Issues Close to Your Heart?

FaithCaitlin · August 2011

Morning ladies!

The thread one of the girls posted about her FSIL's possible adoption got me thinking.. what are some issues that are close to your heart?

Personally, hunger is a big one. It pains me to know that people go hungry every single day. Another softspot for me is adoption. I'd love to adopt.

Any particular issues that are very close to your heart?

amongthelilies25 · August 2011

something that has always been on my heart is young women. Just the battles that woman face with insecurity, self image, wanting to be pursued. We have such a unique battle with the enemy.

My heart has always just to speak life over young women and to inspire them to be courageous, strong, and feminine. That every girl is unique and stunning... and that they deserve to be pursued by a man and a loving God. (:

Also i have a heart for marriages..... i think that everything starts within in the family. Ministry flows from the home. I would love to mentor young married couples (after i am no longer a young married couple. lol)

My FI has similiar passions with marriages and young men. and he also has a passion for water in other countries. How some countries do not have clean drinking water... that just stirs him up soo much! (: He is amazing!

musicalsunlight · August 2011

I am very passionate about animal abuse, and animal rights. Not like PETA type stuff, but more domestic pet related. I want to have every dog in the world that has been abandoned and I just want to love them all.

MelissaC315 · August 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_christian-weddings_issues-close-heart?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural Wedding BoardsForum:464687ae-7bc1-4360-9aea-999e11f1e1adDiscussion:8cbf779a-7bd2-4766-9b7d-71ceb22acb83Post:f1366eae-4b1a-430e-8bfe-6ab919918d95">Re: Issues Close to Your Heart?</a>:
[QUOTE]something that has always been on my heart is young women. Just the battles that woman face with insecurity, self image, wanting to be pursued. We have such a unique battle with the enemy. My heart has always just to speak life over young women and to inspire them to be courageous, strong, and feminine. That every girl is unique and stunning... and that <strong>they deserve to be pursued by a man and a loving God. (:
</strong>Posted by amongthelilies25[/QUOTE]

Amen! Could not agree more! I work counseling young girls, ages 15-18, and I see the same story over and over and it breaks my heart. They are so painfully insecure with themselves, their bodies, and how they relate to boys. I get so sad to see them just giving themselves away to boy after boy. We work a lot on valuing their body and allowing themselves to see what beauty they offer the world (non-physical beauty).

DramaGeek · August 2011

Education and child neglect/mistreatment are high on my list.

GJones27 · August 2011

For me, the environment. I feel anger, sadness, and despair thinking climate change is going on, yet politicians refuse to even believe it exists so they don't have to make any hard decisions. Through my previous research job in the lobbying industry (which I don't want to be involved in again), I have personally seen how fossil fuel companies exert a powerful influence on the government. But even beyond climate change, I feel saddened looking at how much stuff we waste -- raw materials, electronic goods, household items, etc. -- so that we always have new stuff. It's hard in our consumerist society to live with just the basics. If you don't follow along, people look at you funny or judge you. It's a shame it has to be this way... in Germany, for example, environmentalism is more deeply ingrained in their culture and personal actions, yet the maintain a high quality of living.

iamjoesgurl · August 2011

This is perfect timing to ask this question for me. This week especially I have been burdened for the poor in other parts of the world. It is easy for us to ignore and turn a blind eye to it. Here is an article about something happening in Somalia right now:

http://news.yahoo.com/us-29-000-somali-children-under-5-dead-104757443.html

If people don't have food to eat or water to drink, how can they care about a God who loves them? I talked to a young Kenyan man (college aged) this week who had been in the Compassion International program growing up. He said that the poverty in the U.S. is like riches to a Kenyan. He grew up without a father, lost his mother as a young man to TB, lived with extended family in a slum in a 10x10 shack and often had to look for food in the garbage dump just to survive. I was in a slum in Nairobi 4 years ago so I've seen what it's like. It's so sad.

DH & I also walked through an exhibit highlighting the needs of refugees in the World, human trafficking/slavery, malnutrition and lack of clean water. I had tears seeing the reality of it.

