My Heart's Cry

As a girl, I've grown up waiting for the day when I will meet the man I will marry. I've spent hours as a little girl planning my wedding, all the way down to the dress and the food. Now that I'm older, I think about the kind of man I want to marry and spend the rest of my days with. I look around and pick out the qualities that I think make a man attractive (physically and inwardly); things that I hope to see in my children; and things that show strong leadership, mature spirituality, and true love.

But while I do this, my heart can't escape the cries of the girls who see no possibility of finding a man with those things; the girls who have no hope of finding a man that will love and nurture them, treat them with the utmost respect, and show them the love they deserve.

For a long time, my heart has been hurting for the people held captive by the bonds of human trafficking. I can't even begin to fathom how anyone can be so vile and evil to think that it is OK and right to violate a human being's body just so that they can have a few minutes of pleasure. It absolutely disgusts me! No one has this right! God created us as His children and it has to break His heart to look down and see His children selling each other for sick enjoyment.

Too many people are involved in this heinous crime. Most girls involved in human trafficking get started between the ages of 12 and 14. Pretend you are a girl in this age group. Instead of waking up in the morning in a nice, comfortable bed and heading off to school, you wake up in a cold, dark room (probably with a few other girls), dressed in rags that barely constitute as clothes and head into another room where it is your job to lay on a bed and let anyone do whatever they want to you. You may get paid for this, but most likely any money you get goes to another man who will treat you with complete contempt.
For approximately 20 million people, this is their harsh reality. That's a lot of people! Too many people if you ask me.


Usually when we think of human trafficking, we think of places like Cambodia, China, or some remote place in Africa. But the truth is, between 14,500 and 17,500 people are trafficked into the U.S. each year. The time when human trafficking gets the most business in the U.S. is during the Super Bowl. Our country isn't as civilized as we'd like to think. We say that we've advanced so much in the past 1,000 years, but really, we're just as barbaric as we've always been. And it sickens me.


God did not make us as play toys. He made us to have wants and desires, yes, but to pursue them with godly intentions and a pure heart. He made us to desire love and acceptance, and every human being has the right to have this. Our world has completely distorted this. Love is no longer a mystery that can only be discovered through the Author of love, but it is a few short minutes bought with greed.



I pray for the day that true love will reign in place of this hideous lie we're selling. I pray that every girl who has been brought into a place where there is no love, joy, or peace will find the way to break free and find the One who will readily give them love, joy, and peace to the fullest. That the chains of slavery will be broken is my heart's cry.

Winning Their Hearts

When a boy meets a girl, he does all that can to do one thing: win her heart. Everything he does he hopes she sees and impresses her. He will go to great lengths to get this girl to notice him. He devotes hours of his days to find out everything about her. He learns her likes, dislikes, interests, hobbies, favorite colors, favorite movies. This is a quest, and he intends to win his prize.

As a teenager, I've noticed some things. A lot of people my age seem so distant from their parents They can't stand each other. They spend little to no time together. I think some of this is because we teenagers feel like we are not understood. I believe that this is true.

So what does that have to do with my first paragraph? Well, I believe that parents should be like the boy who fell in love with the girl. Parents, you need to realize your children are growing up. They are discovering who they are. You need to go on the quest to win your child's heart. Spend time with them, getting to know them as a separate person. Pretend they're not just your child, but a human being that has hopes, dreams, and aspirations. Learn what kind of person they are and want to be and encourage them to be all they can be.

Now I'm not saying that you need to be their BFF. You still need to be the parent and discipline them. But you need to show them that you love them. Give them guidance. Be their coach while being their biggest fan. Teenagers are normal people who are testing the boundaries and trying to figure out their purpose in life. As the parent, your job is to train your child for adulthood. Give them the chance to show who they truly are. Too many parents try to live out their dreams through their children. Don't do that. You'll only confuse your child and ruin your relationship with them. Give your child the opportunities he/she needs to grow as an adult, encouraging them to do the best they can in the areas that God has called them to thrive in.

When your child sees you showing an interest in them and in their interests, they will most likely reciprocate your actions. In the quest to win your child's heart, you'll see that they want to win yours as well.