Wire Hangers.

Child abuse. Ouch. Hm.... What is there to say about it? It's horrible. Unfair. Injust. Inexplicapebly horrific and sadistic. I'm sure you can come up with your own adjectives. It makes me sad and angry at the same time. Emotions just well up within me and I am unable to express how devestated I feel just thinking about it. Know what I mean? Unfortunately child abuse is a reality these days. But what do we mean by child abuse? "Child abuse is doing something or failing to do something that results in harm to a child or puts a child at risk of harm. Child abuse can be physical, sexual or emotional. Neglect, or not providing for a child's needs, is also a form of abuse (Source.)" Pretty broad isn't it? And sad too. Something you don't expect to walk outside your back door and see everyday. We don't wake up in the morning thinking about it. But children suffering abuse do. Can you imagine waking up daily and fearing the pain that awaits you? And keep in mind we're not talking about discipline. Whether or not we realize it as a child, discipline comes from love. Abuse does not. It is irrational and cruel. Any form of abuse. And it's pretty common. "Over 3 million reports of child abuse are made every year in the United States; however, those reports can include multiple children. In 2007, approximately 5.8 million children were involved in an estimated 3.2 million child abuse reports and allegations (Source.)" So sad. And it gets worse.

• A report of child abuse is made every ten seconds.
• Almost five children die everyday as a result of child abuse. More than three out of four are under the age of 4.
• 90% of child sexual abuse victims know the perpetrator in some way; 68% are abused by family members.
• Child abuse occurs at every socioeconomic level, across ethnic and cultural lines, within all religions and at all levels of education.
• The estimated annual cost of child abuse and neglect in the United States for 2007 is $104 billion.

It's scary that this is what the United States is facing right now. That this is what kids are up against. Now that we know how prevelant this issue is, how about we look into the long term effects on a child. Abuse molds and changes lives of the children. These are some of the affects.

• Abused children are 25% more likely to experience teen pregnancy
• Abused teens are 3 times less likely to practice safe sex, putting them at greater risk for STDs
• Children who have been sexually abused are 2.5 times more likely to abuse alcohol 
• Children who have been sexually abused are 3.8 times more likely develop drug addictions

• Nearly two-thirds of the people in treatment for drug abuse reported being abused as children
• 14% of all men in prison in the USA were abused as children
• 36% of all women in prison were abused as children
• Children who experience child abuse & neglect are 59% more likely to be arrested as a juvenile, 28% more likely to be arrested as an adult, and 30% more likely to commit violent crime. (Source)

So what can we do?Be a good parent, friend, teacher, and neighbor. Be on the up and up. Don't overlook a single thing or suspicion. Remember that five children DIE everyday from abuse. Keep an eye out for the following signs in a child: 

• Shows sudden changes in behavior or school performance
• Has not received help for physical or medical problems brought to the parents' attention
• Has learning problems (or difficulty concentrating) that cannot be attributed to specific physical or psychological causes
• Is always watchful, as though preparing for something bad to happen
• Lacks adult supervision
• Is overly compliant, passive, or withdrawn
• Comes to school or other activities early, stays late, and does not want to go home (Source)

Be a parent to a child who lacks a proper guardian. Disciple parents who are ignorant to Godly parenting or struggle with anger issues. By being aware we can promote prevention. And prevention is much easier than restoration. The body of Christ needs to ensure that children are receiving the love of Christ and not abuse. Makes sense. But what is the government up to and what are they doing? Article 19 of the UN Convention on the rights of the Child says, "States Parties shall take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse, while in the care of parent(s), legal guardian(s) or any other person who has the care of the child." But I'd like to challenge you with this thought: what if we as the church stopped relying on the government to fix things, and put it upon our selves to make sure that no child was abused in the first place? Think about it. Do you know what the worst part of child abuse is? It distorts the child's image of God. The image of God as our Heavenly Father. Child abuse corrupts the ability to see God as a perfect loving Father. 1 John 3:1 says, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him." Can you imagine living life without being able to receive the pure and unconditional love of God? Child abuse requires healing on multiple levels. And unfortunately the spirit may have suffered the worst damage. But not all is lost. The Tennyson Center for Children in Colorado works with kids facing abuse. On their website they even feature stories of children who have overcome being abused and who are happy and healthy. By clicking on the links, you can read the stories of Eve, Andrea, and Josh. There is hope. And those three kids are walking testimony of the possibilty of healing. Yay! So get praying. God listens. And you can check out the video below if you're interested. I will warn you: you will cry. It is probably the most horrible case of abuse I have ever heard of. It's the story of a little girl named Briana from New Mexico. Get your tissues ready. Have you ever heard of Jetty Rae? She's a local artist from Northern Michigan. And can she ever sing. She is super talented and wrote a song about child abuse. It'll stir passion up in you as you listen. It's called Blessed Child and I highly reccomend it and they rest of her jams. Have you seen the movie Precious? I have not but I really want to. It's about a young girl who is severly abused. It's based on the novel Push by Sapphire. It won heaps of awards. Let me know what you think of it. And remember what God has told us, "“I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” - 2 Corinthians 6:18

Baby Briana: story of abuse

Blessed Child- Jetty Rae. (click on the song)

Special.