So for me, it is these things that really make me want to make a difference.

mrandmrsbrist · August 2011

Child neglect/abuse/mistreatment is probably the one closest. After that, I'd have to go with hunger.

amongthelilies25 · August 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_christian-weddings_issues-close-heart?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:464687ae-7bc1-4360-9aea-999e11f1e1adDiscussion:8cbf779a-7bd2-4766-9b7d-71ceb22acb83Post:567d5c98-511a-49d5-9e32-6903844db013">Re: Issues Close to Your Heart?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Issues Close to Your Heart? : Amen! Could not agree more! I work counseling young girls, ages 15-18, and I see the same story over and over and it breaks my heart. They are so painfully insecure with themselves, their bodies, and how they relate to boys. I get so sad to see them just giving themselves away to boy after boy. We work a lot on valuing their body and allowing themselves to see what beauty they offer the world (non-physical beauty).
Posted by MelissaC315[/QUOTE]

<div>i love all of this!!!! soooo my heart! i would adore to counsel young girls some day!!! </div>

drama1308 · August 2011

Education is probably the highest on my list.

kellya01 · August 2011

Right now, I'm most concerned with unethical or unfair employment practices / labor laws.

porky · August 2011

Anyone who is the victim of unjustice. A few years ago at Soul Fest (an outdoor Christian music festival, with seminars, etc) I heard Gary Haugen of International Justice Mission. He spoke of young children who are taken from their families to "pay off a debt" and sold into the sex trade industry; people who are innocent of crimes, but due to corrupt authorities pay for the crimes they did not committ; and slavery.

A slideshow of some of the people rescued by members of IJM brought tears to my eyes. IJM has people go undercover in brothels; to police in corrupt places and to any place they hear of where people are slaves and take down the perpetrators.

I hate hearing about adults who are victims of unjustice, but it breaks my heart to heard of children being treated like slaves and being sold to the highest bidder.

iamjoesgurl · August 2011

porky - the one I walked through this week talked about girls as young as 2 being sold to brothels for men to have sex with them. This is just unimaginable to me.

porky · August 2011

Joe's gurl - it is so disguisting to me. Gary Haugen wrote a book about some of the people they rescued. They talk about how the brothel owners use these young girls for profit because some men want virgins.

When I first heard Gary Haguen speak I thought of my niece (who is now almost 9) and thought of the girls her age or youger who are violated. My other niece will be 2 in just a few days and the thought her any child that age being used by a monster, makes me sick.

I pray that these children are rescued. What IJM also does is after they rescue victims, they bring them to some type of home set up for them, with beds, gifts before returning them to their families if they can find them or before bringing them to another safe haven.

ochemjenn · August 2011

Animal abuse/cruelty/neglect. I just don't understand how people can treat God's creatures so horribly. DH and I would ultimately like to run a shelter.

MelissaC315 · August 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_christian-weddings_issues-close-heart?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural Wedding BoardsForum:464687ae-7bc1-4360-9aea-999e11f1e1adDiscussion:8cbf779a-7bd2-4766-9b7d-71ceb22acb83Post:f3b797fc-7436-4f42-b212-85c279f4998e">Re: Issues Close to Your Heart?</a>:
[QUOTE]porky - the one I walked through this week talked about girls as young as 2 being sold to brothels for men to have sex with them. This is just unimaginable to me.
Posted by iamjoesgurl[/QUOTE]

That makes me sooo sad and so sick inside.

abbeylynne06 · August 2011

Children and education, particularly children living in/near poverty and all the issues (hunger, abuse, neglect, homelessness, lack of educational support, etc) that goes with it.

Urban poverty is also a big issue for me. I don't think many people realize how many people are living desolate lives right here in the US and how incredibly hard it is to break the cycle of poverty.

AshNoel8 · August 2011

I think all of these things are important! Animal abuse is big for me because they are so helpless! Every time I see those ASPCA commercials with Sarah McLachlan, I cry!

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