There is nothing to be intimidated about – it’s just another long run where a few more people show up and they happen to wear numbers.

But when adults speak up for the vulnerable and the weak, working and demanding that safety and respect prevail, God’s little lambs are protected and nourished. They know they are not abandoned; they are loved. And the world becomes a little more like heaven as a result.

To be compassionate in this hurting world means it will cost you something.

Children are more than we think they are; they can do more than we think they can do. All they need is a vote of confidence from grownups, whom they will ultimately replace anyway. Their dream today will become the realities of tomorrow.

One changed child eventually changes a family. A changed family will influence change in its church. Enough changed churches will transform a community. Changed communities change regions. Changed regions will in time change an entire nation.

If we nurture the dreams of children, the world will be blessed. If we destroy them, the world is doomed!

I’m convinced that one of the most powerful forces on earth is the prayer of a child.

What’s your cause? Does it move you to tears? What is it that moves you passionately?

I have become convinced that if God stands a child before you, for even just a minute, it is a divine appointment.

Every child you encounter is a divine appointment.