Disabled. Not Normal. Different. How do you see children and people with disabilities? What would it be like to live with a disability? What qualifies as a disability? "A disability is a condition or function judged to be significantly impaired relative to the usual standard of an individual or group. The term is used to refer to individual functioning, including physical impairment, sensory impairment, cognitive impairment, intellectual impairment mental illness, and various types of chronic disease (Source.)" Usually what comes to my mind is a handicap parking spot sticker. So just how many people suffer from some kind of impairment? In the United States almost 1 in 5 people have some kind of a disability (Source.) So how bout I go into detail about a few different kinds of disabilities? Sounds good. 
1. Deaf-blindness: Cannot see or hear whatsoever
"There are approximately roughly 45,000 to 50,000 individuals in the U.S who are deaf-blind. According to the 2007 National Deaf-Blind Child Count, over 10,000 are children under the age of 21 (Source.)"
2. Intellectual disability: "certain limitations in mental functioning and in skills such as communicating, taking care of him or herself, and social skills. "
"As many as 3 out of every 100 people in the country have an intellectual disability. Nearly 614,000 children ages 3 to 21 have some level of intellectual disability and need special education in school. In fact, 1 out of every 10 children who need special education has some form of intellectual disability (Source.)"
3. Speech and Language Impairments: problems with communication and motor oral skills
"More than 1.4 million students served in the public schools’ special education programs in the 2002-2003 school year were categorized as having a speech or language impairment (Source.)"
4. Learning Disability: "specific kinds of learning problems. A learning disability can cause a person to have trouble learning and using certain skills. The skills most often affected are: reading, writing, listening, speaking, reasoning, and doing math (Source.)"
"Learning disabilities affect at least 1 in 10 schoolchildren (Source.)"
Did you know that "Ninety per cent of children with disabilities in developing countries do not attend school (Source)"? Now that we have a better understanding of what disabilities kids are at risk of facing, how about a true story about a little girl named Michele? Michele was six years old and deaf. Michele was attending a boarding school where she learned to sign, but because her parents did not sign, she could not communicate with them. Can you imagine? When she was six her parents started to learn how to sign and through this gesture the family became closer. Little Michele's disability limited her, caused problems when interacting even with her parents, and provoked discriminations. This is the reality for disabled children. You can read the rest of the story at Michele's story. Makes me want to learn how to sign. How about you? Makes you want to help, doesn't it? One of my speakers from this school said, "Children with disabilities make us uncomfortable." How true is that? So often we hardly no how to react around those afflicted with a disability. And unfortunately this often means that we do nothing. Know something sad? Ninety-five percent of children with disabilities are unchurched. Why is that? Is it because we've resorted to doing nothing? Why do we do nothing and why do we feel so uncomfortable around the disabled? Is it because our subconscience is calling out the unanswerable question of "Why?" It's most likely because we can't blame anyone. Why was the child born like this or why did the event that caused their disability have to happen? We are uncomfortable because we can't answer these question. And it upsets us. So we deprive these kids because we can't put too much thought into them. That is why so many disabled children don't attend church. So what do we do? Well the church should make sure that those with disabilities are not excluded from the congregation! Duh! Isaiah 35:3-6 says, "Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.”Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert." And you can also read Mark 2 to see how Jesus healed a paralyzed man. Clearly, this is important to Him. So what's the government up to? Article 23 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child says, "States Parties recognize that a mentally or physically disabled child should enjoy a full and decent life, in conditions which ensure dignity, promote self-reliance and facilitate the child's active participation in the community." Also there is a whole United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. You should check it out. If you'd like to know what's going on in the news, check out this article to learn more about what's being done to help those with Autism. If you want to learn even more, http://www.nichcy.org is a great resource with HEAPS of information on all sorts of disabilities. One of the speakers in my school, Leslie Freeman, suggests the book, Adopting the Hurt Child: Hope for Families with Special-Needs Kids. I want to read it too. Especially, because I want to be an adoptive mommy. You can check it out on Amazon. Happy reading and researching! And I challenge you (and me!)  to be more sensitive of those with disabilities!

Almost one in five people has a disability.

To be seen.

