And you have the opportunity to
have the conversation with that
00:23:01.28\00:23:04.65
young lady, like you
wish you had been afforded the
00:23:04.68\00:23:07.38
opportunity to have that
conversation with Mariah.
00:23:07.42\00:23:09.62
She's contemplating,
she's come to you, she's saying,
00:23:09.65\00:23:12.05
mom, I love Tyler, and
we're thinking about going
00:23:12.09\00:23:16.22
to the next level.
00:23:16.26\00:23:17.59
I wish I would have happened.
00:23:17.63\00:23:18.96
I know, I know, I know.
00:23:18.99\00:23:20.33
So what we're going to do
is we're going to now speak
00:23:20.36\00:23:23.00
to that young lady.
00:23:23.03\00:23:24.67
I want you to
speak to that young lady.
00:23:24.70\00:23:26.40
Right over my
shoulder there's a camera.
00:23:26.43\00:23:27.77
I want you to
speak to that young lady.
00:23:27.80\00:23:29.24
She's contemplating,
because she loves her boyfriend,
00:23:29.27\00:23:33.71
taking the relationship
to the intimate place.
00:23:33.74\00:23:36.75
Can you now speak to her?
00:23:36.78\00:23:38.38
I would say, if I had
that choice, that you need to
00:23:38.41\00:23:43.99
pray about that
before you do anything.
00:23:44.02\00:23:46.39
That you need to look at
all of the problems that come
00:23:46.42\00:23:51.49
with having the
blessing of a baby.
00:23:51.53\00:23:54.53
You know, there's,
who's going to pay the bills?
00:23:54.56\00:23:58.47
Who's going to take care
of that child when it's sick?
00:23:58.50\00:24:01.30
Who's going to take care of you
if you're a teenage daughter,
00:24:01.34\00:24:05.74
or boy with a baby on the way?
00:24:05.77\00:24:08.44
Someone still has to take
care of you, so how are you able
00:24:08.48\00:24:12.31
to take care of
another human being?
00:24:12.35\00:24:13.95
You have to rely on someone,
and who's that going to be?
00:24:13.98\00:24:18.35
There are a lot more things
that are involved in having
00:24:18.39\00:24:22.12
a baby than just being
intimate and having a baby.
00:24:22.16\00:24:25.53
Uh huh, uh huh, and this,
what you're speaking to now,
00:24:25.56\00:24:29.06
is the potential eventuality, if
you will, of if you're going to
00:24:29.10\00:24:34.20
engage in an
intimate relationship,
00:24:34.24\00:24:36.07
a child is something
that could happen. Exactly.
00:24:36.10\00:24:39.37
A child is something that...
00:24:39.41\00:24:40.74
And so what in essence I hear
you saying to that young lady
00:24:40.78\00:24:43.95
is, You might want to wait.
00:24:43.98\00:24:46.18
You might want
to think about that.
00:24:46.21\00:24:47.92
There's some, again, like
you said, more important things.
00:24:47.95\00:24:50.52
There was a phrase going around
when I was in school amongst
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the young ladies,
Books Before Boys. Uh huh.
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You know, let's
put books before boys.
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Let's make sure that we're
doing what need to do in school,
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because God has blessed us.
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I mean one of the first
gifts that He gave to man was to
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be fruitful and multiply.
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But if you look in the Bible,
this is something I'd like to
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share with both of you, and
maybe even you can share this
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with Tyler, if he's watching,
or you can share it with
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him on your own time.
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When God created Adam,
Adam seemingly was perfect.
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Everything was great.
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Everything was just wonderful.
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And God looked and
said, It is not good that
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man should be alone.
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But I need you to know that
there were a couple of things
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that God put in place before
He gave Adam an help meet.
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I want you to notice that
the first thing He showed him,
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He said, Listen,
Adam, here is your work.
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Adam had a job. Before he
ever got a wife, Adam had a job.
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And then God said, Not only
is your job to tend and dress
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the garden, but here
is where you will live.
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Adam had a place for
his wife to stay before
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he ever had a wife.
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So as you contemplate
going to that next level,
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and as you think about these
things, you have to understand
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that God in His
perfect, infinite wisdom,
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before He gave Adam a wife,
He made sure Adam had a job,
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and a place to stay that wasn't
mom's house, it wasn't dad's
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house, it was his own house.
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You understand what I'm saying?
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And then the third, and most
important thing that I'd like
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to just impart to you
both, is that what God did,
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that was he
tested the mind of Adam.
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You know, He said, Adam,
what are these animals here?
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And Adam was able to give a name
to each one of those animals,
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signifying not that He
was originating the name only,
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but that he knew exactly
what God would call them.
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His mind was
linked to the mind of God.
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And when sin entered the
world, we lost that mind.
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We lost our minds.
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And so this is why Paul tells
us in the book of Philippians,
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Let this mind be in you,
which was also in Christ Jesus.
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So if you, from this
point on, to the young lady,
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and the young man that's
watching, and is considering
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intimacy, or considering
possibly having a child,
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think about these things.
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If you don't have, first
and foremost a job, if you don't
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have a place to stay, and most
importantly, the mind of Christ,
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then you're not ready
for this responsibility.
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You're not ready
for this responsibility.
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I, again, I still applaud
and commend your bravery.
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And I'm sure, I'm
sure, that as your mom said,
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you'll be a good mom.
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And maybe this child, you can
share those three things with.
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If they come to you, Mom, I'm
thinking about going to the next
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level with my boyfriend,
my girlfriend, you can say,
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Well, here's
something that a pastor told me:
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job, place to
stay, mind of Christ.
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And you, even now, are
still afforded the ability.
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You can dare to
dream that this won't be
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repeated with your child.
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God bless you, and we welcome
you on your new journey, Mariah.
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Thank you.
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