Did you know?

I was listening to this song last night called Concrete Angel by Martina McBride and it made me realize many people may not know how real child abuse is in our nation. These statistics are taken from childhelp.org and were originally recorded in 2007.

•A report of child abuse is made every ten seconds.
•Almost five children die everyday as a result of child abuse. More than three out of four are under the age of 4.
•It is estimated that between 60-85% of child fatalities due to maltreatment are not recorded as such on death certificates.
•90% of child sexual abuse victims know the perpetrator in some way; 68% are abused by family members.
•Child abuse occurs at every socioeconomic level, across ethnic and cultural lines, within all religions and at all levels of education.
•31% percent of women in prison in the United States were abused as children.
•Over 60% of people in drug rehabilitation centers report being abused or neglected as a child.
•About 30% of abused and neglected children will later abuse their own children, continuing the horrible cycle of abuse.
•About 80% of 21 year old that were abused as children met criteria for at least one psychological disorder.
•The estimated annual cost of child abuse and neglect in the United States for 2007 is $104 billion.
•Abused children are 25% more likely to experience teen pregnancy.
•Abused teens are 3 times less likely to practice safe sex, putting them at greater risk for STDs.

•Children who have been sexually abused are 2.5 times more likely to abuse alcohol
•Children who have been sexually abused are 3.8 times more likely develop drug addictions
•Nearly two-thirds of the people in treatment for drug abuse reported being abused as children

•Abused children are 25% more likely to experience teen pregnancy
•Abused teens are 3 times less likely to practice safe sex, putting them at greater risk for STDs

•14% of all men in prison in the USA were abused as children
•36% of all women in prison were abused as children
•Children who experience child abuse & neglect are 59% more likely to be arrested as a juvenile, 28% more likely to be arrested as an adult, and 30% more likely to commit violent crime.

After reading these statistics many people will feel very sad for those individuals and say that should not be happening. So my question is if it should not be happening what are you willing to do to change it?

Be Satisfied

Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone, to have a deep soul relationship with another, to be loved thoroughly and exclusively, but God to a Christian says, "No, not until you are satisfied, fulfilled, and content with being loved by me alone, with giving yourself totally and unreservedly to me, and with having an intensely personal and unique relationship with me alone, discovering that only in me is your satisfaction to be found. Only then will you be capable of the perfect human relationship that I have planned for you, exclusive of any other desires or longings. I want you to stop planning, stop wishing, and allow me to give you the most thrilled plan existing, one that you cannot imagine. I want you to have the best. Please allow me to bring it to you. You just keep watching me, expecting the greatest things, keep experiencing the satisfaction that I am. Keep listening and learning the things as I tell you. You just wait. That's all. Don't be anxious. Don't worry. Don't look around at what others have gotten or what I've given them. Don't look at the things you think you want. You just keep looking off and away up to me or you'll miss what I want to show you. And then, when you're ready, I'll surprise you with a love more wonderful than any of you would dream of. You see, until you are ready and until the one I have for you is ready (I am working even this morning to have you both ready at the same time) until both of you are satisfied exclusively with me and the life I prepared for you, you won't be able to experience the love that exemplifies your relationship with me. And dear one, I want you to have this most wonderful love; I want you to see in the flesh a picture of your relationship with me, and to enjoy materially and concretely the everlasting union of beauty, perfection, and love that I offer you with myself. Know that I love you utterly. I am God. Believe it and be satisfied."

Author - Unknown