My Random Thoughts

Advocating for Compassion

thomas — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:00:58 +0000

If you stop this blog at times you would see that I am a supporter of Compassion and the work they do. It was because Shaun Groves that I learned about compassion and it was at one of his concerts that I became a sponsor of a wonderful child who is blessing in my life.

I am not great speaker and at times not the best advocate for Compassion. So, please click on the banner with the child and the dates on it to read what the compassion bloggers have to say . And if you think that you are ready to sponsor a child please click the big banner next to this post and it will take you to some children who lives are ready to be impacted by a person who loves and God loves them.

Here are a few snippets of the post written by the current compassion bloggers. Please take the time and read what they have to say.

XVIII

Posted on Nov 10, 2009 by Heather Whittaker

As you all can imagine, I have a million stories to share. It’s just a matter of processing, and actually getting it down on paper. But today, there was one moment, it was actually one sentence I said, that I want to share with you.

In El Salvador the Gangs are rampid and the people not only have to face issues that poverty brings, but they also must worry about the violence of the gangs. We went into a slum to visit some homes of children in the project we were at. They advised us to take nothing and stay together, we were entering gang territory. I felt prepared. I’ve watched a documentary on Gangs in Central America, I grew up in Fresno and lived in LA, where the evening news always had something about some gangs. But what I was not prepared for, is having these “gangs” become personal to me.

Read more…

El Salvador Day 2

Posted on Nov 10, 2009 by Kelly Stamps

So – frankly – I came this week and my mindset was that I felt a little guilty asking any of you to sponsor a child. I know we are in a recession. I know a lot of you have lost your jobs and possibly even your homes. I know a lot of you are struggling financially and asking you to sacrifice to sponsor a child – maybe it was too much. I try to be sensitive to the fact that a lot of you might not be in a great place right now.

And I’m still very sensitive to that – but I don’t feel guilty to show you that even in a recession – we have SO much! We have NO idea. I want to share a little with you and I hope that your hearts will be open to help.

Read more…

More Than Just Beautiful Faces…But Beautiful Faces Nonetheless.

Posted on Nov 10, 2009 by Molly Piper

Joslynn Tamara. This is her in her home. She’s been attending the project for a couple years now. Through her attending the project, her entire immediate and extended family are now walking with God, free from addiction and living in the light of his Presence. Her mother is now walking with Jesus and tutoring at the project. Her mother wept as we prayed for them before they left, that they would continue to walk with Jesus and remain faithful to his work in their lives.

Read more…

The Proper Execution Of A Child Takedown

Posted on Nov 10, 2009 by Shaun Groves

If you ever visit a Compassion International project.

And you’re nervous about it because, well, it’s 200 or so kids versus just little ol’ you and you don’t know the language and you can’t make balloon animals or juggle and you’re wondering to yourself: Self, what on earth are you going to do with 200 kids?

Have no fear. There’s always…

Read more…

I Am A Blubberer

Posted on Nov 10, 2009 by Patricia Jones

Hello, my name is Patricia and I am a blubberer.

I don’t know why I even bothered to put on any eye make-up today, because I certainly cried it all away. The mascara smearing down my cheeks is far less attractive then just going without makeup at all. Oh well, I will live and learn.

I think this trip is my 10th trip with Compassion, and I still blubber like a baby. The first thing I do when I start to cry at a Compassion project is look around to see if any other Americans are joining me in my emotional state. It was a relief to see that Kelly was joining me. It’s a pride thing I guess, but God made me soft. In other words, I cry at sad movies, I cry when I see someone else crying and I cry at Compassion projects.

Read more…

wordless day THANK YOU!!!

thomas — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:00:55 +0000

Just a quick reminder.

thomas — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:30:14 +0000

Just a quick reminder today. The compassion bloggers are in El Salvador right now. Please remember to keep them and their families in your prayers. If you are interested in what the bloggers are saying, please stop by the Compassion blog. They are updating their daily.

As a person who does sponsor a child through compassion, I can tell you it life changing and you will be a better person for it.

