Tag: Encouragement

Christian, Encouragement

Getting Inspired To Inspire Others: For Teachers

Cindy Dawson

2-Minute Devotion for Tuesday, 7/28/26

(This is a post I wrote before I retired as a special education teacher.)

School is getting ready to start here. Hello Middle School! I know I’m supposed to show the love of Christ, but that isn’t always easy. Sometimes I think my students need a kick in the pants. I have expectations, you know! 🤔

God showed me something profound about expectations. Wolfgang von Goethe* said,

“If you treat an individual as he is, he will remain how he is. But if you treat him as if he were what he ought to be and could be, he will become what he ought to be and could be.”

This I know: Some children desperately need someone to believe in them.

Even if you teach in a public school, you can still teach children to be kind, to treat others as they want to be treated, to forgive, and many other Christian values. As Thumper so famously said,
“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at all.”

You can set an example for them by being non-judgmental, loving, patient, and kind.

“In everything set them an example by doing what is good.” Titus 2:7 NIV

Pray for Christian teachers in the public schools. They are missionaries!

*Wolfgang von Goethe is considered the most influential writer in the German language. Did you know his poems were set to music by many famous composers, including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert, Franz Liszt, Richard Wagner, and others?

In His Love, Cindy

“God treated Jesus as if He had lived my life, that I may be treated as if I had lived His life.” Harvey Stalker

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

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

¹”Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,” Goodreads, www.goodreads.com/quotes/33242

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

A Teacher’s Reflection On Judging Students

Cindy Dawson

Maybe there are Christians who have never stumbled. I just know that I’m not one of them! I have made many mistakes in my lifetime. When God judges me, I hope He considers the hurts and circumstances that led me down wrong paths.

But, do I expect others to be perfect? Do I forget to consider that maybe hurts and painful circumstances may be affecting their behavior? Even worse, do I judge a person based on how they look?

Jesus said, “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” Matthew 7:2-3 NIV

I don’t know about you, but I want to be judged with abundant mercy! 

I work in a large and very diverse middle school. I have an opportunity to ‘love and not judge’ every day. God has reminded me that many of these kids have not had the advantages in life that I had. 

When I get impatient with a student and inwardly roll my eyes in disgust, Jesus speaks to my heart, “And you’re perfect? Do you even know what’s going on in this kid’s life?” Then, I am reminded of things I do know. He could be falling asleep in class because he slept in a car last night. Or maybe he doesn’t have a bed of his own, or maybe he was left alone with a crying baby all night while his mother was out.

If a student tells me to shut up, do I get angry and take it personally? God, remind me that maybe this child is never spoken to with respect and love at home. Maybe he is being abused and is lashing out at authority.

Maybe this child is apathetic because he hasn’t eaten since lunch at school yesterday.

Maybe he is apathetic because his mom died this weekend.

Maybe he acts out because his mom, whom he loves, rarely shows up for visitation and he is disappointed over and over and over again. (All real examples I know of)

Maybe, maybe, maybe…

If only we could see God’s plan for those we tend to judge. If only we could see them with God’s eyes of love and mercy. I am not special or better because of what was given to me.  If anything, more is expected from me. More patience, more love, more understanding.

One morning on my way to school, I prayed “Father, I don’t know how to make a difference in the lives of my students, but you do. That very day my principal posted an article, The Judgement Cure. The author said, “You cannot influence anyone as long as you are judging them.”

How’s that for a quick answer? Wow! I’m still trying to learn this lesson. I believe it is the key to influencing others.

Because I have worked in 5 different public schools, I have seen abuse that the average middle-class person may never be exposed to – examples of abuse, neglect, and suffering that breaks my heart. May God soften our hearts and teach us to walk in love.

“… if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing … Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13:2-8 NIV Read full chapter

(This is a repost. I am now retired.)

In His Love, Cindy

“God treated Jesus as if He had lived my life, that I may be treated as if I had lived His life.” Harvey Stalker

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

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

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

Choose to Trust the One Who Loves You

Cindy Dawson

1-Minute Devotion for Friday, 7/24/26

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7 NIV

“So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 NIV

“The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety.”
― George Muller

“George Mueller was a Christian evangelist and director of the Orphanage at Ashley Downs in Bristol, England during the 1800s. He is best remembered for his complete trust in God’s provision, never soliciting the community for financial donations nor accepting any government support. With this unique dependence on unsolicited gifts, his institution is estimated to have received and disbursed over £113 million in today’s money by the time of Mueller’s death.” CompellingTruth.org

Note: That would be over $151,453,900!

