Compassion Joy Dare

My Compassion blogging friend, Jill, has started a monthly blog link up called Compassion Joy Dare. This is a way for each one of us to share about the blessings God provides through our involvement with Compassion. While I didn’t receive letters from any of my Compassion kids this month, it was a month filled with some wonderful blessings:

met up with a fellow Compassion advocate for breakfast on our trip down to Southern California

participated in Compassion’s blog month to help find sponsors for over 3,160 children

started a new blog link up for Compassion sponsors to share what they are mailing to their sponsored children each month

received our Compassion trip brochure with some tips to help us prepare for our trip in January!!

Jill has made it really easy for each one of us to participate in her Compassion Joy Dare blog link up. Once you have written your own blog post, sharing your Compassion blessings from the past month, be sure to link up with Jill at her blog, Compassion Family.

I would love to hear what Compassion blessings have happened in your life this past month!

An Opportunity to Serve

 

"Poverty is not necessarily an issue to solve; it is an opportunity to serve. As we go through each day, our heart's cry should be, Lord, where would you have me give, serve, and invest myself to bring hope to the poor?"
~Orphan Justice author, Johnny Carr

So interesting that this quote should be one that we have been asked to write about as Compassion Bloggers this week. Just yesterday, in the sermon given by our pastor, he told us, “The gospel is not about feeding poor children or building wells in poor communities.” As a Compassion Advocate and Sponsor, I have spent the last three years learning so many things about this wonderful organization.

Over the past few weeks, many Compassion Bloggers have been sharing their hearts and writing on topics that sometimes have been a little difficult to tackle. Why do we do this, you might be asking?

I believe that Compassion’s mission statement says it all:

Releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name

Compassion is not just solving a problem. Compassion is not just feeding poor children. Compassion is not just building wells. Compassion is giving hope to children. Compassion is giving hope to families. Compassion is giving hope to communities. Compassion is sharing the hope of knowing Jesus and allowing Him to make a difference in the lives of these children, their families, and their communities. Only He can do this when we obey His command to serve Him.

Are you ready to make the investment in the life of a children? Your $38 a month goes so much further than you can even imagine.

Compassion Share & Tell

As I was putting together my packet of items to mail to our Compassion kids this morning, I got to thinking, “Wouldn’t it be great if Compassion sponsors were able to share with each other what they are mailing to their kids? Maybe what Pinterest item they found, what Bible verses they sent, what questions they are asking?”

Now I know there are some great resources available on the Compassion web site and on Compassion’s Pinterest boards (especially on the Pinterest boards! {wink!}). But I thought if I started a blog hop, this could help each of us be accountable to each other to remember to write to our kids each month and share ideas of what exactly we are mailing to them.

So what do you think?

Here is what I put together this month:

• Photograph of dolphins I took from our recent beach trip
• Dolphin coloring page
• Dolphin facts
• Ephesians 2:14 - “For He Himself is our peace”
• Questions I asked: “Is there a Bible verse that encourages you these days?”, “Have you ever seen a dolphin or been to the ocean?”, and “How is your family and are there any prayer requests you have?”

Are you ready to join in?

Here are the rules:

• Link up by posting blog post URL- not just blog URL
• Visit other blogs and leave comment love.
• I reserve the right to remove any links that don’t fit the link up theme or that I find inappropriate

Blog hop will remain open until Friday, October 4, 2013, so be sure to come back and share your blog post with us at the Linky Tools below:

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Photo Treasure Hunt: Blue Treasures

Were you able to join me and my blogging friend Jill this past week on the hunt for blue treasures? Here is what I found this past week:

compassion t-shirt

usa flag

fabric

ocean

blueberries

I sure hope you share with us the blue photos you found this past week! If you would like to join us on this blog hop, we want to just remind you of a few rules:

Link up by posting blog post URL- not just blog URL

Link back to one of us (grab button if desired)

Visit other blogs and leave comment love.

Be sure to take note of next theme and start collecting more photos.

We reserve the right to remove any links that don’t fit the link up theme or that we find inappropriate

The Photo Treasure Hunt theme for this next week is……yellow! So get out there, take pictures of yellow things. Then come back next week to join in on the Photo Treasure Hunt blog hop!

But in the meantime, share you blog link with us with Linky Tools below:

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Dear Jesus, Send Me a Sponsor

Dear Jesus,

My name is Crista and I live in the Philippines. I am 7 years old, and I live with my mom, my dad, and two little brothers. My teacher says you know everything about me, but I thought I would remind you, just in case. My family has been bringing me to the local church to learn more about you. You must have a really big heart to love so many people so much, and I am thankful to learn that you love me too.

But Jesus, I have a really big favor to ask. I have a friend who attends the Compassion program with me and she receives these wonderful letters from a family living in a place called the United States. They send her pictures and stickers and they share Bible verses with her in the letters. She shows me the letters with a joy filled smile on her face. Is it too selfish of me to ask for a sponsor too?

There are many children at the Compassion program who have a sponsor and are receiving letters. They are all so happy on mail day when the letters come. I want to receive letters too. Do you know of a family that could sponsor me? Is there someone out there that will love me too?

I have written this post as an assignment with the Compassion Bloggers for Blog Month. While this post is fictional, there are many children like little Crista who are patiently waiting for that one family to make the sacrifice to be their sponsor. Will you prayerfully consider sponsoring a Compassion child today?