Don't Be Disrespectful To Your Parents

Today I got extremely angry with my mother; so angry that I said things that I now feel ashamed of. I felt really bad because last night I happened to switch to a Christian evangelist who was talking about how to succeed at life. One of the points he spoke about was that if you honor your father and mother, you would live long and you will be blessed in all you do. That was the latest in a long line of 'reminders' that I had been receiving lately from the Lord. 

But living long and doing well is not the reason that I feel ashamed. Yes, of course I want to live long and succeed, and I admit that this thought did go through my mind. I also confess that I felt ashamed that when I spoke to Mom that my voice was so raised that the neighbors heard, and I knew that they thought badly of me as a Christian. But in the end, I knew that I did not do the right thing and I feel ashamed.

In Matthew 15 verse 4 Jesus Christ told his disciples. "God said, 'honor your father and your mother' and 'anyone who speaks cruelly to his father and mother must be put to death." If I lived in the time of the Israelite people when they lived in the desert after they left Egypt, I would have been stoned to death if I had done that. God still punishes when people are cruel to their parents. In a movie called "Facing the Giants" the coach was speaking to one of his football players who always spoke disrespectfully and acted rebelliously to his father. The young man had told him that he did not respect his father and he could not speak respectfully to him because of how he acted. The coach replied tersely that the young footballer was not responsible for his dad's behaviou; what he was responsible to God for was the state of his heart towards his father and the need to respect and honor his father. That is the main point of this whole incident. I'm not responsible for how my mom behaves or does, even though I may not agree or even understand how she thinks and what she does. My responsibility is to respect her BECAUSE SHE IS MY MOTHER.

What happened made me face the fact that I have sinned by being angry and disrespectful to my mother. I know that I have to deal with my anger. This anger was not only against my mom, but other issues I have to deal with. If I do not get the help that I need soon, I will end up doing some harm to myself and/or someone else.  The Bible said that you must confess your faults to one another and pray for one another that you will be healed. That's what I plan to do and get the help that I need.

So, if you have any kind of problems with your parents, deal with it. Go to a counsellor if you need to. But make sure that you show respect for your parents. If you haven't, it's not too late to change. Go humbly and make it right with them. I intend to.

God said, "honor your father and your mother' and "anyone who speaks cruelly to his father and mother must be put to death." Matthew 15 verse 4 (New Century Version)

"Friends Could Carry You, But They Can't Bring You Back Pt. 2

Today I'm going to talk specifically to parents, guardians and other caregivers about the friendships their children may form. I was writing about a young girl who got led astray by a so-called 'friend.' This 'friend' took her to a place where she was being held by a man who I found out was the wrongdoer's brother. After the man was warned by the host of a local crime-fighting show that he would 'com for him' if he did not bring the girl home in an hour, the girl was returned to her home.

As I was thinking about this girl's situation, an biblical event came to my mind. It is recorded in 2 Samuel 13; you can read the whole event for yourself. To recap what I wrote yesterday, another son of king David named Amnon supposedly 'fell in love' with his half-sister, Tamar. Incidentally, Tamar was the full sister of Absalom, the son whom God killed because he rebelled against his father. In verse 3, we see that Amnon had a 'friend', a cousin named Jonadab, whom the Bible described as a 'crafty' man. Jonadab told Amnon to pretend that he was sick in bed. When his father came to see him, Amnon should ask king David to allow Tamar to bring food and feed him with it. The plan worked. When the beautiful young virgin went into his room to feed him, he forcibly raped her. The Bible actually says that after Amnon raped Tamar, his hatred for her was even more than his 'love' for her, and he told his servants to put her outside and shut the door. Worse of all in this whole scenario, king David was displeased, BUT HE DID ABSOLUTELY ABOUT IT!

Parents, guardians and all those rearing children below 21 years of age, I'm sounding a warning to you. Many of you want to be 'friends' with  your children, wanting them to like you and to think that you are 'cool!' Guess what? At those ages (0 to 21years), your child or children want parents, not friends. Their friends are those of their own age. You need to be firm with them, laying down rules that are age-appropriate and making sure that those rules are followed. Let there be consequences if rules are not followed.