In His Love, Cindy

“God treated Jesus as if He had lived my life, that I may be treated as if I had lived His life.” Harvey Stalker

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

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

Psalm 122:6 NASB

Photo by wisconsinpictures on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian, parenting

Train Up a Child in the Way They Should Go

Cindy Dawson

1-Minute Devotion for Tuesday, 7/21/26

“Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6

“Understanding Proverbs 22:6 in its original context reveals that it is a warning, not a promise. It is a warning to parents that if they allow their children to have their own way, they will not depart from that foolishness when they are older.” Tim Dinkins

According to Dinkins, the author is saying “Train up a child according to his own will and when he is old he will not depart from it.”

So whether you take it as a promise or a warning, the message is still the same. Teach a child in the way of the Lord. Don’t leave them to their own ideas about life.

“Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. All that you do must be done in love.” 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 NASB

In His Love, Cindy

“God treated Jesus as if He had lived my life, that I may be treated as if I had lived His life.” Harvey Stalker

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

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

Psalm 122:6 NASB

Photo: Getty Images on Unsplash+

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

Just As I Am, I Come

Cindy Dawson

Encouragement for Thursday, 7/16/26

She thought she was useless to God. She wrote the hymn that brought millions to Him.

Charlotte Elliott was born in 1789 in England and lived much of her adult life as an invalid, confined largely to her bed by chronic illness. She wrestled openly with feeling she had no purpose — that her sickness made her a spiritual burden rather than a contributor.

In 1834, after a conversation with a Swiss minister who told her that coming to God required nothing but coming “just as you are,” something shifted. She wrote it down as a hymn — not as a sermon, but as a confession of her own helplessness turned into an invitation for anyone else who felt the same.

“Just as I am, without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me.”

The hymn made no demands of moral cleanup before approaching God. That was the radical part. Worship culture at the time often emphasized preparation, worthiness, examination. Elliott’s hymn said: come now, broken, as you actually are.

A century later, evangelist Billy Graham adopted “Just As I Am” as the closing hymn for his crusades — sung softly while thousands walked forward to commit their lives to Christ. He used it at nearly every altar call across six decades of ministry, reaching tens of millions of people.

A woman too sick to leave her bed wrote the invitation that moved more people forward than almost any preacher alive.

Share this with someone who feels too broken to start over.

“Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28

In His Love, Cindy

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

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

Psalm 122:6 NASB

Source: #JustAsIAm#CharlotteElliott#BillyGraham#ChurchHistory

RealChristianWomen.blog

See less

Bible and Scripture, Christian

Transform Your Morning

Cindy Dawson

1-Minute Devotion for Sunday, 7/12/26

The first thing I do every morning is to read and study my Bible. (Well, after I feed and walk Henry, my Yorkie. As you know, he is very bossy.)

When we get back, he gets in his dog bed and sleeps for a couple of hours. And I open my Bible.

This is my favorite time of the day. Do you know why? It’s because the Bible speaks to me every day, and so it becomes more dear to me every time I read it.

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:12-13 NIV (emphasis mine)

No other book in the world can do that, only the Bible. The word translated as “alive” is the Greek word zao. It is the same word Jesus used when He said,

“Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4 NIV (emphasis mine)

Scripture is life-giving, not merely instructive, because the Bible is God speaking to you and me.

In His Love, Cindy

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

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

Psalm 122:6 NASB

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian, hope

Hope for Victims of Trauma

Cindy Dawson

Reflection for Friday, 7/10/26

I experienced trauma over 20 years ago, but PTSD can linger for many years, causing anxiety and unwanted dreams. When I read these verses, I prayed, Lord, help me forget. They encouraged me, and I pray they will encourage you, too.

“Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame.
    Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated.
You will forget the shame of your youth
    and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. … Though the mountains be shaken
    and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
    nor my covenant of peace be removed,”
    says the Lord, who has compassion on you.” ” Isaiah 54:4 & 10 NIV (emphasis mine) Read full chapter

The Hebrew word for forget is šākaḥ. In Biblical Hebrew, šākaḥ is not just a passive cognitive slip of the mind. Instead, it signifies willfully moving past a trauma, letting go of a previous status, or no longer acting in accordance with past grief. (David Guzik)

We can’t do this in our own strength, but we don’t have to.

