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Tag: Children

VIDEO Children Could Use Someone Special – Save The Children

By Reverend Paul N. Papas II

June 6, 2008

It is time to get out and enjoy the outdoors. Lawn movers are now in full swing making smooth green surfaces out of wild green stalks. The smell of fresh green grass fills the air. It is a time of newness and hope.

The fortunate people of this world can experience all these sights, sounds, and aromas. Some people have never experienced these blessings of life.

There are children, who through no fault of their own, aren’t blessed with all the advantages of life. For them life is more like a bunch of lemons without the ability or knowledge of how to make lemonade.

There is a very old phrase that goes something like this: “Give a man a fish and he eats a meal, teach a man to fish and he eats forever.” Rephrasing that a little you could teach people how to make lemonade out of their lemons.

If you ran across someone who obviously is having a bad day and you had no idea what is going on inside them , would you ask if there is something you could help them with and perhaps give them an encouraging word or would you react and agitate and aggravate the situation? Turn this around and let it be you who is having the bad day, how would you like someone to respond to you?

If someone fell near you, in all likelihood you would try to help them up, see if they are okay or if needed, call for help.

You might stop and help someone change a flat tire or call AAA for them.

Many people would provide a short term or a quick fix help. Unfortunately many problems require long term assistance. This is not always a matter of money. It is rather a matter of commitment.

There are fatherless children who could use a dad or close friend to teach them how to fish or make lemonade out of the lemons of life. This is a commitment that will pay dividends for decades that you may never see. On the other hand the failure to make this commitment could bring front page headlines and cost the taxpayers a lot more money.

There are adults who have lost their way who could use a dad or close friend to help get their life back on track. Perhaps they were once a drain on the taxpayers, but could become productive taxpayers.

Perhaps you have in mind a list of reasons why someone could be fatherless or lost their way. Perhaps your list included a dad killed in war, by a drunk driver, or disabled by depression.

A Dad who is disabled by depression has a physical presence, but is not able to participate in life’s regular activities. His children begin to resent him because they want and need their Dad to share their life with them, but he is not able. The Dad feels worse because he is unable to participate in his children’s lives. This cycle spirals downward for both the Dad and the children. They all need TLC. It is possible the Dad may be restored and may be able to celebrate life again. The children need someone to step up and be a Dad or close friend to help them celebrate life and teach them how to make lemonade out of their lemons in life.

Yes, the children who lost their Dads in war or by a drunk driver have a great need to fill their voids also. Could you be the one to step up and be their Dad or close friend.

Father’s Day is coming upon us. Let’s have our men be real men and not have a day just all about them. If you have children, do something special with them…..go fishing. If you know of children who could use a dad or close friend….do something special with them…go fishing.

https://preacher01704.wordpress.com/2008/06/07/children-could-use-someone-special/

Save The Children

Truth Justice ™

@SpartaJustice

PEDOPHILES RULE OUR WORLD: Elites who rule our world also control all the major Pedophile rings in the world with the assistance of the CIA. Presidents, Senators, Congressmen, Royal Bloodlines, Actors, Elites are all involved in the child sex trafficking of 2 million children.

Former Veteran Central Intelligence Officer (CIA) Whistleblower confirms the existence of a global Elite Pedophile ring operating behind the scenes at the highest levels in our society.

Jeffrey Epstein a convicted known child sex trafficking criminal had dealings with the people listed below, there are over 2000 names, this is just a few. Many of these people engaged in child sex trafficking or were engaged in a blackmail operation and pedophilia.

The Royal Family, Prince Andrew, Bill Gates, Bill Clinton 26 flight trips, Hillary Clinton, Ehud Barak, former Israeli prime minister, Leon Botstein, president of Bard College, William Burns, CIA director, Noam Chomsky, Terje Rød-Larsen, noted ex-diplomat, Joshua Cooper Ramo, a FedEx board member, Ariane de Rothschild, chairwoman of Edmond de Rothschild Group.

Goldman Sachs general counsel, Lawrence Summers, Alan Dershowitz, Emmy Taylor, Sarah Kellen, Eva Dubin, Glen Dubin, Jean Luc Brunel, Nadia Marcinkova, Marvin Minsky, Henry Jarecki, Naomi Campbell, Ron Eppinger, Stephen Hawking, Kevin Spacey, Chris Tucker.

