1 out of 4

So, about a year and a half ago God led me to this really cool gal....with a really cool non-profit organization that you can check out here.

Through Gateway of Hope I got to know its founder and am now blessed to be a part of the Christian Care Coalition. Simply put, God has given me an awesome chance to serve Him in exactly the way I feel called to serve and I am excited! But.......the statistics are staggering and the faces and stories behind "1 out of 4" are heart-breaking, I know from personal experience.

• Conservative statistics reveal that one in four girls will be sexually abused before age 18.
• Related statistics reveal that 95% of teenage prostitutes have been sexually abused.
• Similar statistics reveal that one in four teen age girls and adult women will be physically abused by their boyfriend, partner, or spouse.
• One in six American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape.

As I sit in church on Sunday, stand in line at the grocery store, drive down the streets of my neighborhood, and watch my girls play...I find myself thinking about those "1 in 4".

1 out of 4 means that when my precious girls are having a playdate with their 2 girlfriends, 2 of them will, at some point in their lives be traumitized and violated (statistically thinking).

1 out of 4 means that at church on Sunday.......depending on the number of people there, one can assume that at least a quarter of the women/men there are being, or have been abused at some point in their lives.

1 out of 4 means that when I'm hanging out with a few of my dear girlfriends.....and there are 4 or more gathered, at least one of us has suffered some form of abuse during our lives.

It seems so daunting....so discouraging. After praying that the Lord help me to see the people of this world with His eyes and to love them as He loves them....
...as He so often does....
...He answered my prayer.

My heart hurts. As each day passes......I find myself stumbling to find the answer to the question He keeps asking me, "How are you going to serve me? What are you going to do for those that are suffering so that they can KNOW and BELIEVE that there is HOPE in me? This is why I have left you here."

In the time it's taken me to write this post:
An estimated 60 children have been sold into sex slavery.

Cute Comments from my Kiddo's

Little Man really likes Batman

So Little Man and I were enjoying a nice ride in the good ole mini-van last week...on our way to pick up the girls. I'd just picked him up from school and we were talking about his day.

Somewhat abruptly he softly (but excitedly) asked, "Mommy....is that Batman in front of us?"

In front of us was a man (I'm assuming), on a black motorcycle, with a black motorcycle helmet, black shoes, and a black leather jacket. I quickly controlled my urge to giggle at the adorable innocence of my Little Man's desire for that to REALLY be Batman.

"No buddy, that's not Batman", I told him.

"But.... he's on a black motorcycle with a black helmet..and a black"....[and you get the picture].

How cute. It's so easy to forget those days when we all (or at least some of us) believed in Super Heroes and Santa Claus.

"Crapping" or "Flapping"??

My hubby has been putting birdseed on our back patio and our kiddo's love sitting at the back door and watching the "birdies" and a squirrel every now and then....eat up the seeds. Tella and Sissy REALLY like the "birdies". So one night at dinner my dear hubby commented that there were some birdies eating the birdseed and Tella got very excited.

She was waving her hands as she exclaimed, "Mommy, the birdies are crapping!!"

.....ummmmm, what was that?

I looked at hubby as he suppressed a smile and we both listened closer as she exclaimed again...

"The birdies are crapping!!"

So hubby and I are now laughing, Sissy and Little Man are looking at us like we're from outer space and Tella is repeatedly announcing to us all that the birdies are crapping!

Still not sure if she meant, "the birdies are clapping"????

Complacency

Life has been moving a bit too fast these past few weeks. Thus, no posting on my part.

If God has taught me anything in 2008 it's that trials really are a blessing. The past year has been difficult. I'm quite aware that, in comparison to some, it's not been so bad. But the difficult is what I need...apparently. You see.....I'm a bit stubborn.

But the point is that has God shown me, over and over this year, that He is always faithful to His promises. And regardless of how hopeless things may seem, He always has a plan and it is always far beyond what I could ever ask for or imagine.

That being said, I'm sorry to say that after hitting the high of seeing God's mighty hand clearly moving in my life, I slowly drifted into complacency. Unaware for months, I began lowering the expectations I have of myself. Expectations of the kind of mother, wife, and friend I desire to be, and more importantly, that God desires me to be.

As the days have passed.......my level of complacency grew.

God used last Sunday to show me how far I've drifted from who I want to be and who He wants me to be. He showed me some truths that I really didn't want to accept.

It's so easy for me to slip into behaviors and attitudes that are destructive...oftentimes without even knowing it. And over time...these behaviors and attitudes become such commonplace that I'm not even aware of them.

I don't think I could ever be thankful enough or praise God enough for dying on the cross for ME so that I could KNOW that I am forgiven and KNOW that there is always hope in the Lord. Without that......there are times I really don't know how I could function.

So......I handed my complacency over to God........and started the trek back onto His path.

The Lord has answered LOTS of prayer this week.

Thank you Father.