$40 billion gone unused?!

Not going to lie, that number sort of blew me away. At my house, gift cards are usually blown through rather quickly.

Do you have unused gift cards tucked away in your wallet or junk drawer at home?

Check out www.cardfunder.com

What a cool way to get rid of clutter and do some good. 


Compassion CardFunder from Compassion International on Vimeo.

Compassion in the DR

Today is the beginning of a very exciting week for Compassion International. A team of bloggers are in the Dominican Republic ready to visit the child development centers and learn more about the work being done there.

I'm excited about this trip, because our two sponsored children reside in the Dominican Republic. So, I will be searching the pictures looking for our Gabby and Eury. I don't know if I'll recognize them. They're growing so fast and I've never seen a photo of them smiling. They're always so serious in their official Compassion pictures.

You can follow along on this trip by keeping tabs on these different blogs.

Faith Barista
Our Savory Life
Coffee For Your Heart
Journey With Me
Mike Varel
Living Well Spending Less

Or follow them here.

On Twitter? Follow this stream.

On Pinterest? Follow this board.

Share what touches you and moves your heart.

And consider sponsoring a child from the DR. 

Childhood memories

I've started this post more than once.

I've typed and deleted several things.

But, now, I've decided to share one of my fondest memories from my childhood.

I don't even know if the world today would allow this to happen.

Way back in the mid-seventies my family moved to far West Texas, true West Texas.

On our first Sunday in this tiny town we met a family.

They lived on a ranch 20 miles out of town.

We had Sunday lunch with them at the ranch.

It was decided my siblings and I would stay a couple of days while our parents settled into their new jobs.

The next day 8 kids, ages 15 through 6, climbed onto horses, bareback.

We only took 3 horses, which meant a pile of kids on each horse.

Thankfully, for the horses, we were all tiny.

We headed north through the desert scrub until the designated spot to tie-up the horses.

Then, we hiked to the Rio Grande (remember, true West Texas) and waded down the river in water barely covering our ankles.

Until we hit the mud.

Grey, slimy, glorious mud.

At this point in the river the water was about waist deep on me and the mud was knee high.

The mud fight was epic.

Every inch of us was covered in mud.

We got back to the house about the same time our parents drove up.

The mud was so thick they couldn't tell us apart at first.

My mom found a pebble in my little brother's ear.

I tell you, it was an epic fight.

What an amazing day.

8 kids.

Bareback on horses.

In far West Texas.

Screaming, yelling, and flinging mud in the Rio Grande.

Without an adult in sight.

Like I said, I don't know if the world we live in now would allow this to take place.

Those years in far West Texas opened up a whole new world to me. So much freedom to run around doing crazy things. A different culture, a different landscape. I'm extremely thankful for the time I had there.

You might not live in a place where your kids can experience different cultures first hand, but there is a nifty magazine that allows them to explore and a year subscription is free.

It's called Explorer and you can sign up for it here.

Compassion Explorer is full of crafts, games, recipes, devotionals, and stories from around the world.

When I was a kid, I loved reading books and magazines. I still love reading books and magazines. It's such a great way to explore without leaving home.

Explore getting Explorer for the kids you love. Introduce them to a whole new world. You've got nothing to lose and they've got a lot to gain.

Back to school

Around here most of the kiddos have been in school for a week. Some private schools and states have been in session for a few weeks and some haven't started up yet. I guess we sort of fall in the middle. And, my guess is that the majority of us, no matter when we start, take education for granted.

In honor of education and its importance I give you some facts gathered by Compassion International.

• Worldwide, nearly 80 percent of primary-school-age children attend school. In least developed countries, this figure is around 66 percent.
• The largest out-of-school population is in sub-Saharan Africa, where around 45.5 million children of primary school age are out of school.
• Of the 67 million primary-school-age children who do not attend school, 53 percent are girls.
• Worldwide, only 49 percent of children of secondary school age actually attend secondary school.
• Of the 49 percent of secondary age students who do not attend school, 52 percent are girls.
• The world’s functional illiterates include more than 130 million children who do not attend school, 73 million of them girls.

These numbers are heartbreaking. 

 I looked up information about the education system in The Dominican Republic where our Compassion kiddos live. I found out it ranks as one of the worst in the world. Heartbreaking. The article by Katie Manning came out May 12, 2014 for Deutsche Welle and states extremely low pay makes it hard to get qualified teachers. Can you imagine trying to live on less than $350 a month? When I taught for a private school I only made about $6 an hour. Teachers there make even less. Hard to comprehend that's possible. Schools are also extremely overcrowded and dropout rates are high. 

At least I know our kiddos are getting extra attention through the Compassion programs they attend. My hope is that education reform will truly take place in their country. 

You can help a child/children reach for the stars and get the educational help needed by sponsoring he/she/them through Compassion.

This is what inspired us

The following is what inspired our family to sponsor children through Compassion International.

Sometimes things get lost in translation

Yesterday we received a letter from one of our Compassion kids.

These letters always make me smile.

This one also made me confused.