Kathryn Ruemmler was the former White House counsel under President Barack Obama who reportedly had dozens of meetings with Epstein after her White House service.

John Podesta Email: “I think Obama spent about $65,000 of the taxpayer money flying in pizza/dogs from Chicago for a private party at the White House not long ago, assume we are using the same channels?

” What is Pizzagate? Find out the truth from an award winning author and 20 year professional journalist who investigated the deep dark secrets of the evil pedophile child sex trafficking world involved in the rape, torture and trafficking of innocent children.

Why hasn’t the FBI or the Department of Justice investigated or arrested any of the people involved with Jeffrey Epstein? Because this Elite Pedophile child sex trafficking criminal enterprise is at the highest level of our society. It is up to us the people and the local law enforcement agencies to save these children. Child sex trafficking is the fastest growing international crime network the word has ever seen. It has already passed the illegal arms trade and soon it is going to pass the drug trade, because you can only sell a bag of cocaine one time, but a child you can sell five to ten times a day.

Children are the most vulnerable, loving and trusting of all human beings and evil is taking advantage of this. We must destroy this Elite Pedophile ring and bring them to justice. It is our duty as humanity to share this important truth with the world and protect our innocent children from these predators at all costs.

https://nackpets.wordpress.com/2023/05/21/save-the-children/

Tony Dungy Is Right: Troubled Kids Don’t Just Need Better Schools, They Need Fathers

BY: ADAM B. COLEMAN APRIL 15, 2022

father holding son's hand

The children we are attempting to educate are an extension of their original educational environment: their families.

By ADAM B. COLEMAN

When Tony Dungy noted on Monday that the reason so many young boys end up in trouble is “not socioeconomic. It’s not racial. It’s not education,” but because “95 percent of these boys did not grow up with their dad,” leftists were quick to label the former NFL coach a “fascist political prop” for his argument in defense of fatherhood. But I know from personal experience the challenges caused by a neglectful father, and Dungy is right that addressing the decline of invested fathers is key to resolving a myriad of social ills.

The way we discuss education in America is generally from two narrow perspectives: educational access and institutional funding. The people incessantly pushing educational access believe any child can succeed if you put him in the right institution. The people who love counting the per-pupil spending of a given school district equate monetary spending to educational success.

Neither perspective is wrong, but the problem is that they are narrow, and we need to view education through a broader lens that doesn’t just involve the government, teachers, and choice of educational institutions. Children are an extension of their original educational environment: their families.

The Biggest Culprit Is Broken Families

I’ve kept an embarrassing secret from most of the people who have known me: I almost didn’t graduate from high school. To be more precise, I was not able to walk beside my classmates as they received their long-sought diplomas. Instead, I was given a set of assignments that I had to complete before the summer was over, and upon their completion, I received my diploma.

This situation wasn’t abnormal for me, as I had to attend summer school my sophomore and junior years in high school as well. I attended a decent public high school in a middle-class neighborhood and had good teachers who, for the most part, were willing to help — yet I still struggled.

As a child from a single-parent home, home life was at times unstable due to the unfair load of responsibilities heaped onto my mother’s shoulders. We moved constantly and were homeless twice before I entered high school. I excelled in elementary school, but every time we had to move, my confidence and motivation for education diminished. Even worse, my father was never there to help lift my low confidence.

As a proponent of school choice, I believe in the importance of giving children of all economic classes the best possible schooling environment to increase their potential prosperity as adults. But at times I wonder if school choice will be a Band-Aid for the largest issue facing children who are failing educationally: broken families.

It’s Not Empowering for Women to Raise Kids Without their Father

We avoid talking about broken families because you can’t legislate a happy home and the government can’t welfare its way into a healthy environment for children. Even my stating that a single-parent home is a broken home could be viewed as controversial by some because we’ve convinced ourselves that this new-age method of raising children provides only negligible downsides. We spend so much time wanting to empower single mothers that we ignore how it disadvantages their children.

Forgive me, but I don’t see how needing to work two jobs or 50-plus-hour work weeks to make ends meet was empowering for my mother. How is sleeping in a homeless shelter only a negligible downside in comparison to a healthy two-parent home?

We know what the truth is, but we are timid about appearing to offend the millions of mothers in our society for their role in this outcome. Instead, we encourage family destruction instead of being vigilant about the necessity of proper family planning for potential fathers and mothers.