"Tsamina mina eh eh Waka Waka eh eh Tsamina mina zangalewa Anawa aa This time for Africa." Have you ever listened to Shakira? We sing this song at the base all the time. Of course no one can actually pronounce the lyrics but we all give it a try. And occassional (I confess) we try to skake it like Shakira. I'm sure you've done it too. Africa has been on my heart for a couple years now. I want to go there so bad. The whole continent needs Jesus. It needs peace. Have you ever heard of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA?) Send's shivers down my spine. Joseph Kony the leader of the LRA has "abduct[ed] thousands of children to become fighters or sex slaves (Source.)" These children are caught in the middle of warfare. They are abducted from their homes and schools and forced to endure horrific experiences. That is, if they survive a raid by the LRA. Unfortunately, I regret to say that this is not the only instance of children involved in war. When I was little I had this idea of war. I remember it very clearly because my dad was in the NAVY. It was like a sporting event. The two teams lined up on a football field and shot at people until someone won. There were spectators and everything. I remember when I found out this was faulty. My mom was watching the news and I saw a Middle Eastern woman hiding behind a wall covering her child with her body. There were shots in the background and everyone looked terrified. Including me. I couldn't imagine civilians being in danger during war. Especially children. Growing up is scary enough. "In recent decades, the proportion of civilian casualties in armed conflicts has increased dramatically and is now estimated at more than 90 per cent. About half of the victims are children." How about some more numbers--keeping in mind that these number represent real children with names and faces. There are approximately 300,000 child soldiers fighting in 30 wars around the world. "More than 2 million children have died as a direct result of armed conflict over the last decade. More than three times that number, at least 6 million children, have been permanently disabled or seriously injured." 8,000-10,000 more children are killed by landmines and over 1 million children are left orphaned by war (Source.) The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child says in article says, "States Parties shall take all feasible measures to ensure protection and care of children who are affected by an armed conflict," and, "persons who have not attained the age of fifteen years do not take a direct part in hostilities." Does it sound like Joseph Kony's child soldiers are being granted their rights? I think not. Maybe the government should step in. Think of all the names for Jesus. Isn't He known as the Prince of Peace? It is His intentions that His children are living to their full potential and living in peace. Matthew 5:9 says, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." And Psalm 128:6 says, "May you live to see your children’s children— peace be on Israel." Good news is, since this is something tender on my heart, I know heaps of ways you can get involved and get more info. First of all I would recommend watching the documentary called Invisible Children. In 2003, four guys, my age, took a trip to Africa and documented what they found there. Ever since they've been activists in stopping the LRA. They have three documentaries. I highly recommend them. I am currently reading a book written about the experience of a real child soldier. It's called A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah. If you want you're heart broken for injustice, check it out. As always, UNICEF is a great resource for information about risks children face. An artist in the UK recently made a sculpter dedicated to bring awareness  to children caught in the crossfire of war. I love it when people use their talents and giftings to bring attention to injustice. I'll post a picture below and a video about kids trapt in war in Pakastan. If you want to get involved, you can start by praying. After praying, if you'd like to take a step to draw awareness to child soldiers, visit the Invisible Children site. On April 25th, they're doing an event dedicated to drawing attention to this vast problem. You can sign up and join in anywhere. You just have to be silent for 25 hours. Curious? Check it out. They also have an online store. Their products draw awareness to the issue at hand, help their cause, and are super cute. I encourage you to look into this for yourselves. There's so much to discover and learn about children in war.

Click here to check out Invisble Children!

Short video about the children caught in the conflicts in Pakastan.

Sculpture in UK by Schoony. It says, "It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country."

Joseph Kony.

Isn't this adorable?  Want one too? And it helps support women who escaped Joseph Kony's  army.
Click here to shop bags.

Pursuit of Happiness.