Make sure that you know who your child's friends are. The young girl's mother knew the girl well enough to know that she was an undesirable person., and even warned her to stay away from the young offender. Make your children introduce them to you. Give them opportunities to come home. And if they have friends that you do not like, let them know that you do not want them to lime (hang out) with them, Let there be consequences if you are not obeyed.

Jonadab was David's nephew. I'm sure David had seen Jonadab's ways as he grew up, and probably knew what kind of person he was. He should have kept his son from being too close to his first cousin. But he often was not at home, as is the case with a lot of parents.

Parents, you also need to talk straight with your children. Tell them about life, and about what happened to you and to others when they disobeyed their parents and those in authority. Both the young offender and Jonadab persuaded their friends to deceive their parents and to do wrong. For the young girl, she was held by the young miscreant's brother, who said that he wanted to marry her. Up to the time of this  writing, I do not know if he touched her in any way. In Amnon's case, Tamar was raped, even though she begged him to ask their father for her hand in marriage. He just went ahead and took what he wanted, not considering the possible consequences. The young offender and her brother also took the young woman without her mother's permission, not considering the consequences.

When a child wants to go out with friends, let the friends come and ask permission for them to go. Some people think that this is old-fashioned, but in these days, I believe that this is a safe thing to do. Make sure that there is an age-appropriate time to come in, and make sure that there are age-appropriate consequences that will make a teen think twice about doing it again (please, I'm not sanctioning abuse of any kind here!) 

Talk to your child about the facts of life, how to move in certain situations. Be real and open with   your children. Tell them about the dangers of drugs, alcohol, premarital sex and smoking.Tell them what to do if they are caught in certain situations. Give them numbers that they can call if they are in trouble. The young girl's mother kept her too protected, not allowing her to learn  how to carry herself about in the world; this is a dangerous thing. David did not tell his virgin daughter what to do if a man acted in certain ways, so she was very innocent and naive, and was a unsuspecting victim of Jonadab's cunning scheme and Amnon's lust.

And what was the consequences, both for the Jonadab/Amnon/Tamar case and the brother/victim/young female offender? The Bible says that Tamar lived in her brother Amnon's house and was sad and lonely. Absalom was very angry and hated his brother for disgracing his sister. In the end, he also hatched a plot and killed his brother Amnon. (2 Samuel 13: 20 - 28). In the local case, I believe that both the brother and sister will be arrested and sentenced. Depending on the state of the young girl, the relationship between them will need to change. If there was sex in any way, then there may be consequences to both offenders and victim.

Parents, these times are serious. It is not like in my time or your time when we were teens. Those times you could have been a little more lax. But now, the hearts of many have gone cold, not caring about others at all. Let us keep our children safe from all harm. Let us pray for them, let us first be believers in Jesus Christ and have a relationship with Him. Then we can then teach our children the right way, so that when they are old, they will not depart from it.

"Do not be deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man  soweth, that will he also reap/" Galatians 6 verse 7 (KJV)

"Friends Could Carry You, But They Can't Bring You Back." Pt. 1

Yesterday I was watching a local crime-fighting TV program. The host was telling the story of a young girl who had been misled by a 'friend' of hers. Her mother had requested the host's help to locate her because she  was now missing. On top of that, when the young "friend" who had led her astray was questioned by the police,  she said she did not know where the young girl was. They had no choice but to release her. 

When I heard about the 'boldfaceness' (audacity) of this little girl in telling such a lie to the police of all people, I was so mad that I told my aunt that if I was that missing girl's mother, she would have gotten a good beating from me. She would have told me quick enough where my child  was. Of course I didn't mean it, but I could have felt the helplessness of that poor mother as she wept and asked for her daughter to come home. 

I had a few questions on my mind about the matter.

1. I couldn't understand how a young girl could take it into her mind to do such a thing as to 'kidnap' another young girl?Was she crazy, demon-possessed, or just plain 'bad?' 