Good Schooling Is No Replacement for Good Parenting

The uncomfortable truth is that poor family planning leads to poor home environments, economically and educationally. A poor home environment is not conducive to encouraging the proper attributes to excel in education, and it puts more pressure on the educators to make up for the deficiencies of the child’s home environment.

When a child can’t focus due to hunger, the school must make up for this. When children are disruptive in a classroom setting because they are being raised in an environment that lacks discipline, the teachers are tasked with the extra burden of becoming their temporary disciplinarians.

We often talk about children from disenfranchised neighborhoods, but they are disenfranchised because their homes are as well. A neighborhood is nothing without families and for many poorer areas in America, children are being raised by an individual, not a family.

Expecting children who live in these environments to be educationally self-motivated in the face of a frequently absent working mother and a part-time or disinterested father is unlikely. Parents are the original educators for children, and they are the ones who can either inspire educational curiosity within the child or deflate it.

School Choice Isn’t Enough

I felt alone when it came to my education and as every year passed by, I wanted out of school and cared less about my grades. With a constantly working mother and a neglectful father, I was expected to motivate myself to care about my education, but no one was around to understand the struggles I was experiencing when I gave it real effort. Imagine trying your best but still consistently failing to keep up with everyone else; it was no wonder I felt defeated.

I advocate for school choice because I understand there may be that possibility of a child like me who struggled to find the right teacher to inspire him to keep pushing that boulder up the hill instead of letting it fall back on him, leaving him feeling crushed. But I am realistic enough to understand that putting all the burden of educational inspiration and discipline onto teachers is not only unfair to the teachers but unlikely to result in success for children in the broader scope.

Yes, school choice has its place in providing competition against potentially corrupt government-run schools, teachers unions who place their interests over the success of children, and ideologically driven teachers and administrators. But in areas of the country where home life is broken, these issues within the public school system are only compounding the existing problem, not creating the problem.

The real problem was created before these children entered school.

Adam B. Coleman is the author of “Black Victim To Black Victor” and founder of Wrong Speak Publishing.

https://thefederalist.com/2022/04/15/tony-dungy-is-right-troubled-kids-dont-just-need-better-schools-they-need-fathers/

VIDEO ‘I Had A Sick Feeling,’ The Real Case Behind Lifetime’s ‘Stolen By Their Father’

Lizbeth Meredith’s two daughters were stolen from her by her ex in 1994 and taken to Greece. She spent years fighting to get them back.

BY GINA TRON

A still from “Stolen by Their Father”. Photo: A&E Networks

In Lifetime’s “Stolen By Their Father,” a determined mother stops at nothing to get her daughters back after her vindictive and abusive ex kidnaps them and takes them to Greece. 

While certainly the plot of a riveting film, it’s much more than that. The film, part of Lifetime’s Ripped from the Headlines series, is based upon the persistence of the real Lizbeth Meredith. 

In the movie, executive produced by kidnapping survivor Elizabeth Smart, Lizbeth Meredith (played by Sarah Drew) allows her ex-husband to visit her two girls for a few days, but soon discovers he kidnapped them and taken them to his native Greece. 

Meredith is told that Greek law will favor the man and that she may never see her girls again. But that doesn’t break her. Instead, the determined mother spends the next two years traveling to the White House and then Greece as she refuses to take no for an answer.

The movie is based upon Meredith’s 2016 memoir, “Pieces Of Me: Rescuing My Kidnapped Daughters” which detailed the harrowing events following the 1994 kidnapping of her two daughters.

“He took the girls on a visitation and disappeared from the country,” she reflected to WTVG in 2017. “I had a sick feeling when I didn’t find my daughters at the daycare where they were expected to be dropped off by their father.”

She explained that it wasn’t until 1996 that she was able to find her daughters. 

“What came next would spark a global effort, joined by friends and strangers alike, to reunite Lizbeth with her kidnapped daughters,” according to a document on her website. “And two years later, many thousands of dollars, one arrest (Lizbeth’s), and after relentless effort from all involved, Lizbeth found her now non-English speaking daughters.”

While it wasn’t easy, she stated that she had worked hard over the years to parent her two daughters who had been “traumatized” by the ordeal.  

“Today, Lizbeth is a proud mother of two feisty, educated women who’ve bucked intergenerational patterns of early marriage and lack of education,” her website states.

In a bizarre twist, the real Meredith was also kidnapped as a child, by her mother. She wasn’t able to find her real father until she was 20, and through a lawyer.