Although these verses are speaking directly to Israel, they reveal the heart of God. His compassion and unfailing love are beyond comprehension. With the help of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, may those who have experienced trauma remember no more.

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16 NIV

This is the first step toward healing.

In His Love, Cindy

P.S. If this doesn’t apply to you directly, may you use it to comfort and encourage someone who needs hope.

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

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

Psalm 122:6 NASB

RealChristianWomen.blog

Bible and Scripture, Israel & the Jews

The Babylonian Exile: Fitting the Pieces Together

Cindy Dawson

Bible Study for Thursday, 7/9/26

This post was first published in 2022 and continues to be viewed frequently even today.

You are probably familiar with the stories of Queen Esther, Nehemiah rebuilding the wall, Daniel in the lions’ den, King Nebuchadnezzar, and other Old Testament figures. But how do these stories relate to each other?

The story of the Jews who were exiled to Babylon and then returned to Jerusalem can be confusing. At least it was to me. I had a lot of pieces to the puzzle, but I didn’t know how they fit together. So I did a little research and came up with a timeline and a summary that can help us fit the pieces together.

In order to get a better grasp of the timeline, I have renamed the years. I have called 606 BC (the date the first exiles were taken to Babylon) Year 1. You will see that 161 years will pass before the third wave of exiles returns to Jerusalem.

Babylonian Exile Timeline

606 BC (Year 1)   Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, besieges Jerusalem. Daniel and Judean nobles are exiled to Babylon.

586 BC (Year 20) Jerusalem is destroyed by the Babylonians. Solomon’s Temple is destroyed.

539 BC (Year 67) Cyrus, King of Persia, conquers the Babylonian Empire

537 BC (Year 69) The 1st group of exiles returns to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel. 42,360 exiles return (plus slaves and singers) – a small remnant.

520 BC (Year 86) The Temple is completed.

486-465 BC (Years 120-141) Xerxes is King of Persia. He makes Esther the new queen.

458 BC (Year 148) The 2nd group of exiles returns to Jerusalem with Ezra. Artaxerxes is the King of Persia. Only 1,754 exiles return. *Including women and children, the total number would be about 7,000 to 8,000. (Jeremiah Study Bible Notes)

445 BC (Year 161) The 3rd group of exiles returns with Nehemiah to restore the walls. The walls were restored in 52 days.

 Summary

In 606 BC, the deportation of Judean nobles to Babylon begins. This group included Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The people of Judah were not exiled all at once but were taken captive over a period of several years. Twenty years after the first captives were taken, Jerusalem and the Temple were completely destroyed by the Babylonians.

Sixty-seven years after the first exiles were taken to Babylon, Cyrus, King of Persia, conquered the Babylonian empire. Only two years after he became king, he allowed the exiles to return to Jerusalem. A small remnant of 42,360 people returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel to rebuild the Temple.

First, they rebuilt the altar. Then they began to rebuild the temple, but opposition stopped the building for about 16 years. Rebuked and encouraged by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, the people finally completed the construction of the Temple.

About 79 years after the first group of exiles returned to Jerusalem, a second group returned with Ezra, the priest. Only 1,754 returned this time. (Including women and children would increase that number to 7,000 to 8,000.) The new Persian King is Artaxerxes, son of Xerxes and Vashti. Vashti was the queen before Esther.

Meanwhile, in Jerusalem, the Israelites have taken foreign wives. Ezra leads the people to cry out for forgiveness and mercy. They turned from their wicked ways.

Thirteen years after the second wave of exiles returned, the third wave of exiles returned with Nehemiah. Nehemiah’s mission was to restore the walls and gates. They accomplished this in 52 days. It had been 161 years since the first group of captives was taken to Babylon!

Sources:

Jeremiah Study Bible

Old Testament books of 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Daniel, Haggai, and Zechariah

The Babylonian Captivity

GotQuestions.org

In His Love, Cindy

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

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

Psalm 122:6 NASB

Photos from Google Images

Updated 6/19/26

RealChristianWomen.blog

Bible prophecy, Christian

Why Is the Church Silent on Bible Prophecy?

