Tag: love

Christian

Children’s Ministry is More Important Than You Think

Cindy Dawson

3-minute devotion for Sunday, 12/28/25

“Whoever receives and welcomes one child such as this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives not [only] Me, but Him who sent Me.” Mark 9:37 AMP

There may be children in your church who will accept Jesus as their Savior because they went to Sunday School and had a teacher who told them about Jesus. Many times, I have taught children in Sunday School whose parents did not attend church.

It takes a lot of caring Christians to properly support the children who come to your church. I’ve been praying for God to send more Sunday School teachers and nursery workers. There never seems to be enough. Do you find this to be true in your local church?

When I consider the words of Jesus, I am amazed that we don’t have enough workers. After all, it is a privilege to serve the Lord in this way, and it honors God. To welcome a little child is to welcome Jesus and the Father.

There is another reason Children’s Ministry is so important. Consider this,

“People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Mark 10:13-15 (emphasis mine)

“Certainly these verses should impress the servant of the Lord with the importance of reaching little ones with the Word of God. The minds of children are most plastic and most receptive. W. Graham Scroggie said, “Be your best and give your best to the children.” Believer’s Bible Commentary

Children are important to God. We must take care of them and teach them about our Lord.

There is almost always an opportunity to serve in Children’s Ministry.

“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

I met Jesus when I was only 6 years old. I am so grateful for the Sunday School teachers who taught me about Him. And I am thankful for those who serve our Lord in this way today.

Is God calling you to serve in this vitally important ministry?

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” Isaiah 6:8

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

All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

Who Unwrapped All the Presents?!

Cindy Dawson

My mom used to decorate for Christmas with lots of elegantly wrapped empty boxes tied with the most exquisite bows. She would carefully store them in her basement after the holidays for the next year.

When my son was a little boy, he had a friend who lived next door to my parents. We called him “Little Greg”. Even though he is now a lawyer in his 40s, I still think of him as “Little Greg”. His mom and my sister were good friends, and they used to take the boys to all the fun places in the city.

One day, when my son and Little Greg were playing in my mom’s basement. They had been quiet for a long time, so my mom went down to check on them. What she saw shocked her!

Wrapping paper and bows covered the floor! The boys had unwrapped all the “fake” Christmas packages, looking for toys!

This is one of our favorite family stories that never gets old. No matter how many times it’s told, this story always makes us laugh. My son, Zack, and his friend Little Greg were looking for presents, but all they got were empty boxes! They were looking for gifts in all the wrong places.

This Christmas, let us seek the real gift of Christmas, Jesus our Savior and Lord. There are lots of beautifully wrapped packages that are really just empty boxes. But Jesus is the real gift of Christmas. Merry Christmas and God bless you all!

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17 NIV Read full chapter

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

All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

Holiday Blues?

Cindy Dawson

2-minute devotion for Thursday, 12/25/25

Do the holidays trigger thoughts about what should have been instead of what is? Are you feeling lonely? The strange thing about depression is that it seems to take your mind captive. You may think you can’t stop the downward spiral.

The next thing you know, you’re driving to the grocery store to buy food for the holidays, and tears begin to well up in your eyes. You hate it. You don’t want to be sad!

I know all about it because I experienced this one day.

I prayed. I asked the Lord to help me.

Just a few minutes later, my daughter called. (You should know, she loves to cook. I mean really cook, like they do on TV Cooking Shows. I, on the other hand, look for the easiest and quickest recipe possible.)

Christina: “Mom, would you get me a butternut squash while you’re at the store?”

Me: “Do you mean like a real vegetable butternut squash?” (I’m thinking, does that come in a package?)

Christina: (starts laughing hilariously) “Yes! A real vegetable butternut squash!!”

We both cracked up and had a good belly laugh! It felt so good to laugh!

Guess what? My mood completely changed right then. 

I learned a valuable yet simple lesson about holiday blues.

  1. Always go to the Lord in prayer.
  2. Find a way to laugh!

“Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Mathew 6:8

“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5

“A cheerful heart is good medicine.” Proverbs 17:22

A book could be written on this subject, and I know that, but this is what happened to me. Sometimes a person needs a word of encouragement, not the whole book.

Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;
    let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving . . . Psalm 25:1-2

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Find a way to laugh a little today!

(I hesitated to post this message again because I have posted it several times in the past, but every time it has been posted, many readers say, “I needed this today.” Christmas can be hard for many reasons. Let us pray for and encourage one another.)

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

All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

The Magnitude of God’s Grace.

Cindy Dawson

Quote of the Week for 12/24/25

“God desires that His children not only receive His grace but understand why it is precious. Through the Son, believers learn to value mercy because they see what it cost…
In Christ’s submission to the Father’s will, the depth of divine mercy is revealed. The Father’s justice and compassion meet perfectly in the cross. In that sacred union, the believer learns both the seriousness of sin and the magnitude of grace.”

bruce cooper, reasoned cases for christ

See Bruce’s excellent post, Knowing the Father Through the Son: The Door That Never Closes HERE.

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

All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

Do You Love Animals, Too?

Cindy Dawson

1-minute devotion for Tuesday, 12/23/25

“Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens;
    your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
    your justice like the ocean depths.
You care for people and animals alike, O Lord.
   How precious is your unfailing love, O God!“
Psalm 36:5-7a NLT (emphasis mine)

Here are a few of my favorite pets and animals:

My sister’s dog, SHADOW
My daughter’s dog, SELAH
My daughter holding a SLOTH!
HENRY and SELAH
Karla’s dog, FINLEY

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

All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

Until Christ Returns

Cindy Dawson

1-minute devotion for Thursday, 12/18/25

“Therefore be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.
” James 5:7-8 NASB

James urges his readers to “stand firm” (lit., “strengthen your hearts”). This expression has the idea of providing solid support, of establishing a person, and thus of enabling one to stand unmoved by trouble. The reason given for standing firm is again that “the Lord’s coming is near.” The day when things will be set right is imminent. This confident expectation will make the faint heart strong. (Expositor’s Bible Commentary)

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

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

Keep Planting Those Seeds!

Cindy Dawson

1-minute devotion for Monday, 12/15/25

“What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.” 1 Corinthians 3:5-6 NIV (emphasis mine)

My Thoughts: Keep planting seeds because it is God who will make them grow. If you know very worldly people, figuring out how to share the Gospel can be overwhelming. Maybe they are neighbors or co-workers you care about. May this verse encourage you to keep planting seeds! Pray that the Lord will make them grow!

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

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

The Responsibility of an Older Woman

Cindy Dawson

1-minute devotion for Friday, 12/12/25

“Older women similarly are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor addicted to much wine, teaching what is right and good, so that they may encourage the young women to tenderly love their husbands and their children, to be sensible, pure, makers of a home [where God is honored], good-natured, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.” Titus 2:3-5 AMP

My Thoughts: Older Christian women have a lot of wisdom to share. I hope you have an older woman to look up to and turn to for advice. My grandmothers have gone on to be with the Lord. They were wise women, and I miss them so much!

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

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

Putting Others First

Cindy Dawson

1-minute devotion for Thursday, 12/11/25

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3-4 ESV

My Thoughts: I’m reminded of the day, many years ago, when the Holy Spirit brought this verse to my mind in a specific situation. It isn’t always easy, but it’s God’s way and how we should live.

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

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

Boldly Sharing the Gospel

Cindy Dawson

1-minute devotion for Tuesday, 12/9/25

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes…” Romans 1:16 NIV

My Prayer: Lord, give us the boldness to freely share the Gospel with those around us.

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

All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

RealChristianWomen.blog