Guest Blogging

The following two posts are not easy to read. They are written by my brother who is getting his Masters Degree in counseling right now. As part of his degree program, he works in centers for abused and neglected children. The things he sees and deals with on a daily basis will horrify most people. For others, I am sure they are not shocked, as they have been victims themselves. During the Christmas season, some of these children become even more forgotten as we seek to surround ourselves with the beautiful things and happy times of the holidays. There are some kids for whom the Christmas season is especially sad. Think how it must be to watch your peers have great times with their families, eating scrumptious food and receiving all kinds of neat presents, knowing that all that awaits in your home is unspeakable darkness. No, these things are not easy to read, and they are almost incomprehensible unless you have experienced them yourself or worked in some profession where you come across these innocent victims of the worst kind of scum.

I could not do what Dan does for a living. While I adore kids, I think I would just die if I had to see firsthand what he sees and carry those images with me. He was working with these kids long before he went back to school. He also preaches full time. I don't know how he gets it all in, but somehow, he copes with it all. Kids are lucky to have advocates like Dan. We must all be more vigilant to protect our kids and help those who are being abused and neglected. If we do not demand that legislators do more to protect our children, it won't get done. If you are reading these words, make a pledge that you will not let this holiday season go by without doing something proactive for our children of America. Do more than grabbing some angel off a mall tree and buying a present. That is a great thing to do, but it is not enough. Make an effort to be a voice for all God's little innocent voices that cannot speak for themselves.