Gabriela is from The Dominican Republic and writes in Spanish, so after looking over her drawing and the cute little form sheet she filled out, I went to the English translation that's always provided.

"I thank you for the photo in front of the cannon."

Huh? Cannon? I'm pretty sure I didn't send a photo with a cannon in it. I'm not known for taking photographs of instruments of war.

At 1:30 a.m I woke up and realized it was suppose to say "canyon." I had sent a picture of my kids at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

And sure enough, I went to read the original Spanish and there it was. She had written "gran cañon."

Now that that is cleared up, Gabriela, I'm so glad you liked it.

Her letters make me smile

 

Her letters always make us smile.

This one made me realize I've never sent her a picture of my husband and me together, just the two of us, with an explanation that we are husband and wife. 

Oops! 

Find your own child to sponsor at Compassion.

Look through the different countries and ages.

Look at the children that have been waiting a long time to be sponsored.

Look through the blog posts of the Nicaragua team. Have tissue handy.

A Contest and Compassion

This is an exciting day for Compassion. A group of bloggers are taking Nicaragua by storm. Well, I hope there are no storms, but you know what I mean.

Follow their adventures.

And, an extra bonus for this Compassion blog trip:

A CONTEST!

You can win books! I LOVE books.

Nine books make up the prize package:

1. Southern Plate: Classic Comfort Food That Makes Everyone Feel Like Family by Christy Jordan
2. The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier by Ree Drummond
3. Saving Savvy: Smart and Easy Ways to Cut Your Spending in Half and Raise Your Standard of Living…and Giving by Kelly Hancock
4. A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet: Southern Stories of Faith, Family, and Fifteen Pounds of Bacon by Sophie Hudson
5. Mended by Angie Smith
6. One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp
7. Plan B: What Do You Do When God Doesn’t Show Up the Way You Thought He Would? by Pete Wilson
8. Organized Simplicity: The Clutter-Free Approach to Intentional Living by Tsh Oxenreider
9. Sparkly Green Earrings: Catching the Light at Every Turn by Melanie Shankle

Courtesy of Compassion International: http://blog.compassion.com/how-you-can-follow-along-on-a-blog-trip-and-introducing-a-contest/#ixzz2Waa9g2iJ

The contest ends on Thursday, June 20th at 4 p.m. MT. The winners will be announced during a Twitter chat at 7 pm ET (that would be 6 pm CT). Follow #CompassionBloggers for the Twitter chat.

So, follow along. There are going to be some great stories come out of this trip. And some beautiful photography. I'm looking forward to seeing what Keely Marie Scott comes up with.

Change a life today

Some people think changing a life for the good is a very hard process. Sometimes it is and if you have the capacity to go through the very hard process then you should. Sometimes, though, it is very easy to change a life.

I've (and Compassion) made it very easy for you.

Change the life of a little girl.
Change the life of someone in poverty.
Change the life, because you can.

You might find this interesting, especially if questions are bouncing around in your head.

Research on the outcome of child sponsorship will be published in the April 2013 issue of the Journal of Political Economy. Research that was conducted by Dr. Bruce Wydick, professor for the Department of Economics at the University of San Francisco.

This independent research shows that children who participated in Compassion's holistic child development through the sponsorship program stayed in school longer, were more likely to have salaried or white-collar employment and were more likely to be leaders in their communities and churches than their peers who did not participate in our program.

So, go ahead.
Take a peek.
Change a life.

What Prompts and Guides You To Serve Others?

I can't tell you exactly when Matthew 25 jumped out and grabbed me by the throat. I just know it did. It's a group of verses that, if you grew up in church, you've heard your entire life. But, for me, at some point it came alive. It stopped being just a group of verses found in the book of Matthew.


And, now that it has me by the throat, I'm not sure how anyone can casually read it, which is judgmental of me, I know.

If you want to see it in something besides the King's English:
"...I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room, I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me." The Message.

There are so many different ways to do the above. Even if you live in a remote place with only the internet to keep you company you can participate in doing some of the above. Compassion International is only a click away. Look at all of those faces needing someone to "feed" them. Compassion does a lot more beyond providing physical food.

If you are looking for something to do in the DFW area let me know. There are plenty of places and ways to help.

Another verse that is almost constantly on my mind is Micah 6:8. I love it so much I made my daughter marry a guy named Micah. Not really. She did that all on her own.

He's already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It's quite simple:  Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, and don't take yourself too seriously - take God seriously.

Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly. I repeat that in my head...often. Especially the walk humbly part. Especially when those judgmental thoughts start pushing in.

Check out what prompts and guides others:

Makes my heart smile

I don't sponsor Gabriela so she will write me, but it does make my heart sing when she does.

Dreams for the future

I hear people talk about having dreams for the future. 

But, what does that mean?

I dream there will be food tomorrow, that I won't have to dig in the dirt for scraps dropped during yesterday's meal.

I dream of having the energy to hold my head upright. 

I dream that we can somehow get the medicine for this disease that is making my mother waste away.

I dream about having a school uniform so I can attend classes.

I dream of shoes so my feet won't get cut when I walk to get water.

Are those dreams for the future?

