10-Year-old Commits SUICIDE... What Can WE Do?

Ashlynn Conner (10) Commits Suicide: Family Says BULLYING Was To Blame

When I read this headline, I immediately felt sick to my stomach. My chest felt tight and I felt tears forming in my eyes. I cannot fathom a 10-year old baby deciding to end his or her own life (and worse, following through with that decision). I cannot IMAGINE the gut-wrenching pain her mother and family are experiencing right now. (May God, be with them.)
As I read the article, questions began to flicker about in my mind:

"How is a 10-year old even aware of suicide?"     

"How long was the bullying taking place?"   

"Did her mother know what was going on?"      

"If so, how did she handle it?"        

"What steps were taken to rectify the problem?"  

"If her mother did not know, why couldn't or didn't the daughter go to her mother?"  

"Did the mother of the BULLY know what what happening?"      

"If so, how did SHE handle it?"   

"Were the teachers aware?"    "Her fellow students?"     "Siblings?" 

WHAT CAN WE DO TO PREVENT THIS TRAGIC SCENARIO
FROM EVER HAPPENING LIKE THIS AGAIN????

MEN Weigh In...

I'm very excited to introduce our newest MONTHLY feature, 

"MEN Weigh In"!

The men have spoken - and I believe you will be blessed by their responses. I know I have been! God never ceases to amaze me. The guys that will be weighing in here (and right now there are four of them) are men that I know personally. Men that I have seen walking in Christ - sincerely - for years. Men who not only, talk the talk, but walk the walk - to the BEST of their abilities. They love Christ with all of their hearts, and I value and appreciate their input. These are our brothers in Christ. We are here to grow and evolve; they are doing the same. We will all surely be mutually blessed by the contributions they make and the conversation it provokes.

I'm sure we all know men and women can look at something and see things COMPLETELY different. Or maybe that's just my experience... but I doubt it! Lol. With that being said, prayerfully, we will all be blessed, challenged, and encouraged to grow by exchanging perspectives and thought-provoking dialogue with the opposite sex.

Join our 31-Day Proverbs Challenge!!!!

ARE YOU UP FOR THE CHALLENGE??
Join us on SE as we grow and challenge one another. If you accept this month-long challenge, comment below that you've accepted (so that we can hold each other accountable and share our experiences with one another) and once you've read the chapter for today, post a verse below. - it's important we support one another and hold one another accountable!! :) For those of you who are also on our FB page, feel free to post your verses in one place or the other! You can also visit our facebook page and click "share" and share on your page that YOU have accepted the SE 31-Day Proverb Challenge, and/or invite others to join the challenge!!  Don't worry if you weren't with us from the beginning - it's never too late to jump in! Let's have fun with this!!

Riverside Community Church had a great template, and we will follow their outline...

The 31 Day Proverbs Challenge is a very simple way to engage God's Word and share it with others.  Here are the basic guidelines:

1) Starting today, read the chapter in Proverbs that corresponds to today's date.  For example, if today is November 17th read Proverbs 17.  If today is November 20th read Proverbs 20.  If today is November 1st read Proverbs 1.
2) After reading the chapter, choose one verse from the chapter that you want to share with someone.  From our earlier example, if today you read Proverbs 17 then you might choose Proverbs 17:10 "A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into a fool."  Or you may choose Proverbs 17:17 "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity."  You may find it hard to choose just one.
3) Go public with it! Whichever verse(s) you choose to share, from the reading each day, post them  here! Post it on your facebook status or twitter account.  Add it to the autosignature on your emails.  Make a point of working it into a conversation throughout the day.  Sit down as a family or with a group of friends and share which verse you chose. The possibilities are endless...
4) Come back to our blog/page and leave a comment to tell us how you are choosing to take on the challenge so others can be encouraged by your stories!

5) Tomorrow, do it all over again...for the next 31 days.