I remember one of my teachers saying every story has conflict. I think that’s true. I can’t think of a single example of a good story that doesn’t have conflict. How the characters respond to conflict and how their response shapes the ending – I think that’s the part of a story that really matters.

This point of conflict is where Amarillo Children’s Home enters the story of our kids.

My role at ACH started with volunteering – helping with cottages, hosting grilling nights… My wife and I believe it’s important our kids see us spend our time and money on things which are important to us and learn real-life ways we can live like Jesus did – taking care of those in need and helping others do the same. Volunteering turned into a board position where I felt I could make a meaningful impact.

I developed a heart for this place because I couldn’t bear the thought of my own kids not having a safe place to grow up – not having someone pour into them, love on them and help them through the stresses of life. I wanted to help create a safe environment for other kids.

ACH serves kids who might not otherwise get that help. We keep brothers and sisters together. We take in kids who may be a little older than foster or adoptive families are willing to take. And we’re impacting them at a very critical point in their development as young men and women when they have so many stressors, so many competitors for their attention and their priorities – our community needs this.

Amarillo Children’s Home helps these kids create generational change. We can affect how our kids react to stresses in their life, how they someday parent their own kids. We teach the kids productive ways to deal with stress, to deal with heartbreak, and hopefully these kids channel that into how they develop as adults.

As we teach our kids new ways of being and of seeing the world, we help change the ending of their story.