“I was the kind of person that said I never want my kids to go through what I did as a child,” Meredith told WTVG. “Then I married someone who repeated the patterns of domestic violence and child kidnapping.”

But, Meredith’s strength always shone through. She has always helped others and previously worked as a child abuse investigator and domestic violence advocate.

https://www.oxygen.com/true-crime-buzz/the-real-lizbeth-meredith-behind-stolen-by-their-father/

A Desperate Mother | Stolen by Their Father | Lifetime Movie Moment

Lizabeth Meredith. Stolen by their father

Hi, I’m Lizbeth.

  About Lizbeth/Short bio

Lizbeth Meredith is an award-winning author living in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Her memoir has been adapted as Stolen By Their Father for Lifetime Television.  Lizbeth is also a speaker and online teacher who enjoys coaching and consulting part-time, a fun addition after three-decades career serving crime victims and offenders.  In her off- time, Lizbeth enjoys movies at the theater, talking with podcast guests at Persistence U with Lizbeth, and Facetime chats with her adult daughters and grandpets.

  Watch my Welcome video HERE

 Get more info on how we might work together HERE

  For long bio, click HERE

About

Missing Persons

https://www.oxygen.com/searching-for

Kidnappings & Missing Persons

https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/

NamUs

https://www.namus.gov/Dashboard

DoeNetwork – International Center For Unidentified and missing Persons

https://www.doenetwork.org/mp-geo-us-males.php

National Missing Person Directory
Missing People News and Directory

http://missingin.org

Related

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/02/23/indiana-lawmakers-pass-bill-to-fight-forced-abortions-in-effort-against-human-trafficking/

“Before Them, It Was Us”: Why You Should Put Your Wife Before Your Kids

September 27, 2021 Mike Berry

wife

It’s usually 8:30 p.m. when I give the first warning shot to my two teenage daughters.

At 9 p.m., I say, “It’s time for you two to head upstairs.” I repeat this nearly every night.

And nearly every night they argue. “But why do we have to go to bed at 9?” they lament. “We’re not children anymore.”

“You don’t have to go to bed, but you can’t stay down here in the living room past 9. That’s our time. We haven’t seen each other all day, and most of the day we’ve been focused on you and work. We need our time, too.”

The other night, I went as far as to sing the Semisonic song “Closing Time” until they threw pillows at me. I kept repeating, “Closing time, you don’t have to go home but you can’t … stay … here!”

They didn’t laugh. At all. We, however, thought it was hilarious.

To be honest, we’ve had this rule for as long as I can remember. We’ve been parents for nearly 15 years now, and there has never been a time where our children were allowed to dominate ALL of our time in the course of the day. They dominate a lot of it, mind you, but not all of it. We love our children and we consider our role in their life to be a huge investment. We committed a long time ago to be there for them and to always be hands-on and involved in their lives.

We have some big reasons why this is so important to us. Here are a few …

A healthy marriage is the cornerstone of the home.

The cornerstone of your family is not your children. They are a part of the foundation and make up a major part of the structure, but they’re not the main thing that holds this whole beautiful mess together. That’s you — you and your wife, you and your husband, you and your partner. It’s your responsibility to lead your family, and your home. Your children are looking to the two of you for direction and example (more on this in a minute).

Before them, it was us.

Before they existed it was the two of us. Me and my wife. We fell in love, skipped class to be together, stayed up too late talking on the phone (that was tied to the wall by a cord), and eventually committed to forever with one another. We were the beginning. We kicked this whole party off. Then these beautiful children came along. And we’re sure thankful they did because they fill our lives with so much joy. But, our union is sacred. Our union is holy. With all of my power, I must protect that sacredness with my wife.


Photo: Mike Berry

After them, it will be us.

Nothing lasts forever. Our darlings are going to grow up and move out of our nest at some point. I don’t know about you, but there’s no room for a 30-year-old kid in my basement. After they’re out in the world, living on their own, raising their own family, being the human beings they were meant to be, it will be just the two of us once again. And we want us to be healthy, strong, and still as committed as we were when we first began this journey. In order to make sure the future us is protected, we must put us first today. This is not easy. We’ll get to that in a second…

We need to set a future example.

