I am not a deeply religious man, but I am not immune to being inspired…
Saturday night, it was an honor to emcee the first annual Sweetheart Night at Highland Springs Country Club, a benefit for Ambassadors for Children. This important organization provides critical needs for abused, neglected and foster children in Southwest Missouri. There are approximately one-thousand foster children from Greene County. Nearly forty kids enter foster care each month.
I would like to thank Council of Churches of the Ozarks Executive Director, Reverend Mark Struckhoff for relaying the story of Puah and Shiphrah to those in attendance. Regardless of your faith, it is an amazing example of personal impact…
In the book of Exodus, the nation of Israel was enslaved in Egypt. Puah and Shiphrah led all of the Hebrew midwives. During this time, the Pharaoh ordered Puah and Shiphrah to kill every male child born to Hebrew women: “When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birthstool, if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live” (Exodus 1:16).
The midwives, however, ignored the Pharaoh’s order: “But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live” (Exodus 1:17).
Unbeknownst to Puah and Shiphrah, their defiance of the Pharoah ultimately led to Israel’s deliverance from slavery, because one of the saved boys just happened to be…Moses.
Reverend Struckhoff presented Sondra Uzzell with the “Puah and Shiphrah Award” for her years of service to Ambassadors for Children; for her tireless, selfless efforts providing a “fighting chance” for local abused, neglected and foster children – to improve their quality of life, overcome tragedies, and one day become responsible adults and parents.
A fitting award for a deserving recipient!
To those who attended Sweetheart Night, thank you for your continued support of Ambassadors for Children; for not allowing these kids to be left behind – 100% of your generosity will benefit the organization. Now, we all have a responsibility to spread the word…
Direct your friends and family to the Ambassadors for Children webpage. Encourage them to donate their time, clothing, gift cards and money. With year round projects and initiatives, everyone can find a way to support the kids, and all gifts are matched dollar-for-dollar by the Council of Churches Foundation! CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.
Special thanks to the Sweetheart Night planning committee: Sondra and Ryan Uzzell, Denee Fay, Christine Moses, Amy Grubaugh, Dalene Doman, Carla Smith, Kim Horton, Paul and Georgia Long, and Agency Director Natalie Allen. In today’s world, everyone’s a winner, right Natalie? (Yeah, I’m not a very bright man)
That said, congratulations to Springfield’s Brown Egg Cafe & Coffee House, Sweetheart Night’s first ever Desert Champion! Those were some delicious granola bars, but I’m really looking forward to trying your homemade Frito Chili Pie!
Finally, it’s not often my wife and I get the opportunity to work together. Thanks so much to the REAL talent in this family – Dionne with Photos by Dionne. She provided the evening’s portraits…and managed to keep me off the dance floor, sparing our family from further embarrassment and ridicule. I love you, sweetheart!
To get your portrait from Sweetheart Night, just follow this link, click on the Sweetheart Night gallery, then right-click to download your photo from the Photos by Dionne website. We certainly hope you enjoyed the evening, and look forward to your continued support of Ambassadors for Children and Council of Churches of the Ozarks. Spread the word!
