I have a gift. People willingly share their personal stories with me without prompting from me. I’m honored to listen. Every person’s story involves hardship, loss, pain. Some are stories of rape, abuse and control. People do horrible, unthinkable things to other people. Please be kind to everyone you meet. You don’t know what lies beneath…
Tag Archives: #abuse
Struggling Kids…
Yesterday I was privileged to speak to a group of foster children. It felt great to be speaking again, especially with kids. I was an insecure, angry, struggling kid myself, and because of my upbringing I connect with kids.
If a child reached out to you, please take the time to engage with them. Kids today need hope, they need validation, and they need us…
Speaking of Kindness…
The tongue is a laser sharp instrument. It can heal or it can hurt. Your choice, but I encourage you to return kind words to others, not stinging rebukes. Both of you will benefit…
Looks Aren’t Everything…
Every day, Facebook and Instagram are filled with pictures of people showing us how attractive they are. Pictures are filtered to hide lines, wrinkles and other imperfections. But I want to see more…I want to see into the heart of the person. Every face has a beautiful story behind it…
Speak!
There is much goodness in the world, but there are injustices as well. Speak up for what is good, right and noble. Speak out against injustice. Those who feel like they don’t have a voice need us to stand up for them…
Our Future…
Today’s children are tomorrow’s leaders. We are failing them. In 2016, suicide became the #2 killer of kids. In 2020 a study revealed that 78% of students felt lonely. It’s ironic that so many kids could feel lonely. We live in the most technologically connected culture ever.
The solution? One thing we can do is make certain our children feel loved and accepted. Hold them accountable for their actions, but don’t let them feel unloved because they made a mistake or two.
We must turn this around, and fast. It begins with us…
Guarded…
On social media, we see pictures and posts of perfect lives. This is great! We should celebrate happy moments. Yet, think of how much compassion we would see from others if we sometimes showed how hellish life can be. Something worth considering…
Angry People…
Sometimes we encounter people who seem to be angry about everything. Try to be patient with them. Their hurt comes from deep within, and it manifests in an unhealthy way. Pray for them…
Pain…
To build muscle, we feel the pain of lifting weights. To build resilience, we must face our challenges head on. There is no way around them. Pain is the gateway to strength…
Goodness…
Since the beginning of time as we know it, there has been evil in the world. Yet, there’s a lot of good, too. Don’t be afraid to rock the boat against injustice. Speak up for those who feel like they don’t have a voice. We need more good people to lead well…
