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  • In the Mail – For Compassion International

     

    Mail.  Most of us hardly ever use it.  We text when we have a question.  We e-mail to relay information.  We catch up through Facebook, pay our bills online and call long-distance for free.  But I still love mail.  Not the junk.  I can do without the coupons, sale flyers and solicitations.  But I get a little excited when I see a card or a letter with my name hand-written on the front.  I’ve always felt this way.  As a kid, I sent self-addressed, stamped envelops to some company in Aurora, Colorado that would send me back free stuff.  My prize was never anything more than simple, cheap trinkets, stickers or temporary tattoos; but it really didn’t matter what came back in the envelop.  The thrill was pulling something out of the mail box that was just for me.  (I tried to Google this company to find it’s name and couldn’t find anything.  Anyone else do this?)

    Compassion International makes it easy to change the life of a child in poverty.  When you sponsor a child with a small monthly donation of $38, you give them the opportunity to attend or stay in school, life-saving medical treatment, nutritious food, mentoring and a safe environment through a local church, and the chance to hear the gospel.  Our money can do so much.  But so can meaningful engagement.

     

    Sponsoring a child is also a personal connection.  The child knows your name.  Sponsored children love getting mail as much, or more, than I did.  They eagerly await news from their sponsors, often reading letters over and over again.  And treasuring them.  If you already sponsor a child, don’t neglect your mail ministry.  Even if you don’t feel you have anything interesting to say, your letter could make someone’s day.  And if you haven’t considered sponsoring a child, go to https://www.compassion.com. It will not only bless the child, but you and everyone in your family.  So get to writing.  Not just checks, but life-giving letters!

     

  • My Beauty

    My daughter Allie Rose turns 13 today.  My husband is getting his baseball bat ready because we feel sure he will need it to keep the boys at bay.  Having recently shed her braces, my blond-haired, hazel-eyed, olive-skinned girl is a pleasure to look at.

    She complains about her acne (what teenager doesn’t).  And she complains every time I pull out an old picture like this:

    She hated her glasses and her crooked teeth.  She tells me she was “ugly”.  It hurts my heart.  She has always been beautiful to me.  She was adorable at 4 and she’s adorable now.  Her beauty radiates from her heart.  A heart that loves Jesus.  Her sense of adventure and life-excitement lights up the space around her.  She is outgoing and witty and maddening. She is the epitome of a neon poster (I wrote about that here).   I love this feisty delight with everything in me.  And she will always be my beauty.

    “Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.”  Proverbs 31:30 NLT

    I am joining Kate Motaung and other members of the Five Minute Friday community  for our weekly writing adventure. To learn about Five Minute Friday, click here. This week’s prompt is, “Beauty”.