Do you have a "Jiminy Cricket?"

How many of us have watched Pinocchio?
A little wooden puppet who was brought to life. He was given Jiminy Cricket to be his conscience. Jiminy was there to help Pinocchio make the right decisions and stay out of trouble.

Now, this might not seem important to you, but our conscience can be a lifeline. It’s that inner voice we often ignore—the voice that seems to come from the heart.

For example:

I remember when I was 12 years old, babysitting for my mom’s friend. My sister, who was 11 at the time, was with me. We were watching three little kids, and everything was going well—until someone knocked on the door.

My sister and I went to see who it was. There was a curtain on the door that I gently moved aside.
“Oh no, he saw me!” I said to my sister.

The man began asking for the woman we were babysitting for. I thought, Maybe this is a family member. Just as I was thinking that, my inner voice kicked in, telling me not to open the door. But my mind kept saying, He saw me… and it might be a family member.

Needless to say, I listened to my mind and opened the door. (For some reason, I could imagine my Jiminy Cricket jumping up and down, holding the door shut and yelling, “NO! NO! Don’t do it!” Sorry, Jiminy!)

The man came inside and began asking me all kinds of questions, including my name—and in my ignorance, I told him. He went into one of the bedrooms and began calling out to me. My sister and I were terrified, so we decided to ignore him.

That’s when the man came out and grabbed me. Thank God I got away and was able to call the police.

If I had listened to that inner voice—my Jiminy Cricket—I would have avoided all of that trauma.

We all have a Jiminy Cricket. Some of us have ignored it for so long that the voice has become very faint. Others have learned to listen to it and can recognize it immediately. There’s a saying that goes, “If you don’t use it, you lose it.”

I believe this inner voice was given to us by God. There is a verse that says, “He rains on the just and the unjust.” Even if you’re not saved, you still have it. There’s no way we can foresee the outcome of our decisions—only God knows everything. While some situations seem like common sense, that’s not always the case.

For example:

One morning, I woke up with a very strong feeling not to send my son to school. Common sense told me I needed to send him—so I did. I didn’t foresee anything unusual.

Later that afternoon, I received an emergency call from the school telling me my son had fallen on the playground and busted his chin wide open.

You might be wondering why I’m even writing about this inner voice. The reason is simple: God gave us this Jiminy Cricket to protect us and keep us out of trouble.

There is so much going on in the world today—rape, sexual abuse, kidnapping, drugs, accidents, and more. We need to become aware of this inner voice and stop ignoring it. If we, as parents, learn to listen to it and teach our children to do the same, we can prevent some of these terrible things from happening.

I can’t count how many times I’ve heard people blame God for their misfortunes, pain, and hurt. The truth is, God loves us so much that even if we mock Him, use His name in vain, make fun of those who believe in Him, refuse to live by the Bible, or reject Jesus altogether—He still, in His mercy and grace, gives us that extra something to help protect us.

Even when we don’t deserve it.

God gave us free will. We are free to make our own choices. If we choose not to believe in Jesus or listen to that inner voice, then whatever happens is on us. That doesn’t stop God from loving us, nor does it change the fact that He gave His life for us.

So stop throwing God under the bus.

One thing I often hear people say is, “Well, He could have stopped it.” Guess what? He also could have forced you to believe in Him and serve Him—but He didn’t. God chose not to force us, and deep down, we wouldn’t want it any other way. We want free will. He wants us to love Him freely.

Instead, we want to do whatever we want, whenever we want, and avoid the consequences. “It wasn’t me—it was Julie.”We’re always passing the blame.

My final thought is this:

Whether you serve Jesus or not, listen to your conscience, the check in your spirit Jiminy Cricket—(what ever you want to call it) and stop blaming God for everything.

Be A Voice,
Olga

Parents Tell Me It Isn't So!

Parents Tell Me It Isn't So!

Leave it to Beaver Days

October 14, 2026
By Olga | Be-A-Voice

This subject deeply concerns me.

