I started this post on New Year’s Eve in an attempt to get a jump a day early….now I am a day late.  Well, it all worked out.  Other things got my attention on New Year’s today, and today, I was back to work.

I am still focusing on the loss of the children and staff of Sandy Hook.  But I have another focus as well today.  Catherine Hubbard was beautiful.  Her parents ask all to continue to pray for the families affected.  Chase Kowalski’s mother is on a mission.  She has started a foundation in Chase’s name.  This woman is articulate and has a vision of how to use her son’s death for good.  Pray specifically for her please.  Her life has been changed, and she is going to use this to change lives.    Her name is Becky….pray specifically for her to have strength and conviction.

As I write about these families and children, I know that many children in our country and the world are suffering daily.  Their lives lack stability, basic needs, and love.  These children walk through my classroom door everyday, and they sit in class with my sons.  The foundation of their lives is shaky at best.  These are our citizens.  Children who know no consistency and who live lives without a constant become easily lured by anything.  They also see little value in long term goals….they have never been exposed to the value of planning.  Then add in medical issues, learning issues, lack of money, inexperience with trust and you have a poor foundation for a life and a poor foundation for a citizenry.  This blog post is coming from my thoughts after reading this article after Christmas.  It happened near South Bend.  This is the reality for so many children.  Link to it HERE.

My point is this….we need to be praying for the lives of our youth and finding ways–all of us–to involve them in stable activities while modeling healthy life choices.  These kids are among us.  They are hurting.  They are lost, and they want guidance.  I want to be like the people Paul is writing to in Colossians 1:3-6.  It says, “³ We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, ⁴ because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people—⁵ the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel ⁶ that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace.”

Let us go forth and do good WORKS in the name of Christ.  Our children and our world need us.