Is that what people mean?

The above is loosely based on some families that I love. I hope you get the picture of what thousands of children face every single day.

If you would like to make a difference in a child's life, please check out Compassion. So many are waiting for sponsors. 

Compassion Pinterest Contest

Compassion has announced a new contest.

It has something to do with this little thing on the internet called Pinterest. I know, you've never heard of it. It's so small and not many people know anything about it.

But, just in case you are one of the few, this contest is for you.

Click here for the details of the contest.

Have fun!

Spread the word!

Get some kids sponsored!

Take a look

This is the page I need you to visit. It's a very important page. It is filled with cute kids that need to be prayed over and SPONSORED!

You don't have to sponsor a child to look at this page. You don't have to sponsor a child to pray over them.  But, it would be nice if you could.

Look over the page.

Does a child jump out at you?
Does a country jump out at you?
Does a symbol jump out at you?

Pray for that child.
Pray for the care centers in that country.
Pray for the situation that symbol represents.

Look. Pray. Sponsor if you can.

Compassion, Fried Plantains, letters and such

I've recently gotten letters from my Compassion kids.  Apparently Plantains with Salami is a popular dish in the Dominican Republic.  Now I'm wondering how the plantains are prepared.  And Eury likes to eat Fried Plantain with Spaghetti.  Fascinating.  Not a combination I would have thought of.

Grabiela is now able to write her letters.  She drew a little pair of red lips for her kiss and asked for prayer for her dad because he isn't a Christian.

Eury says he wants to learn to draw and that his family is very happy.  He drew and colored a picture of his center with two little smiling people beside it. 

I've been bouncing around in my brain trying to come up with a stunning reason our family sponsors two Compassion children.  And, just to keep it simple:  It's the right thing to do.

And, why do I blog about Compassion and the kids we sponsor?  It's the right thing to do.

If I can get one more child sponsored or make a person aware of the many layers of Compassion then that is beyond delightful.  

Compassion changes people.  Not just the child in the program, but also family members.  That's HUGE.  That's how vicious cycles get broken.  That's how hope stays alive.

You can become a Compassion blogger.  Just click here to find out how.  They've made it very simple.  I like simple.  I need simple.  Click on that Join The Network button in the top left corner and it will walk you through the steps.

Oh, and here is a Fried Plantain recipe from Aunt Clara's Kitchen:  Dominican Cooking.  I still haven't come across one that combines them with spaghetti, but I'm thinking there's probably no marinara sauce involved.

Missions In Action

There's a new interactive video series called Missions In Action. I've been poring over their website and I'm really impressed. It's quality work done by quality people. If you're a fan of The Amazing Race you're going to see some familiar faces.

Their mission statement:

Through our award winning storytelling, access to people and places rarely seen, and key sponsors and partners, we plan to educate, inspire, and enable people to make a difference by taking action to help others around the world.

They don't just present a problem or tell a story, they present a way for you to get involved. I like that.

Here's Episode 1: Hope and Survival in the Philippines


Check out their website. Follow them on twitter. "Like" them on Facebook. Get involved. Change a life.

Changes

Okay, so we've come to the end of another year. I'm sure your asking yourself how and what you are going to change in the coming year. Some things are easy to know. Like, I'm getting a son-in-law and adding a Missourian to my family in one fell swoop the first week of 2011.

Some friends that I gather with on a pretty regular bases have been talking about changes we want to make in our lives. Changes that will help grow us into more of what Jesus look like. Changes that will grow us into more purposeful people. Things like diving deep into being aware of the needs of our community and world, then doing something about those needs.

One of the things our family already does is sponsor two Compassion International kids in The Dominican Republic. Our middle daughter sponsors a little girl in Guatemala. All three of them are adorable. It's been fun to watch them grow up through their pictures and letters.

There is so much information on Compassion's website. You might not be interested in sponsoring a child, but I bet if you check out the kids that need one you will be hard pressed not to, anyway, there are many other ways to reach out and make a difference.

Disaster Relief
Child Survival Program
Leadership Development Program
AIDS Orphan
Malaria Intervention Fund
MicroFinance Giving
Global Food Crisis Fund
Highly Vulnerable Children's Fund
Medical Assistance Fund

If you're looking for changes to make in your life I suggest one or more of the above. You'll stretch yourself and help someone else out. Go read Matthew 25 if you need a little extra push.

My 15 year old is with child!

I could not let the Spears clan one up me, so I am announcing with great pride that my almost 16 year old has a child. Her name is Laura. She is five years old and lives in Guatemala. Corinn found her at Mitch McVicker's concert a couple of weeks ago. Since Rinn has a good paying job teaching kids to flip and flop (and I don't mean like a politician) she decided to start sponsoring a child through Compassion International.

Phil and I sponsor Jason from the Dominican Republic. He writes the sweetest letters. In his last letter he said he was learning about God everyday and asked us to pray for his mother and sisters. His village is in the mountains and was not damaged by the hurricane. Someday I hope to meet him and his family.

There are thousands of children around the world that need sponsors. Pick yours out today. It will do you both a lot of good.