2. Where was that young wrongdoer's parents? I wondered how she came to be how she was. It was said that she ran away from home. This made me wonder what was the condition of her home that made her want to run away. Of course, her waywardness may not be her parents' fault! Some children just have a mind of their own and do what they want, no matter what the parents try to do. But it still makes me wonder.

3. Where is that young girl being held right now? How is she feeling? Her mother said that she was a girl always at home, only going out with her brother. I could imagine that she is regretting that she had gone to meet that so-called 'friend' of hers.

4. Who is with her? What is being done to her right now? If she has been harmed in anyway, somebody will be charged.

As I write this blog, I heard that a man related to the wrongdoer returned the poor girl to her home an hour after the show was aired. Thank God that she was returned home alive! But I don't know what (if anything) was done to her while she was with the man. Hopefully I should know by tomorrow.

But this reminds me of an event in the Bible, about Amnon, another son of David, king of Israel. This Amnon   "fell in love" with Tamar, one of his half-sisters, born of the mother of Absalom. |Yes, the same Absalom that rebelled from his father, David). Amnon was so infatuated with the beautiful young woman that he fell sick. But he had a friend, a cousin of his named Jonadab, who advised him to do an ugly deed that brought havoc into his family's lives. I will tell you about this biblical event, tie it into this girl's story, and give some pointers tomorrow about parents, their children and their children's friends. As the saying (from my country) goes, "Friends can carry you, but they can't bring you back." 

"Amnon had a friend named Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother. Jonadab was a very clever man." 2  Samuel 13 verse 3 (New Century Version)

Don't Take Suicide Threats Lightly Pt. 3

In 2 Samuel 16 in the Bible, we read about Ahithophel, who was counsellor to both king David and his son Absalom. Absalom had rebelled against his father and had declared himself king. Ahithophel, who had once been loyal to David, had defected to Absalom. Now, even though Ahithophel's advice at one time seemed as reliable as God's, God himself wanted to bring disaster on Absalom for not honouring his father. He used Hushai, one of David's trusted friends who was still loyal to him, to give bad advice to Absalom. Absalom rejected Ahithophel's advice, and he went home, put his affairs in order and then hung himself.

But let's pretend that Absalom did not defect, and God was not trying to destroy him. Instead, it was an ordinary day in the court of David, and his son. prince Absalom was one of his high officials. As usual, all of David's high officials and army officers were accustomed to asking Ahithophel for advice, and they would follow it to the letter. But one day, David became friends with another very wise man called Hushai. In a very important matter, David and his officials decided to take Hushai's counsel, and disregarded Ahithophel's advice. Ahithophel, feeling rejected and angry because of his loss of influence over the king and his court, goes home.

Suppose you are one of Ahithophel's wife. Your husband is usually calm and haughty when he comes home from the palace. But today he comes home angry. You ask him what is troubling him, but instead of answering the question, he tells you how he wants to dispose of his property, almost as if he was about to die. What do you do, Mrs. Ahithophel?

1. Continue to ask Ahithophel what is wrong, in an attempt to draw out the cause of his distress. Many times someone thinking of suicide is crying out for help and wants someone to listen to him.

2. Ahithophel starts putting his affairs in order. Ask him why he is disposing of his property and his family. This is what persons do when they are contemplating   suicide. 

3. If you think that Ahithophel might try to hurt or kill himself, come out and ask him plainly if he is thinking of doing this. If he says that he wants to commit suicide, get help for him, like a police officer, a pastor, or someone who can talk him out of it.

4  Get counselling for him from someone trained to counsel people who want to commit suicide.

5. As a believer in Jesus Christ, include times of Bible reading designed to show the person how  much God loves them, and try to lead him in a salvation prayer. If the person is a believer already, try to reassure him that God is still in control and that He is still there, ready and willing to help. As a believer, I believe that only God can help us to solve the sticky problems that we face in our lives.