As I mentioned earlier, your children and mine are looking to us for life-cues, direction, and example. As children, they’re watching our every move to determine how they should live their lives. We often say, “We are raising adults, not children.” I don’t know about you, but my wife and I want my children to grow up with a healthy view of relationships — dating, engaged or married. I want the health of my marriage to give them a healthy view of what marriage is, and what it should be. That’s why I put my wife first, and them second. A close second, but still second.

At the end of the day, this is a tension you must manage. Your children do need you, and they are important. After your spouse, they come next. Not friendships, not careers, not hobbies. Them. And you must take care of them. But take care of your marriage first and foremost. If that crumbles, the confidence that your children have now will begin to erode. When they see you loving their mother or their father, they will love them too. But most importantly, they will have a confidence in themselves, and a confidence in the world around them.

“Before Them, It Was Us”: Why You Should Put Your Wife Before Your Kids

VIDEO National School Boards Association Begs Biden To Label Outraged Parents “Domestic Terrorists” and Use The Patriot Act Against Them – Do Not Interrupt My Time – Communist Takeover

By Julian Conradson October 2, 2021

Over the past year, school board meetings have become increasingly contentious events, as more and more outraged parents use their constitutionally protected rights to speak out against tyrannical covid mandates and the poisonous, anti-American critical race theory that is being taught to their children.

Instead of listening to the parents who pay their salaries, the woke school boards are responding by lobbying our dictator-in-chief to classify unruly parents who demand accountability as domestic terrorists.  

The growing backlash at these meetings has prompted the National School Boards Association to send a letter to Biden on Wednesday that begs him to use federal law enforcement agencies against parents and investigate them for “domestic terrorism and hate crime threats.” They shamelessly claim the situation is so dire that he should use the Patriot Act, among other “enforceable actions” against them.

The NSBA represents every single public school board in the US, which includes over 14,000 districts and 90,000 board members.

“Dear Mr. President: America’s public schools and its education leaders are under an immediate threat. The National School Boards Association (NSBA) respectfully asks for federal law enforcement and other assistance to deal with the growing number of threats of violence and acts of intimidation occurring across the nation.

Additionally, NSBA requests that such review examine appropriate enforceable actions against these crimes and acts of violence under the Gun-Free School Zones Act, the PATRIOT Act in regards to domestic terrorism, the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, the Violent Interference with Federally Protected Rights statute, the Conspiracy Against Rights statute, an Executive Order to enforce all applicable federal laws.”

According to the letter that was signed by NSBA president Viola Garcia and CEO Chip Slaven, school boards are already being assisted by local law enforcement in many communities, but the extra security and new policies designed to keep people out of meetings have not stopped parents from just-plain showing up to voice their displeasure.

The NSBA doesn’t want their members to be held accountable for their terrible handling of the educational system; instead, they would rather crush anyone who gets in their way by any means possible. School officials have actually become so frightened of the parents who disagree with their baseless policies that they would be willing to see them tried as criminal terrorists. 

It’s sick. These people are unhinged and should have their citizenship revoked if they would be willing to put that evil misnomer on another American citizen for being concerned about their child. Absolutely disgraceful. 

In the letter, they implored Biden to take a “proactive” approach by using every Federal Agency at his disposal, specifically asking for the FBI, DOJ, DHS, and the Secret Service to crush what they call “extremist hate organizations” (concerned parents exercising their right to free speech) that have been showing up at meetings.

In other words, the tyrants are begging the dictator to send in the goons to crush the rebellion.

“As the threats grow and news of extremist hate organizations showing up at school board meetings is being reported, this is a critical time for a proactive approach to deal with this difficult issue.

NSBA specifically solicits the expertise and resources of the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Secret Service, and its National Threat Assessment Center, regarding the level of risk to public schoolchildren, educators, board members, and facilities/campuses.”

If homeschooling your kids wasn’t a priority before, it should be now.

The full letter can be found below:

Click to access nsba-letter-to-president-biden-concerning-threats-to-public-schools-and-school-board-members-92921.pdf

National School Boards Association Begs Biden To Label Outraged Parents “Domestic Terrorists” and Use The Patriot Act Against Them

‘Do Not Interrupt My Time!’: Mom Unloads on ‘Pedophilia’ in High School Library

Do Better FCPS/YouTube screenshot

Sept 24, 2021 By Tré Goins-Phillips

A mother in northern Virginia unloaded on her city’s school board Thursday after discovering what she described as books filled with “pedophilia” on the shelves.