Parents, please tell me—what is going on?

Recently, while walking through a department store, I suddenly heard a twelve-year-old boy yelling, “SHUT UP!” Instinctively, I thought something serious must be happening. I looked to see who he was talking to, and to my shock, it was his mother. Throughout my entire shopping trip, I listened as this child yelled at her and told her what to do. No exaggeration—I honestly felt like I was watching Freaky Friday.

What is truly sad is that this behavior has become normal.

I have seen three-year-olds yelling at their parents, hitting them—yes, in the face—and defiantly telling them “NO.” I’ve also witnessed neighbors move out of their own home because they could not control their teenage son.

Think about that for a moment.

They left him with the house.

Someone was being punished, and I can assure you—it wasn’t the son.

I have friends who are employers, and they tell me the same thing repeatedly: young people don’t show up for work. They go through employees the way we go through a bag of M&M’s. Many young people do whatever they want, whenever they want. They can’t hold a job—and why should they? All they have to do is demand money from their parents. To them, “no” is not an option.

Here’s something else that absolutely blows my mind: teenagers moving their girlfriends or boyfriends into their parents’ home—and the parents allowing it. As if parents don’t already have enough on their plates, now they’re supporting another mouth to feed and another set of problems.

These extra “guests” don’t pay rent. They use your water, electricity, gas, food, and laundry—and sometimes you even clean up after them.

Please—stop the madness.

Children and teenagers are committing suicide because of what they are dealing with. They don’t know how to work through problems—at school, with peers, or in life in general—because they are not being taught how. School shootings are increasing. Crime among young people is on the rise, starting at younger ages. Many have no understanding of consequences, no value for human life.

Wake me up and tell me it isn’t so.

What happened to the Leave It to Beaver days? When children respected their parents and other adults. When parents took the time to teach right from wrong. When children faced consequences for rebellion.

Today, things feel out of control.

Parents, please do me a favor: get a hold of your children while they are young—yes, even at two years old, when their behavior seems “cute.” That is when discipline is easiest. Before you become afraid of your own child.

Here is a simple formula: Discipline, Love, Keeping Your Word, and Making Time to listen.

Discipline

This includes time-outs, a firm voice, appropriate physical correction when necessary, and taking away privileges. Discipline means consequences for wrong actions.

Let me be clear—I do not believe in abuse. Discipline should never be done in anger, but out of love and a desire to see your child become a healthy, responsible adult. A stern voice can be very effective. There is a clear difference between abuse and discipline.

When you discipline your child, talk with them. Help them understand what they did wrong. That is how learning happens.

And remember this truth:

If you don’t discipline your child, they will eventually discipline you.

Keeping Your Word

How many times do children hear, “If you do that again, you’re going to get it!”—and nothing happens?

They know when you’re not serious.

Your word only has value when it is backed by action. If you don’t follow through, your words mean nothing to them.

Keep your word. Let it have weight.

Love

Give your children hugs and kisses. Speak positive words over them. Your words have power.

If you tell a child they are stupid, they will believe it. Even if you never speak negative words, ask yourself—are you speaking positive ones?

Pray over your children. Speak peace over them. Be present. Find out what thoughts are going through their minds. When you do, you can put out fires before they grow out of control.

Your children need security—and they need you.

Time

Take the time to teach your children. When they are born, they know nothing. You are not only their parent—you are their teacher.

What you teach them from infancy is preparing them for adulthood. Ask yourself: What kind of adult do I want my child to become? Then begin working toward that goal.

Take the time to listen to them, to them it will affirm their value. Speak life over them.

Here is some final advice: don’t let the cares of this world, your own hurts, or your pain keep you from being the parent you desire to be. Don’t wait until it’s too late—when all that remains are regrets.

Parents, I know children do not come with a parenting manual. The Bible teaches us to learn from those who are older and experienced—those we respect. I suppose I qualify as both older and experienced.

So allow yourself to learn from this message.

These are simply my thoughts—shaped by experience.

Be-A-Voice

Olga