6. Family and friends of those contemplating suicide or have committed suicide, PLEASE GET COUNSELLING YOURSELF, FOR THIS ACT AFFECTS THE WHOLE FAMILY.

Most of all, people contemplating suicide our listening ear, your love and care. Always have a consistent line of communication with your family and friends. Always make sure that they are always able and comfortable to come and talk to you about anything and everything. Let them know how much that they are loved and appreciated.
Above all, the one thing that you do not do - DON'T EVER TAKE SUICIDE THREATS LIGHTLY!

"(God) heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds." Proverbs 147: 3

Don't Take Suicide Threats Lightly Pt 2.

I am dealing with the topic of suicide. I mentioned yesterday  a man from the Bible called Ahithophel. This man gave advice to King David. He was a very wise man, and the king and his high officials thought that his advice was so good that it was just as good as God's. This made him very proud. But Ahithophel sinned by being disloyal to the God- appointed king, and defecting to David's son, Absalom. Absalom decided to listen to another counsellor's advice rather than Ahithophel, who therefore felt so rejected and upset that he hung himself.

Did Ahithophel, or the two boys that I referred to yesterday, exhibit any warning signs? How can you know if someone wants to commit suicide? 

Warning Signs For Suicide

It is a sad thing to know that people would want to take their own lives. Suicide is a cry for help, the only way that some people think that they could get relief from unbearable hurt and pain. Fortunately, you can know when someone is thinking of committing suicide. 

Some persons simply tell their relatives that they are going to commit suicide. The young 12 year old boy told his grandmother that he was going to kill himself. He also felt angry because he did not get anything for his birthday. Uncontrolled anger is a sign that something may be wrong.

The person may talk or write about death and dying. I think that maybe Ahihophel felt this way too.

Take quick notice when you see a child or adult giving away things that he may treasure, like well-loved toys, clothes, books etc.  This is a sure sign. They may also lose interest in things that they once had keen interest in. Ahithophel began leaving orders about his family and his property.

The person  may also indulge in risky behaviour without any concern for physical safety and consequences.

A person may begin taking drugs or drinking alcohol or increase the amount taken. They may also show changes in mood or personality, like from being an outgoing person to being withdrawn, or a obedient child suddenly being defiant to parents.

All these are clues that can alert someone to the possibility that a loved one may be thinking of suicide. If you see these signs, there are things that can be done to prevent the person from going through with it. I will deal with these things tomorrow.

"At that time the people thought Ahithophel's advice was as reliable as God's own word. Both David and Abslom thought that it was that reliable...Absalom and all the Israelites said, " the advice of Hushai the Arkite is better than that of Ahithophel"...When Ahithophel saw that the Israelites did not accept his advice, he saddled his donkey and went to his hometown. He left orders for his family and property, and then he hanged himself. He died and was buried in his father's tomb." 2 Samuel 16: 23 and 2 Samuel 17: 14, 23 (New Century Version).

Don't Take Suicide Threats Lightly Pt. 1

I have been seeing a very disturbing occurrence recently. Two young persons, one 12 years old and the other 18 years old, have committed suicide. They both hung themselves. They both felt that they could not handle the situations in their lives anymore. 

Why would someone commit suicide? It may be a cry for help. The person may not want to die, but may just want the people around him to know that they need help. Another may commit this act because they are on drugs or are mentally unstable. They may hear voices or see apparitions that tell them to kill themselves.

A third reason is that the person thinks that they have no other options but to commit suicide. They may have some problem that they think is too much to handle, like terminal sickness, extensive financial loss and loss of prestige or influence.  In the Stock Market Crash in America's Wall Street in 1929, many of the rich men committed suicide when they lost everything they had. Ahitophel, David;s main advisor, killed himself when his advice was not taken by David's son, Absalom. His advice had been regarded before by all as advice gotten from the oracles of God. This pride and his perceived loss of influence and prestige made him take his own life.

Tomorrow we will discuss effects of suicide, and warning signs.

"..I (Jesus) am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10.  (KJV).