When she left a local high school library, Stacey Langton had two books: “Lawn Boy” by Jonathan Evison and “Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobabe. She told the board of Fairfax County Public Schools that, in each book, she found references that “include pedophilia, sex between men and boys” with entries chronicling — in explicit detail — sexual encounters between underage boys and adult males.

“Pornography is offensive to all people,” said Langton after she was interrupted by school board members chiding her for reading highly explicit sentences from the two books. “It is offensive to common decency.”

As her time drew to a close, board members told Langton she needed to censor herself because “there are children in the audience here.”

“Do not interrupt my time!” she replied. “I will stand here until my time is restored and my time is finished. These books are in stock and available in the libraries of Robinson, Langley, and Annandale High Schools.”

Earlier in her comments, the protective mother asserted the books’ placement in the high school libraries was “not an oversight” but was intentional.

Langton explained she decided to check the library to which her child has access after hearing about a Texas mother who rebuked board members in the Lake Travis Independent School District in Austin for allowing similarly explicit books in its middle school library.

In response, the Lake Travis ISD pulled the book and plans to review it, KXAN-TV reported.

Karl Frisch, the first openly LGBTQ person elected to a local office in Fairfax, made fun of Langton, describing her comments as “exorcisms.”

‘Do Not Interrupt My Time!’: Mom Unloads on ‘Pedophilia’ in High School Library

Communist Takeover Of America & The World! Here’s Why I Say That…

Police Warn Parents About Dangers of Back-to-School Photo Trend

By Bri Lamm -September 9, 2021

We all know that social media can be a dangerous place. We’ve often talked on For Every Mom about how different hashtags or innocent photos of our kids can be misused by the wrong people.

Authorities are now warning parents to be mindful when it comes to a popular back-to-school photo trend, as it could make kids an easy target for predators.

The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office in Woodstock, Illinois, recently shared a side-by-side photo of Deputy Sherriff Tim Creighton holding up a sign that reads “My 1st Day of School.” In both snaps, Creighton is holding the same poster, which lists several details about him including his name, grade, the school’s name, the teacher’s name, several of his favorite things, his age, weight, and height.

While the first photo reveals all of that information, the second photo has the details blurred out.

In the post, the sheriff’s office urged parents to “think before you share.”

“Back to school photos are filling social media feeds everywhere, often revealing personal information about your child. This information – school name, classroom, grade, age, etc. – can all be used by predators, scammers, and other people looking to endanger your child, family, or finances.”

Ultimately, the sheriff’s office says, it doesn’t matter what your privacy settings are or who is on your friends list, it’s best to stick with the bare minimum when it comes to sharing personal information on the internet.

Since being posted on August 8, the post has been shared more than 69,000 times, with many parents thanking the sheriff’s office for the reminder. Others weighed in with other safety tips like not putting your child’s name on their backpack.

“I never even thought about this,” one person wrote. “I just deleted them. Thank you for the reminder.”

“All thats missing is mothers maiden name and social security number,” wrote another, emphasizing the amount of information that is so easily shared.

When it comes to online safety, less is best.

Police Warn Parents About Dangers of Back-to-School Photo Trend

12’s in the Bible

 

November 8, 2019 hepsibahgarden

 

1. The temple that king Solomon built had 12 oxen as base for the lavers.

2. The length and breadth of the Altar was 12 cubits.

3. The Holy City New Jerusalem had 12 gates and 12 Angels at each gate.

4. The disciples of Jesus were 12 in number.

5. There were 12 tribes of Israel — the 12 sons of Jacob.

6. Moses sent 12 men to spy the land of Canaan.

7. 12 baskets full of the fragments , and of the fishes remained after Jesus fed the five thousand.

8. Ishmael had 12 sons who were princes.

9. The wall of the city of New Jerusalem had 12 foundations.

10. The 12 gates of New Jerusalem City were 12 pearls. Each gate was made of a single pearl.

11. The Tree of life brought forth 12 manner of fruits every month.

12. When the Israelites moved from Marah to Elim, they found 12 wells of water.

Be blessed 💕

Original here

Including Kids In Small Groups Benefits The Whole Community

Students with arms raised in classroom

By John Gilman Ii on Mar 19, 2021

Before kids, life was simpler, but it was a lot less fun. After kids, things get crazy. Everything takes more time, and you wonder what you did before the little ones were around. Going places with your kids becomes an adventure. You pack up everything you’ll need and some things you won’t. You make sure everyone’s eaten and used the restroom, even though you know they’ll be hungry and have to go again when you get there.

