While in Sacramento for work, I was fortunate enough to be within walking distance of the California Peace Officer's Memorial.

I also wanted to add a new picture of Raymond and I :)

Be Aware!

April is Child Abuse Awareness Month

Missouri law defines abuse as: any physical injury, sexual abuse or emotional abuse inflicted on a child other than by accidental means by those responsible for the child's care, custody, and control, except that discipline including spanking, administered in a reasonable manner, shall not be construed to be abuse.

Neglect, as failure to provide, by those responsible for the care, custody, and control of the child, the proper or necessary support, education as required by law, nutrition or medical, surgical, or any other care necessary for the child's well being.

Nationally, a call is made to a child abuse and neglect hot line every 10 seconds and almost 5 children die every day as a direct result of child abuse and/or neglect. The majority of these children are under the age of 5.

Locally, in Missouri, an average of 139 calls are made to the hotline each day and involved over 64,000 children. Nearly 8,000 of those children had more than one report.

Of those cases, substantiated: 43% were for neglect, 26% for physical, and 23% for sexual abuse. 30 Missouri children died in 2008 as a result of child abuse.

Fortunately there is help and parents can learn to the skills needed to raise their children! That is what we do at my agency. The findings of the cases reported in 2008 show that 54% of reports involved a lack of supervision and 25% had unsanitary living conditions. 14.6% of perpetrators had unrealistic expectations of their children. Education can help!

The only way to stop child abuse is through you! Learn the signs, report problems to your local hotline, and support agencies like the one I work for: www.childabuseprevention.org. Together we can make a difference in the lives of children!

In Missouri Call: 1-800-392-3738.

I Heart Dessert

It's been awhile, but, I'm getting in on the photo challenge at I Heart Faces this week. Theme: Dessert! YUM!

Everything Serves a Purpose

I've been struggling lately. I've been busy. I've been stressed. Period.

Where is the source of these struggles and stress? Work.

But, I don't want this post to become about me and my complaints. I've struggled with where God wants me and what he wants me to be doing and I don't know why. I usually thrive on being busy-and the last few weeks have been nothing but busy. The difference is that I haven't been able to center myself with my family and personal time. Most people who hear from me often have hardly heard from me at all lately. I miss them.

Fortunately, I've been reading the book "Fearless" by Max Lucado. When things were stressful at work last week, I was able to remember the things Lucado has written about in order to let the worry slip off my hands and into Gods-especially worry about the future. Amazing.

Lucado says, "Some seasons make no sense." He goes on to list tragic events that leave us asking, do these events really have a purpose for the greater good? I often feel this in life. How in the world could this event (whatever it may be at the time) be for my greater good. I know though that  "all things work together for good to those that love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" -Romans 8:28

Have you ever thought about your eternal purpose? 

"What makes no sense in this life will make perfect sense in the next. I have proof: you in the womb....Every gestation day equipped you for your earthly life. Your bones solidified, your eyes developed, the umbilical cord transported nutrients into your growing frame....for what reason? So you might remain enwombed? Quite the contrary. Womb time equipped you for earth time, suited you up for your postpartum existence. Some prenatal features went unused before birth (your nose, eyes, tounge, etc.) but aren't you glad you have them now?" -Max Lucado

How freeing-to know that events that seem so far from "the greater good" may really be preparing me for an existence completely outside of my current "womb." Whatever God hands me is for preparation of an eternal glory. 

Thank you God.