We are not creators of ourselves. We have a creator, and God doesn’t make mistakes. He uses every life for a purpose, so I would tell them that that life is important to God, and He created it for a reason. He has given us the gift to carry that life. It’s not up to us to make those decisions, but we have to trust God.

For someone who’s facing an unplanned pregnancy, I would encourage you to really seek the Lord. Just like Psalm 27:8 says, ‘My heart says of you, Seek his face! Your face, Lord, I will seek.’ Really seek His guidance. Listen to His voice. It’s not going to be that loud, booming voice that you hear. It’s going to be a still, small voice. I would say don’t ever lose hope, because even in the midst of your trials and tribulations, you’re never alone.

It’s the end of your life as you know it. But it’s the opening to a new pathway, to a new life, that is full of joy and happiness. There might be crosses, and yes it might involve sacrifice, but the joy and happiness of holding your baby in your arms and cuddling it, feeding it, nurturing it, and just watching it grow — that joy far surpasses … the small sacrifices that are going to come your way. The decision for life is always the right one.

Everyone matters, no matter how small. Everything that we may have had to “give up” or sacrifice can not compare to the beauty and meaning of being parents. I couldn’t imagine my life without my baby girl.

This is not the end. What you see now is only a small, little peek into where your life is actually gonna go. This is the blessing that will take your life into something more than you could ever have imagined. And even though it doesn’t feel like that right now, just catch on to that little bit of hope that this will actually propel your life to be more than you could ever imagine.

Just keep going. It’s hard at first. It’s really hard in the newborn stage, and being a new mom, in general, is hard. I won’t lie — it’s hard, but it does get better. They get older, their personalities come out, and then they become like your own little mini-me.

God knit that baby together in her womb. That baby is fearfully and wonderfully made. He created her for such a time as this. Your life is going to be forever changed. Whether you abort that baby or you keep it, your life is going to be forever changed. I will say to people who are contemplating abortion, which seems really easy. It seems like a really easy fix when you’re in the throes of it. Well, how am I going to finish college while I have a baby? How am I going to battle cancer while I’m pregnant? But God will take you through it. He will walk beside you.

I think every woman knows at some point, when they’re considering it [abortion], that it is a baby. I know that. I know that to my core, but the enemy does not let them go there … They are a lot stronger than they think they are, and they are worth more than they could imagine. You are cherished and you’re forgiven. This is just a period of time. It’s not gonna last forever.

You can do it. You’re stronger than you can ever imagine. And with God, all things are possible. Just like the Lord told Mary, nothing’s impossible with God. You’re faced against the impossible. But just like God parted the Red Sea for the people of Israel, He can part the Red Sea in your life too. When you look back, it will be a testimony about the goodness of God and what He did in your life.

Don’t ever care what anyone thinks. Follow God because He is the essence of humility. Rely on him because he’s the father of the fatherless child. He will be there to help you get through.

I would encourage any woman or dad facing an unplanned pregnancy to just know to not get stuck on the fears of everything because fear seems to be the number one reason why we make crazy decisions … Take it one day at a time, and don’t make a decision based on fear that’s going to affect the rest of your life. You’re not alone. There is a community of people that want to walk alongside you and to help you. You just have to ask and reach out.

You can do hard things — that has been my slogan for a long time. When you find out you are unexpectedly pregnant so young, the world is going to try to sell you a temporary counterfeit idea of what your life is going to look like. They’re going to tell you that you can’t do it. They’re going to tell you that you need to pick between your degree and your baby. But that is not the truth because you can have both. You CAN have your education AND your baby.

Encourage your significant other. Let her know that she is not alone. Be there for her. Speak words of encouragement. The most important thing is just be present in her life. Prepare yourself. That means many things for many different people, but you need to realize that you’re a father now. Your duty is to your child and to the woman who is the mother of your child, and hopefully she’ll become your wife. But if not, that duty still remains to her in a way and most importantly to your child. You’ll always, always have to take care of your child. He’s half of you and your wife and all of God.

Things happen for a reason. Joey came to me because I really needed him. I couldn’t imagine my life without him today … I always say that my biggest mistake is my biggest blessing, and he has blessed me with four boys that look just like him.

My encouragement is to have the baby and find a way. They were put in this position for a reason, and whether they believe that it’s God, they were chosen to do this. Charlotte picked me to be her mom. That little baby picked you to be her mom, and you’re going to have an amazing life no matter the sacrifices that you’re going to have to make. It’s going to be so worth it. You’re going to find a love that you did not even know existed.

My encouragement would be for them to trust God. There are going to be times when it seems really hard. It seems like you’re not going to be able to make it, but you can.

My encouragement is to have the baby and find a way. They were put in this position for a reason, and whether they believe that it’s God, they were chosen to do this. Charlotte picked me to be her mom. That little baby picked you to be her mom, and you’re going to have an amazing life no matter the sacrifices that you’re going to have to make. It’s going to be so worth it. You’re going to find a love that you did not even know existed.

I would say, ‘You got this, mama!’ Hearing that for the first time, even before I had the baby, really just changed how I felt about my pregnancy. I had life inside me, and I was a mother, even before that baby was born. Calling someone mama can make the biggest impact because you become a mom when you get pregnant.

Believe in herself. I would encourage her to, if she hadn’t found God yet, to find God and to cling to her faith and just know that she is capable. God has called her to be a mom, and she already is a mom … Clinging to my faith is what helped me the most, instead of running from it. Embrace that this is her calling and know that this child is going to bring so much joy to her and those around that child. It’s not the child’s fault, and they deserve a chance at life. A child is a gift.

It’s going to be tough. There are going to be days when you are just going to want to sleep and hide under a pillow. But it is all worth it. Life’s going to be hard no matter what … That baby is going to bring something that you cannot understand. You cannot fathom it until you experience it. I would say hang in there. Life is so beautiful and precious, and you’re going to be OK.

God is the only one who can give life, and you were chosen to be this child’s mom for a reason. There are people, there are resources, to support you. And if you’re reading this right now, your life is not going to be over. No matter how much you think it is, it is possible to continue to pursue your dreams and to live a life as full as possible.

This is not the end of her life. It’s the beginning of her life … There’s so much goodness coming your way. I know that you’re clouded by the negatives and the what if’s, and it feels very dark. But as soon as you hold your baby, all of that is going to go away, and you’re going to want to do everything possible to keep your baby safe, to keep yourself healthy, to move forward, to have a good life. It’s possible.

The choices come down to you … Whatever choices you make, you have to live with forever … Having a child isn’t necessarily going to be an impetus for your ability to accomplish things. It’s not going to keep you from being able to go to the school that you want. It’s not going to keep you from being able to hit a certain net worth that you want or have a certain lifestyle that you want. You definitely should just remember that you can do anything with a baby on your hip.

I know that this doesn’t feel like the happiest moment of your life, but I can tell you that this is the beginning of one of the most incredible seasons that you’ll ever enter into. God has so much joy in store for you that you can’t even imagine. I’m not going to lie to you. It’s going to be hard. It’s going to have its challenges. There’s going to be a lot of sacrifice, but it will be so worth it. You will be willing to do it all over again when it’s all said and done, and you are going to give birth to a baby best friend that you’ll have for the rest of your life.