Jesus and Compassion is the title of a blog I found today. The author’s name is Dave, and his ministry is with Compassion International who I mentioned in my post yesterday. Dave’s heart for this ministry and the work they do for children and their families comes through in his posts with resounding clarity. He shares stories that will move you to tears. I urge you to visit his blog by clicking on the link in this post or in my sidebar.

God Bless you, Dave, for the work you and Compassion are doing!

Blessings,

34″Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37″Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40″The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

Because the sickness grunge has hit our household again, I laid on the sofa all day yesterday watching television while my daughter was at school. I caught up on the episodes of Life Today that I TiVo Monday-Friday.

Life Outreach International is a ministry founded and led by James and Betty Robison. Life Today is their weekday television program. Life Outreach focuses heavily on international missions, specifically with providing clean drinking water for children and their families in foreign countries. Yesterday’s episode focused on their current clean water campaign called Water for Life. To view all or a portion of the show yesterday, click here.

It will break your heart to watch those small children drinking water that I wouldn’t give to a pet. I don’t flush my toilet with water that looks like that, and these children and their families drink it because it’s the only access to water that they have. Life Outreach International goes in and drills water wells that will supply these people with water for life. The cost of one water well is $4,800. That amount allows them to place a well in a strategic area that will provide water for a lifetime to an average of 1,000 people. Forty-eight hundred dollars may seem like a lot of money for one person to give, but do you know that for a donation of just $24, 5 people can have clean water? Forty-eight ($48) dollars will help 10 people, $72 will help 15, and $144 will provide for 30 people. I urge you to go view the video at Life Today and prayerfully consider a donation of any amount to support this crucial ministry for children and their families in need.

Another organization to check out would be Compassion International. We have been sponsoring a child for a couple of years now. Her name is Ashwini, and she is appoximately five months older than my daughter. If Ashwini lived here, they might very well be friends. But she doesn’t live here. Nor does she have access to all which my daughter has access. To read more about recent Compassion trips blogged about in the Christian community, visit here, here, and here (thanks, Janel, at Dandelion Dayz for the link).

I believe in these ministries and what they are doing with all my heart. God has not called me, at least not yet anyway, to visit the places where these who are suffering live. But I can monetarily support “the least of these.” Won’t you please consider doing the same?

Blessings,

Yesterday, I told you about One Month to Live. I also mentioned you could visit their website to read more about the 30-day challenge, which now that I have begun to read more than the inside front flap of the book, I realize this is basically the essence of the book.

On the website, you can sign up to let them know you have decided to take the plunge and accept the 30-day challenge to live as if you only had one month to live. If you sign up on the website, they will send you one of those Lance Armstrong Live Strong-inspired bracelets to wear while taking the challenge.

A side note disclaimer here…the authors note that most of us can’t quit our jobs and take that vacation to Hawaii we have always wanted to take. They are not advocating complete self-indulgent, self-absorbed living. It’s about taking the leap and living passionately and abundantly in the life God has planned for each of us. I just felt I needed to mention this.

To continue with my theme from yesterday, I would like to mention that I visited the website (obviously since I know about signing up to let them know you’ve accepted the challenge), but, as of this writing, I have yet to accept the challenge. I take this sort of thing very seriously, and I’m not going to sign up and say I’m doing this until I’m willing to actually do it. As I sat there yesterday in front of my computer staring at the sign-up screen, I wanted to fill in my information, but I simply could not make myself type the words. I was afraid. What would this mean for me? What would I have to do if I said, “Yes”?

I think a more pertinent question should be, “What blessings will I be missing out on if I say, ‘No'”? Jesus told Simon Peter to cast his net again. Simon Peter did so simply because Jesus said so. That was the only incentive he needed. Why can I not answer so swiftly and assuredly? Obedience swift and sure. That was his response.

I remember seeing on a church sign one time these words, “Being slow to obey is still disobedience.” Ouch!

I have a lot to think and pray about.

Blessings,