The Making of a Gang Member Pt. 4

I have been highlighting the factors that produce gang members. The Scripture I used at the end of my blog spoke about God turning back the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children back to their fathers. I believe that this is one of the solutions to the whole 'gang mentality' problem. In Genesis 2 God brought man and woman together and they became husband and wife; the two becomes one flesh. He told them be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth. The idea of marriage was that a man and a woman was to come together as husband and wife and have children. It was to be a lifelong relationship of only one man to one woman. When children were born to them, both father and mother had certain responsibilities to their children, the man to give guidance and discipline, and the woman to give sustenance and comfort. But when the father is missing physically and emotionally, then the children are hurt emotionally.
I remember the "barrel children" of the 1970s. Many mothers and fathers left to go to the United States, leaving their children in the care of aunts and uncles, grandparents and other relatives.This separation of parents and children were made presumably to secure the financial welfare of their children. Many of these youngsters had the latest of clothes, gadgets, trips to the US and Canada, and many other material benefits. However, the things that they need most, the love, care, guidance and discipline of their parents, were sadly lacking. The relatives (which was most usually a elderly grandmother) were unable or unwilling to care for these children. A lot of them grew up not having the supervision, care, instructions in how to become a functioning adult, so a whole generation of children and teenagers grew up 'wild and free,' left to do whatever they desired. These people then had children of their own. Not knowing how to nurture their own children because of the lack of parenting in their own lives, their children in turn became just like them, sometimes even worse. The third generation had children earlier; these have an 'attitude' of violence, where their parents' words seem not to make sense at all to them. They have tempers that trip at the slightest provocation, they think school and church as 'boring!' and are more hedonistic than anyone else
Fathers and mothers need to draw close to their childrne again, to teach them and model for them proper values and morals. But how can you teach and model something.that you don't have?
This is where salvation comes in. The last part of this topic tomorrow.


"Children, obey your parents for this is right. Honor your father and your mother, which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the  nurture and admonition of the Lord." Proverbs 6: 1 - 4 (KJV)

The Making Of A Gang Member Pt. 2

Yesterday I started to write about what can make a boy or girl into a gang member. The first point I elaborated on was about absentee fathers. Fathers provide guidance to children, and give them their idea of what a man should be like.

The second reason that children enter gangs is because a family member or members are already in gangs. Young children are impressionable, and may think of that lifestyle as being exciting. The fact that the one who is the gang member may have money, clothes, a big house and car may entice them into that world. Especially if the child and his family are poor.  But they do not see the dangers that may be involved in this life. 

Someone told me about a little child whose mother taught him to steal. Because he was a small child, she was able to push him through windows so he could steal what was inside. The older he got, he continued to steal from other people in the area. 

One thing that I've found out about most gang members is that a lot of them are illiterate. Some leave school early, and have trouble reading. When that happens, it seem to affect the self-esteem of the child or young person. They try to hide these feelings of inadequacy by being defiant, rebelling against the rules.  I remembered  one evening as I walked to my house, I overhead some young men sitting by the roadside dissing their teachers. They seemed to think that if they didn't do their homework or pay attention to their teacher, that they were 'getting back at them.' I had to inform these young men that in fact, they would only be huritng themselves, and that the teachers would be paid at the end of the month, even if these boys chose to study or not. 

But there are exceptions to the rule. Some gang members are exceptionally bright. These days some gang members are computer literate, and go to business school so that they can invest their drug money better, and help run he gang more as a business.  I consider that a big shame, because these brilliant children can use their abilities to earn an excellent and LEGAL living rather than getting into criminal activity. These gang members are usually from middle-class and upper-class homes. 

Tomorrow I will continue on this topic.

"Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6 (KJV)

The making of a gang member Pt. 1

Today is Valentine's Day. I wish all my blog readers "All my love and best wishes for Valentine's Day!"