It is time to make a difference in a childs life.

thomas — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:00:57 +0000

It is time again for the Compassion bloggers to go on another trip to document what Compassion is doing in another country. This time they are heading out to El Salvador. Shaun Groves who is heading this trip has asked us who support Compassion for some help. Instead of me trying to paraphrase what Shaun had said, I will just copy it here.

_________________________________________________________________________________

It’s that time again. I’m heading out with another group of bloggers to see the ministry of Compassion and tell the interwebs about it (El Salvador, NEXT WEEK! Nov. 9-13th). Hundreds of kids will get sponsored! I’m sure of it. But we need your help.

Could you please…

1. Pray.

-To see the names and faces of the bloggers going with us visit http://www.compassionbloggers.com/elsalvador

-Pray for their families they’ll leave behind, their spiritual and physical health, their ability to take in a lot of information and experience a lot of emotions and find the words to write about it.

2. Twitter.

-Please send your followers to our trip’s page using this link: http://bit.ly/CBElSalvador

-Please tweet any specific posts you’d like to pass along using the hashtag #cbes

- If you ask your followers to sponsor a child, please use this link: http://bit.ly/Give1Life

3. Facebook.

I’ve created a widget for Facebook pages (works on Myspace and blogs too). It displays pictures, videos and posts from our trip as they become available.

No need to know what the heck a widget is. Just go to http://bit.ly/Give1Lifeand click “Facebook” to add this widget to your Facebook wall.

Thank you for praying us through this trip and spreading the word.

-Shaun

Blogger Manager

CompassionBloggers.com

Compassion.com

compassion widget

thomas — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:15:24 +0000

That was a great thing to do.

thomas — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:00:53 +0000

Unlike last week where I was very disappointed by President Obama’s action by having his picture taken of saluting fallen American service personal at Dover Air Force base. I have to give President Obama credit for what he had done during Halloween. It was great having all those kid and their parent stop by the White House and having the chance to meet President Obama as he and his family handed out candy and a cookie. Those kids and their families are unlikely to forget their chance to be at the White House and to meet the President and his family.

Thomas

Another great life lesson

thomas — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:00:58 +0000

PRICELESS!

The light turned yellow, just in front of him.. He did the right thing,stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection. The tailgating woman was furious and honked her horn, screaming in frustration, as she missed her chance to get through the intersection,dropping her cell phone and makeup. As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up. He took her to the police station where she was searched,fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a holding cell. After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door.She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer

was waiting with her personal effects. He said, ”I’m very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the ‘What Would Jesus Do’ bumper sticker, the ‘Choose Life’ license plate holder,the ‘Follow Me to Sunday-School’ bumper sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk, so naturally…I assumed you had stolen the car.”

Priceless.

(thank you mr matteo for sending me this in a e-mail)

Thomas

Too long of a season

thomas — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:00:31 +0000

As I watched the World Series, I wondered if the season is just to long. When I se fans in the seats wearing winter jackets and looking like they are freezing, how can they be enjoying the game. Just think if Colorado was in the World Series, Denver is expected to get over a foot of snow today. How many games would have to be postponed because of snow and could weather? How could there be an other Mr. October when most of the World Series will played in November. Baseball should seriously consider shorting their season or cut out the wild card games so the World Series could be played and completed in October.

Thomas

What is poverty?

thomas — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:00:12 +0000

In this video, Wess Stafford defines poverty and describes Compassion’s solution to release children from poverty in Jesus’ name.

Please consider making a difference in a child life. Sponsoring a child has changed my life and it will change your life to.

Thomas

How do you define love?

thomas — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:00:07 +0000

How do you define love. I think that this defines it perfectly.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV)

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (The Message)

3-7If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.

Love cares more for others than for self.

Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.

Love doesn’t strut,

Doesn’t have a swelled head,

Doesn’t force itself on others,

Isn’t always “me first,”

Doesn’t fly off the handle,

Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,

Doesn’t revel when others grovel,

Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,

Puts up with anything,

Trusts God always,

Always looks for the best,

Never looks back,

But keeps going to the end.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (New Living Translation)

4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.