Tag: CASA

Christian, women

Is My Life All About Me?

Cindy Dawson

2-minute devotion for Thursday, 1/29/26

Teaching in public schools for 22 years opened my eyes to the reality of some kids’ pain. Father is in prison, or mom is on drugs, this girl possibly sex-trafficked, children come to school hungry, and on and on it goes.

One thing I will never forget is the girl in the Valvoline shirt. I spotted her in the cafeteria one day. What must it be like to be in Junior High and have nothing better to wear than a “Valvoline Oil Change” shirt and a shoddy skirt?

I remember how my mother always made sure I had nice clothes. I never remember being embarrassed by what I wore to school. How must this young teen feel?

Once, I had a 12-year-old student who always had the shabbiest clothes and shoes. We felt so bad for her. One year, before the start of school, someone bought her some cute new clothes and gave them to her anonymously. I don’t know what happened to them, but she never wore any of it. My guess is her mother sold them or took them back to the store for the money.

There are children and adults all around us who need kindness. They may not cross our path, but they aren’t far away. My prayer is that we will not shut out their cries for help, but be the ones who hear Jesus’ command and obey.

“…the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:14 ESV

“One thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve.” Albert Schweitzer

In His Love, Cindy

Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6 NASB

All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian, Jews

All Kids Need Love

Cindy Dawson

The following quote was not made to get a chuckle based on obvious things we all know about children but based on the psychiatric examination of convicted murderers who experienced abuse in childhood.

Children need love, especially when they don’t deserve it.”

Harold S. Hubert

Hulbert, a leading psychiatric expert witness of his time and a child psychiatrist, knew the potential magnitude of the effects of being a child unloved. He testified in the murder trials of men affected by such abuse.

So, what does this mean to us? One doesn’t have to go far to find children who need love. The foster care system in America is overflowing with abandoned children who need love.

Over 390,000 children are in foster care. 25% of these children will attempt suicide.

For the 23,000 young adults who age out of foster care each year,

  1. 80% of males will become incarcerated.
  2. 40% will be homeless within 18 months.
  3. 97% will immediately enter into chronic poverty.

Poverty creates hungry children that need love. Drug abuse produces neglected children who need love.

According to the National Institute of Children’s Health Quality, Over 20,000 babies are born each year dependent on illegal or prescription drugs and suffer neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), a type of opiate withdrawal. That’s the equivalent of one baby born every 25 minutes with drug addiction.

Read more about opportunities to cuddle drug-addicted babies HERE.

Children who need love are in our towns and in our schools. These children may not be in your neighborhood, but they aren’t far away.

Jesus said, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.” Matthew 18:10 NIV

Is the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart? What is God asking you to do? More than likely, it is something small. Help in your Vacation Bible School? Teach in your Mission Church? Volunteer in a local school as a mentor, or in a hospital for drug babies? Volunteer for CASA? Give a small amount of money to a worthy cause?

Whatever you do, don’t close your eyes to the desperate need all around us.

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress …” James 1:27a

There are many ways you can give God’s love to children. All you have to do is ask Him to show you. And remember this:

“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.”

Psalm 122:6

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

All Kids Need Love

Cindy Dawson

The following quote was not made to get a chuckle based on obvious things we all know about children but based on the psychiatric examination of convicted murderers who experienced abuse in childhood.

Children need love, especially when they don’t deserve it.”

Harold S. Hubert

Hulbert, a leading psychiatric expert witness of his time and a child psychiatrist, knew the potential magnitude of the effects of being a child unloved. He testified in the murder trials of men affected by such abuse.

So, what does this mean to us? One doesn’t have to go far to find children who need love. The foster care system in America is overflowing with abandoned children who need love.

Over 390,000 children are in foster care. 25% of these children will attempt suicide.

For the 23,000 young adults who age out of foster care each year,

  1. 80% of males will become incarcerated.
  2. 40% will be homeless within 18 months.
  3. 97% will immediately enter into chronic poverty.

Poverty creates hungry children that need love. Drug abuse produces neglected children who need love.

According to the National Institute of Children’s Health Quality, Over 20,000 babies are born each year dependent on illegal or prescription drugs and suffer neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), a type of opiate withdrawal. That’s the equivalent of one baby born every 25 minutes with drug addiction.

To find opportunities to cuddle drug-addicted babies, google “Cuddle drug-addicted babies”.

Children who need love are in our towns and in our schools. These children may not be in your neighborhood, but they aren’t far away.

Jesus said, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.” Matthew 18:10 NIV

Is the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart? What is God asking you to do? More than likely, it is something small. Help in your Vacation Bible School? Teach in your Mission Church? Volunteer in a local school as a mentor, or in a hospital for drug babies? Volunteer for CASA? Give a small amount of money to a worthy cause?

Whatever you do, don’t close your eyes to the desperate need all around us.

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress …” James 1:27a

There are many ways you can give God’s love to children. All you have to do is ask Him to show you. And remember this:

“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

All Scripture references are from the NIV unless otherwise noted.

Photo by Emma Tin on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog  

Christian, women

Is My Life All About Me?

Cindy Dawson

One thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve.

Albert Schweitzer

I have asked myself this question: Is my life all about me? Am I living for myself, only looking for ways to make myself happy? Am I doing enough to help others?

I think about doing something like volunteering for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate). Part of me wants to help them, but part of me wants to protect myself from knowing their pain.

Teaching in public schools for 22 years opened my eyes to the reality of some kids’ pain. Father is in prison, or mom is on drugs, this girl possibly sex-trafficked, these children come to school hungry, and on and on it goes.

One thing I will never forget is the girl in the Valvoline shirt. I spotted her in the cafeteria one day. What must it be like to be in Junior High and have nothing better to wear than a “Valvoline Oil Change” shirt and a shoddy skirt?

I remember how my mother always saw to it that I had nice clothes. I never remember being embarrassed by what I wore to school. How must this young teen feel?

Once I had a 12-year-old student who always had the shabbiest clothes and shoes. We felt so bad for her. One year, before the start of school someone bought her some cute new clothes and gave them to her anonymously. I don’t know what happened to them, but she never wore any of it. My guess is her mother sold them or took them back to the store for the money.

If we work among those in need, we may be more mindful of the suffering around us, in our own towns and cities. But if we are so blessed as to be removed from the presence of suffering, we may not be aware of the many needs all around us.

Albert Schweitzer said, “Life becomes harder for us when we live for others, but it also becomes richer and happier. … Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight.”

There are children and adults all around us who need kindness. My prayer is that I will not shut out their cries for help, but be the one who hears Jesus’ command and obeys.

“…the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:14 ESV

Well, it’s something to think about as we head into the month of Thanks Giving. As we thank God for all our many blessings, may we be mindful of the ways we can love our “neighbors” in need.

With Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? Click this link to learn more: Who Is Jesus?

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