On a day that is supposed to celebrate man's love towards his fellow men, I just heard a lot of gun shots in the stretch of roads that extends in the opposite direction from the one I live in. Since I've lived here (I was born in another district), my "neck of the woods" has been relatively free to walk in without fear of being robbed and shot at, and still is, for the most part. But the other "stretch" has become more and more violent, especially in the last 3 years. I remember while I was living in one of the other Caribbean countries, that it was the custom in many, if not all the districts, that if one side of the street is partial to one party (or gang), and the other side of the street  is partial to another party (or gang), a person living on one side of the street could not cross over to the other side of the street in case the person got killed. Or one gang from one district could not enter a gang territory in another district. At that time I used to think (rather proudly I must say), "PRAISE THE LORD, MY COUNTRY IS NOT LIKE THAT!" Well, now I can no longer boast, for my country is very quickly becoming the same way.

I've always used to wonder how a young boy (or girl) became involved in a gang. I've been observing a particular family for a long time,  and I have a friend who lives next door to a family whose 12-year old son is in a gang. From these two sources of information, I've made some conclusions. First, I believe that a father who is either at home physically but not emotionally, or a father that is absent from the home is one strong reason. A father is necessary to a child's development. It is from a father that a boy learns how to act in a manly fashion, and a girl learns to gauge all males according to how her father treats her. Both children learns  self-esteem and desperately needs the love of their father. When they do not or cannot get this from them, they will end up looking for love and guidance in the  wrong place. If a gang leader can give them guidance, material things, and a type of 'love' that seems to fill up a gaping hole in their heart, then they will eventually become gang members, and their parents will have lost the battle.

See the second part of this topic tomorrow.

"Behold, I will send you Elias the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of their children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." Malachi 4: 5 - 6 (KJV)

The Pursuit of Happiness

Last Saturday, I was busy reading a devotional about the devastating effects of death, when a friend of mine sent me a text on my cell. She gave me the surprising news that Whitney Huston died. I was shocked, to say the least. Most of my 20's I listened to Whitney's music. I considered her beautiful and talented. But when I became a born again Christian, I stopped listening to her music, and any other type of "secular" music.

As I sat that night looking at CNN, I was eerily reminded of two years ago, when I heard that Michael Jackson had died. Somehow, for some strange reason, I'd never really think that one day these people, Whitney Huston and Michael Jackson, and other celebrities and world figures that I had grown up with and gotten accustomed to, would someday die, and be no more on the music stage and the stage of life. Inexplicably, I'd always thought that the "king of Pop" and Whitney would be young and make music. I thought maybe I'd die and leave them here, looking and sounding the same as they always do. So, these two deaths shook me up quite a bit.

It also made me so sad. Whitney Huston began her singing in church, but chose to leave that environment and go into the world of music. She had the looks, the talent (at the height of her career her voice was phenomenal!) and the charisma to capture the heart of fans her age and younger. But we see that even though she had all that, and in turn gained fame, wealth, the love of fans and many awards, both for music and her acting, Whitney was not at all happy. I believe that it was because she had left the church, where the presence of the One who had given her all these gifts I had mentioned (looks, voice etc.) had been. She went out into the world. She had lost her way, and had left the 'spring of living water' and had instead chosen 'broken cisterns that had no water."

This brings me to this. As I watch her family, especially her 18-year old daughter, Bobbi Kristina, take the death of their loved one so hard, all I can ask was, "what did she gain from all this fame and fortune?" She may have gotten money and fame, but it seemed that she did not have the "true riches" that would have satisfied her. She got the love and admiration of fans and friends alike, but I wished that she had gotten the peace that she desperately was looking for, the peace that only the Prince of Peace could give, a "peace that passes all understanding that keeps (one's) heart and mind in Christ Jesus."  

I'm hoping that other celebrities and wannabe stars would look at these and other celebrity tragedies and learn from it. It has just let me realize anew that it is not what you have and who you are that matters. In the end it is Whose you are, and all that He gives to you, everlasting life, true peace and fullness of joy, and 'pleasures forevermore at His right hand."