Having kids and doing ministry is similar in that it is exhausting and rewarding. I had a friend who began leading a church right after he and his wife welcomed their 4th child into the world. Their worship leader also had 4 kids, the children’s pastor had 3, the creative arts leader had 3, and one of their elders had another 4. That’s 18 if you’re counting. These families were at everything, and so were their kids. They brought the party with them.

Naturally, they attracted many families with young kids, but they reached many people who didn’t have kids. They found ways to integrate the youth into their church’s small group life, had lots of fun, and grew closer to Jesus, as well as each other.

They did 4 things well.

  1. Do kid friendly things.  They knew their meetings were going to be kid central. They usually ate together and made sure to always plan something for the kids. They also planned their meetings so everyone could be home by bedtime.
  2. Meet at kid friendly places. They met outside, at fast food or casual restaurants, and in bigger homes so that the kids could play in one area and the adults could talk in another. One of the families built a massive swing set in their yard, and another bought a bounce house.
  3. Take turns watching the kids.  Sometimes, the moms would talk while the dads kept the kids in sight, and other days, they’d switch. They shared the load and didn’t anoint or appoint anyone to the office of “lead babysitter.” One season, they even hired a certified babysitter.
  4. Find a rhythm that works.  Their meeting times changed as time when on, but one small group season, they followed this schedule and found it fruitful.
    • Week One—Everyone meets and eats
    • Week Two—Dads meet, moms stay home
    • Week Three—Everyone meets and eats
    • Week Four—Moms meet, dads stay home.
    • Week 5th—Meet at a park or fast-food place with a good indoor playground

If you are planning on including kids in your small group activities, here’s a few things you have to remember.

  1. Be ok with noise. Kids make lots of noise. Don’t stress out about it. People don’t mind as much as you think they do.
  2. Empty-nesters enjoy the vibrant environment. They don’t get to hold babies often. Even if they have grand-kids of their own, they love the opportunity to love on some little ones.
  3. Young adults like to play with kids. They may not want to do it all the time, but they will in moderation.
  4. Many lessons are caught easier than they are taught. Parents learn from each other. It’s nice to have relationships with people in the same life-stage, and it’s good to have access to some people who’ve made it to the next alive.
  5. Worship together. This works well if most children are older than 3, but babies add positive note add to the atmosphere. This is a great time for new moms and dads to “let” someone in the group take a turn holding the baby. Just remember to be ok with noise.

How do you include kids and youth in your church community and worship?

https://www.sermoncentral.com/pastors-preaching-articles/john-gilman-ii-including-kids-in-small-groups-benefits-the-whole-community-2507?

Our Kids Are Watching

By Jonathan McKee -July 20, 2021

Our Kids Are Watching

If you have kids under 18, then the last few weeks–scratch that–months have probably invoked more fear and unrest than they have ever experienced looking at the world around them. First Covid-19, then the tragic killing of George Floyd, then the outbreak of violence in the streets… all of these issues dividing people instead of united them. Millions of American homes have news channels on right now that aren’t reporting news as much as “casting blame.” I’ve been alive 50 years, and I’ve never seen our country so divided. I don’t think many adults are stopping to consider: our kids are watching.

A black man is killed by a policeman on national TV. Our kids are watching.

Looters throw garbage cans through store windows and carry out televisions. Our kids are watching.

Politicians point their fingers. Our kids are watching.

The world pauses to remember George Floyd, even on kids’ channels. Our kids are watching.

Parents turn on that news station they love so much and watch editorialists shake their heads and point their fingers for hours upon hours. Our kids are watching.

Brands speak out and voice their protests in unique ways. Our kids are watching.

Grampa gets mad at the TV screen and starts casting more blame. Our kids are watching.

What are our kids gleaning from all of this pain, violence, bitterness, and unrest? More importantly, how can we talk with them about all they are observing?

Here is yet another situation where being proactive is always better than being reactive. Right now the entire world is reacting, many acting without thinking. What our kids need is a solid foundation in an otherwise shaky world.

So: how can we anchor our kids to this solid foundation?

This article originally appeared here. SUBSCRIBE to our free PARENTING HELP articles at TheSource4Parents.com to receive this entire article.

Our Kids Are Watching
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