Have you ever heard of Kid Cudi? The first time I ever heard Kid Cudi was on a vitamin water commercial. He's pretty popular on the West Coast. Have you ever heard the song Pursuit of Happiness? It's super catchy. It goes a little something like this, "Crush A Bit; Little Bit; Roll It Up; Take A Hit Feelin’ Lit Feelin’ Like 2 Am Summer Night I Don’t Care; Hand On The Wheel; Drivin Drunk; I’m Doin’ My Thing Rollin The Midwest Side And Out Livin’ My Life Getting’ Out Dreams.... I’m On The Pursuit Of Happiness And I Know Everything That Shines Ain’t Always Gonna Be Gold I’ll Be Fine Once I Get It; I’ll Be Good." Hm...... I'm not trying to be condemning but these aren't exactly the good wholesome lyrics we want young people listening to, right? Unfortunately many young people are under this impression. That they "will be fine when [they] get it." That this is the pursuit of happiness. See the problem? About ten percent of teenagers in the US ages 12-17 use illicit drugs (Source.) Everyday around 4,700 kids smoke pot for the first time (Source.)  And that's just what it says on the internet. I personally think that's an understatement. Honestly, how many teenagers do you know who abuse drugs? How many adults do you know who abuse illicit substances? 21.2 percent of young people ages 18-25 are engaged in drug use. Houston we have ourselves a problem. What about alcohol? For those of us under 21 it is an illegal substance. "In 2009, rates of current alcohol use were 3.5 percent among persons aged 12 or 13, 13.0 percent of persons aged 14 or 15, 26.3 percent of 16 or 17 year olds, 49.7 percent of those aged 18 to 20, and 70.2 percent of 21 to 25 year olds." In my person convictions I would also include tobacco use in a list of illicit drugs. Even if it is legal after the age of 18. If you are a child between the ages of 12-17, 11.6% of your peers are using some form of tobacco. That's just gross. Once again this percentage goes up for people ages 18-25. A whopping 41.6% of young adults (Source.) And guess who the 12 year olds are looking up to? So let's get down to the root problem, why are these kids experimenting with drugs? High school is hard. Many young people feel that they are incapable of handling it all. Depression and low self esteem are prevalent feelings in the lives of high schoolers. When social acceptance is the key desire of young people, drugs are a means to an end. In a world driven by what feels good, drugs make sense. Why not? If parents are the greatest influence on a child, what happens when a parent is abusing drugs? These days it's almost a miracle if a child completes high school clean. Even those most teenagers do not emerge full blown addicts, most have experimented with some illegal substance. So how do we deal with this kind of thing? How do we intervene? We first need to be looking out for the warning signs of drug abuse. Some indicators include: "Physical: Fatigue, repeated health complaints, red and glazed eyes, and a lasting cough. Emotional: personality change, sudden mood changes, irritability, irresponsible behavior, low self-esteem, poor judgment, depression, and a general lack of interest. Family: starting arguments, breaking rules, or withdrawing from the family. School: decreased interest, negative attitude, drop in grades, many absences, truancy, and discipline problems. Social problems: new friends who are less interested in standard home and school activities, problems with the law, and changes to less conventional styles in dress and music (Source.)" Those are just the basics. If you spend any time with someone who is heavily abusing drugs, you'll catch on pretty quick. It just takes spending time with the people in our lives and choosing not to be ignorant. Not overlooking or undermining this issue. What about prevention. I think the best way to ensure that your kids don't use drugs is to not be a crummy parent. Kind of harsh but think of it as a challenge. To be all you can be for your kids. You are their example. Talk to them and be open. Prepare them and teach them how to respond when presented with drugs. Because they will be offered drugs. To start in the right direction, you can:

1. Adopt an attitude of support

2. Build high self-esteem, self-worth, and self-acceptance in children through recognition in success and encouragement in failure

3. Enable efficient and friendly communication lines

4. Educate the children regarding drug addiction and dangers of child hooked on drugs 5. Give children unconditional love

6. Practice positive behaviors

7. Respect the uniqueness of the child (Source)

That is our responsibility. And for those of us who aren't parents just yet (like me), be a role model. Plain and simple. A big thing that's been on my heart lately is the laziness of the church. That so often the church is uninvolved. It is our duty as the body of Christ to come along side of struggling young people and disciple them when their parents fail. And as for the government of this world we be livin' in, article 33 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child says, "States Parties shall take all appropriate measures, including legislative, administrative, social and educational measures, to protect children from the illicit use of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances." Pretty clear eh? And yet, here we still have so many kids using drugs. So I come to you with an alternative method. Let's go via the media. When kids will not listen to parents they will listen to people like Kid Cudi. They will watch movies like the Pineapple Express. They will be deceived. What happened if the media was responsible and stopped encouraging and idolizing drug usage? We'd probably live in a different world. Am I right? (Hint: the correct answer is yes.) So who is out there fixing this? Ever hear of D.A.R.E.? If you went to public school in the states then I'm sure you have. D.A.R.E. stand for Drug Abuse Resistance Education. "D.A.R.E. is a police officer-led series of classroom lessons that teaches children from kindergarten through 12th grade how to resist peer pressure and live productive drug and violence-free lives." Sound pretty promising if you ask me. Whenever you flip on the tube, you're bound to see an Above the Influence commercial. They're short and to the point. They're that group with the arrow in the circle. What I admire so much about Above the Influence is that they're taking their message to the media. Where kids are influenced. A short witty commercial could change a young person's life. I found a video on youtube about two young people who got into heroine and what it's done to their lives. It's a segment from a video series by ABC but I think it gives a pretty clear idea of what we're dealing with these days. I'll leave you with a final thought. A profound piece of wisdom that someone once told me. "Choose hugs, not drugs."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cskq_zGVSZs

Check out the D.A.R.E website!

 

Past Month Use of Selected Illicit Drugs among Youths Aged 12 to 17: 2002-2009

"Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it" Proverbs 22:6

“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” - Deuteronomy 6: 6-7

*Maybe like teaching them to be drug free?*