Cindy Dawson

For Your Reflection, Tuesday, 7/7/26

I have been reading in my Bible about the kings and prophets of Israel. Much of it is prophecy, and I have found it fascinating because it explains a lot about our times. And there are many lessons for the Church in these pages, too. I am referring to all the books of the prophets, plus 1 & 2 Kings and 1 & 2 Chronicles.

As I finish up this important study, I wonder why so many pastors ignore Bible prophecy. How is it even possible?

“Out of the 216 chapters found in the entire New Testament, did you know there are 318 references to the Second Coming of Christ? That means if you were to omit passages about prophecy, you would have to remove one out of every thirty verses in the New Testament. You would also have to skip 23 of the 27 New Testament books because that’s how many mention it. For every prophecy about the birth of Christ, there are eight about His Second Coming. Considering prophecy’s prominence in the Bible, how could any believer call it unimportant?”

Dr. David Jeremiah

And that’s just in the New Testament! Bible Scholars estimate that 27% to 28% of the Old Testament is prophecy. That’s a lot of the Bible to ignore! So I did some research to find out why.

One Christian author, Steve Lampman, suggests that fear is to blame (And we know where fear comes from: SATAN). Steve says,

“Fear of showing their lack of knowledge on the subject. Fear pastors may have of offending or scaring church members. Maybe the fear that people will stop coming and stop giving to support the church. Or maybe it’s the fear of them looking like a fringe group who take things to an extreme when other churches pulpits are silent on the subject. … There are many pastors who remain silent on Bible prophecy because they don’t understand and were never taught it in seminary. ” 

Steve Miller also attributes fear as the reason prophecy is not being taught in the church:

  1. A fear of generating Controversy and Division
  2. A fear of being viewed as sensational
  3. A fear of the Complicated and Unknown

Before I began this research, I didn’t expect to find that fear would be the culprit behind this neglect. But it seems to be so.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

“Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” 1 Corinthians 16:13 NASB

In His Love, Cindy

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

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

Psalm 122:6 NASB

Photo by HAN Mengqi on Unsplash

SOURCES:

https://www.stevelampman.com/why-pastors-dont-teach-on-one-quarter-of-the-bible/

https://www.davidjeremiah.org/age-of-signs/why-should-we-study-prophecy?srsltid=AfmBOooICL-F6DS0vS-arwcCS94Vm3ZDbUrF2rm4-diS3rqKwm4BgO1m

https://harvestprophecy.com/why-are-some-churches-reluctant-to-teach-bible-prophecy

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian, Israel & the Jews

Are You an Obadiah?

Cindy Dawson

Reflection for Monday, 7/6/26

“Obadiah was a devout believer in the Lord. While Jezebel was killing off the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water.” 1 Kings 18:3-4 NIV

A MESSAGE FROM AMIR TSARFATI

“As the man in charge of Ahab’s household, Obadiah found himself serving in the highest levels of a corrupt and godless government. Yet when Jezebel began slaughtering the prophets of the Lord, he quietly hid one hundred of them in two caves, fifty in each, and provided them with bread and water.

What a reminder for us today.

God may place you in a position of influence where you are surrounded by ungodliness and compromise. He hasn’t put you there for fame, success, or fortune. He has placed you there to serve Him in places where others have no access and to be a faithful witness in the midst of darkness.

When I was appointed deputy governor of Jericho at the age of twenty-one, I knew it was my faith that led the colonel to choose a lieutenant as his second-in-command. My promotion defied both logic and military convention, yet the governor sensed something in me that made him trust me more than others. I never hid my faith from him, even though he was an Orthodox Jew.

You may not be an Elijah- with all the bold confrontations, dramatic moments, and public displays of power.

But maybe, just maybe, you’re an Obadiah.

And that is no less significant in the kingdom of God.

Courage, faithfulness, and truth are rare commodities these days.

The Bible is filled with ordinary men and women whom God used to make an extraordinary difference in the lives of many.

Be one of them.”

A Message from Amir Tsarfati, on his Telegram Channel

Telegram is the one-stop shop for daily updates from Amir related to current events in the Middle East and what’s taking place around the world. Connect with Amir and Behold Israel HERE.

In His Love, Cindy

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

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

Psalm 122:6 NASB

RealChristianWomen.blog