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world." 1 John 2:15 (KJV)

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Today I read about a little boy who left his school and molested a girl his age  in the toilet of a nearby school.  I was aghast at this, especially because I know that these kinds of situations are happening more and more often.
I wondered, "how would a five-year old  know about such things?" If I asked most people this question, the first answer that they would give is "they probably were molested themselves." And this would be true. Maybe this child was molested by someone that he knew and trusted. Like the woman I spoke about in yesterday's post, maybe he was confused about how he felt when that person hurt him. The molestation may have opened feelings that he did not understand. Soon, he began to do the same things to other kids.
Another reason that I would give for that "small man's" attitude is the fact that he may have seen adults and/or older children having sex, and may have wanted to try it. Or maybe he saw adult movies on cable.  Knowing the kinds of adult channels that are readily available for viewing, is it any wonder that young children are able to watch these shows?
This brings me to the whole situation. What will the authorities do with such a situation? As someone trained in counseling, I think that the authorities should look into that little boy's family life to see if indeed there is any sexual abuse occurring in it. As the Sunday school song goes, "be careful little eyes (ears)Of course, both children will have to be counseled.  I wish that they could have been taught biblical principles that would help them get over the pain and torment of this act. Because, believe you me, this one act will spark off consequences that I believe that only God and His Son , the Lord Jesus Christ, can fix.

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and  when he is he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22: 6 (KJV)

God Works Pain Out For Our Good

I've just read a moving account of a person's experience with sexual abuse when she was a child. I could still feel the pain, hurt and confusion that she felt as a child - and still feels even today. Thank God that she knows Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and because of that special, comforting relationship with the One who can permanently heal her, she indeed is being healed.
But she said something that made me think. She said that she has been defined by the experience, not in spite of it. This experience has added wonderful qualities to her that she felt might not have been there without it.  I think that ALL BAD things that are done to us - or that we do to others, define us in one way or the other. If we deal with these issues - like the lady whose testimony I read, God can use what Satan meant for evil and turn it around for our good. But if we leave the painful event or thing to fester in our hearts like a abscessed tooth in a person's mouth, we may find that in the end it would damage us and we will defeat the 'good purpose' that God has in store for us.

So, fear not! Arise, and lets deal with the 'dark shadows' that define us - for good or for ill. I recommend Jesus Christ as the starting point of the perfect solution. Just ask Him to be your Savior today and the healing process can begin. 

'We know that in everything God works for the good of them who love hHm. They were the people He called because that was His plan." Romans 8:28 (New Century Version)

They Make The Children Suffer

This morning, my aunt and I were discussing pedophiles. I had just come home from a doctor's appointment and was gushing about the cute little babies I had seen in the waiting room as I waited to see my doctor. (There is a pediatrician among the list of doctors in the building whose patients share the same waiting room). Thinking about the fragility and beauty of each baby I had seen I asked my aunt angrily, "how can someone look at such a small and innocent babies and do unspeakable acts to them?"

"It can't be for sex. What pleasure can a little one give?" she declared hotly.

"Its not sex that those kind of people feel, it's all a matter of control!" I replied.

Pedophiles feel a sense of power and control when they prey on young, innocent victims. They are usually men (there are women that do this too!) that are insecure around women for some reason, and their only recourse is to, as we say here, "interfere with children."

I remember that when I was a teen there was a man in that always used to come and hug me after church. But this "hug" was neither Christian or fatherly; it made me feel very uncomfortable. I tried many times to leave before he could see me, but I was not always successful. Sometimes he used to corner me before I could leave and give me his "greeting!" When I couldn't take it anymore, I told my aunt and it immediately stopped! Now as I sit here and write about, I wonder if there were any other child he was doing this too, and if so, how many?

This shows that a child should be able to tell an adult ( a relative or teacher or trusted adult) about that kind of incident and be believed and protected. If my aunt had not believed me and done soemthing about it, what would have become of me then? I shudder to think what would have happened Praise God for His mercy!"

I will continue to deal with this topic in subsequent blog posts. If you have any questions, or have any experiences of this nature, please feel free to send them. God bless you.

"Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven." Matthew 10:10 KJV