Friday Morning Wake-Up!

I got a wonderful wake-up call today... one from my daughter at college!!! and one in the form of a prayer request letter:

If you’ve ever watched a child “make believe,” you have seen the truest form of belief. A little boy wearing a cape believes he can fly. A little girl twirling in a sparkly dress believes she is a princess. A child tucking a stuffed animal into bed believes he can hear the animal’s snores.

One of the most devastating cruelties of poverty is how it robs children of belief. There are no capes or sparkly dresses, only hunger and responsibility. A child who has to cook, clean and care for younger siblings has little place for belief.

What’s worse, these children begin to believe, instead, the lies of poverty. They believe they are worthless. That they don’t matter. That they’ll never, ever, be princesses or heroes. And this death of childlike belief is one of the greatest tragedies I see in the countries where Compassion works.

I have learned something, though. Belief can be crippled and dormant, but it does not die. It is a spark that the Spirit places in us that can’t go out. We are all children of God; we are part of His Kingdom. And when children enter a Compassion-assisted child development center, they are surrounded by people who tell them they can be anything. Letters from their sponsors reinforce that. Slowly, gradually, their sense of belief is restored. And that is the only way I can explain how children who grew up in desperate poverty have become real heroes — doctors, teachers, even politicians. Those dreams are possible only through belief — belief in the Father, the giver of hope and the sustainer of believing.

Please pray this month for belief among the millions of children and families we serve. Pray that they will dream big, work hard, believe in themselves, and believe in God who loves them so much. Pray that sponsors will speak words of healing and hope into the lives of these children and that program workers will daily remind little boys and girls how much they matter — and how they can, indeed, be heroes and princesses.

Thank you again for your prayers. They matter, more than you can possibly know. I believe that!
In Him,

Mark Hanlon
Senior Vice President, USA
Compassion International

“For with God nothing will be impossible.” — Luke 1:37 (NKJV)
 

 I love how Compassion International makes it so easy for me to be a good sponsor and prayer partner.  I have printed the calendar (click above picture) so it will be handy for me (and my family) to remember who and what I am praying for this month.

You can't help but notice some changes in my blog this past summer.  Why the change?  Well, after many conversations with the Lord, I've been challenged to blog about what really moves me.  What really gets my blood pumping.  What really excites me... what causes tears to come quickly to my eyes... what I think about often... what I am doing here.  Here being both at El Mundo de Mamacita and here as in life.  My life.  This life.

Please be patient with me.  I am not a writer.  I am a passionate moma who gets excited and emotional.  I am trying to be obedient to my Master.  Remember:

 

This is my world. Where I strive to do the best I can to live for Jesus in every way. You'll see where I fail, fall short and fall flat on my face. Then you'll see Jesus pick me up and keep going.