bullying – Deedee Cass

Perhaps, it is the picture emblazoned in my mind of the the toddler immigrant who washed ashore on a Turkish beach. Perhaps, it is the disregard for the value of life on the Oregon college campus. Perhaps, it is the image of the twenty-five Russian children who met their earthly end in the Sinai Desert. Perhaps, it is the thought of nine year old Tyshawn Lee who was murdered by a Chicago gang or the silent six year old, Jeremy Mardis, who was riddled with police bullets while riding shotgun with his dad. Whatever, the PERHAPS, I shout to the Lord, Suffer Not the Children. And what is more, I exhort you to shout with me. Let us rise from our slumber and voice our prayer of outrage. Let us prevail upon God’s grace and mercy. Let us bypass cultural and societal fixes and surpass all humanitarian causes and efforts. The Bible says, Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always (1 Chronicles 16:11). Indeed, let us wholeheartedly seek the Lord on behalf of our young. He is our only Hope! O Sovereign and compassionate God, Suffer Not the Children!

As a wife, mother, grandmother and woman of faith, I recently compiled a list entitled 12 Things I Desire for our Children. These 12 Things…are the essence of Faith Feedings…12 principles to nurture you child’s spiritual development. The process of identifying these 12 things and committing them to writing has brought clarity to my passion for securing the conscience of the next generation for faith in God. They have become my prayer to our Heavenly Father for the sake a heritage of faith in our families.

It is in my heart to compile a new list. It will be called: 12 Concerns Mothers have for their Children. I need your help. What concerns you regarding your children matters to me and it matters to God. So tell me…What concerns cross your mind as you tuck your children into bed or put them on the school bus? What are you thinking as they enter college, the military, or the work force? From what worldly ills do you wish to shield them? What frames your Suffer Not the Children prayer? Regrettably, words like danger, disease, terror, bullying, addiction, eating disorders, trafficking, and immorality are plaguing the physical, emotional and spiritual well-being of our families. Would you join me in clarifying our deepest concerns for our children before the Lord so that with one heart and mind we can seek God’s grace and mercy on behalf of the young in our midst. O Faithful and Merciful God—Suffer Not the Children!

The Lord will perfect that which concerns me;
Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands.
Psalm 138:8 NKJV

OPP (opportunity for action): Share your mother’s heart concerns with me by either responding to this blog with a comment or emailing me privately at deedeecass@gmail.com. Just a word or a phrase is sufficient. Please note that I respect your privacy. In addition, please Forward this blog and Share it with your Facebook friends. Let us deliver our Suffer Not the Children request to God’s throne of grace as a multitude of Mothers and Grandmothers interceding for the children of America and the world. For nothing is impossible with God ( Luke 1:37).

!2 Things I Desire for our Children http://deedeecass.com/ministry-reflections

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Bullies have been lurking in the shadows of school playgrounds for time eternal. They seem to find their voice in third grade recess. The art of bullying has advanced to unfathomable heights. The school yard has expanded to cyber space. Technology has spread the occurrence of bully abuse like wildfire. No child is safe. It is entirely possible that your own child’s heart, mind and soul has been penetrated by the verbal bullets of a bully. I want to share three concepts to Bully Proof your son or daughter—value, identity and influence. Each of these protective shields is covered in my book Faith Feedings: 12 Principles to nurture your child’s spiritual development (Faith Feeding 3 which is entitled You are God’s Good Idea). Let’s get a leg up on Bully Proofing you kiddos.

Value—“In our homes and schools, our young people are revealing a value crisis. “I am valuable” is being drowned out by the “I am too’s”—too tall, too fat, too ugly, too thin, too anything but God’s good idea. Every day we hear value indices: the strength of the dollar, the price of gold, the rise and fall of stocks. And every day we hear the results of the value famine of the human soul: insecurity, moral failure, addiction, eating disorders, bullying, crime, murder, suicide. “Then God said, let us make man in our own image, in our likeness” (Genesis 1:26). Now there’s a value index. Those fourteen words are like rain from heaven. They replace self-image with God-image. Together let’s bring on the rain and end the self-worth famine in our own lives and in the lives of those we influence. We live in an age of labels and logos. Made By God surpasses them all.”
Identity—“Personal identity goes beyond name and family lines. Our children want to be what they are not. What they want to be is determined by what they find appealing in others. Our tendency to want to be anything but what we are is fed by our lack of the understanding of our identity. True identity is not found in our earthly heritage. True identity originates with our Heavenly Father. When we know the truth of whose we are, we will have the freedom to choose who we will become. Such assurance of purpose, undoubtedly, is a missing element in today’s child. We have a great opportunity to edify our children by helping them realize their value to God and grasp their identity in Him. What a privilege! What a responsibility!”
Influence–“If there is one thing this generation is missing, it is awareness of the individual’s power to influence others. Influence is forever linked with value and identity. Children who know their value to God and their identity in God will find meaning and purpose in being an influence for God. Every child needs to grasp their potential for influence because every child needs to know that their life matters.”

Whether you have a child who is a bully risk or a child who has a bully tendency, I urge you to speak God’s love for them into their lives. Knowing that they matter to God will give them God-esteem. That will trump a bully’s bullets every time! The Lord is my strength and my shield; Psalm 28:7.

OPP: Ask God specifically how you can strengthen your child’s self perception. Be deliberate about connecting him or her with a God who loves and values them. Go slow on this. Changing from self-confidence to God-confidence takes a childhood—or even an adulthood!
Google: Dominic Zaffino and read this 10 year old’s Instagram response to bullying.
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