Beautiful Are the Feet

There has been a lot of bad, sometimes scary news in the world for sure, especially it seems this year. From hurricanes to helicopter crashes, from COVID-19 to the “Cuties” Netflix show, from closing churches to child trafficking: there has been so much that has happened this year, and we are only in September. However, believers have the good news, which Christ has called us to share with the world. Believers know the truth, that God is still Sovereign and is working all things for our good and His glory.

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” – Romans 8:28 NASB

We can look at verses in the Bible like Ephesians 2:4 and understand that even in the face of bad news, there is still good news.

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” – Ephesians 2:4-10 NASB

Are you feeling scared, anxious, or downtrodden after watching the news? Look to Christ for your comfort. Because He lives, there is no need to fear the happenings around the world. We can instead prepare our hearts for the trouble that will come and remind ourselves that Christ is with us.

“Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” – John 16: 32-33 NASB

Jesus promised that we would have trouble in this world; however He also promised that we believers will have peace in Him. He also gave us a hope – that He has already overcome the world. Therefore, we do not have to fear, but we can have peace in Christ. Not only did He give us promises and hope, He also gave us a command. In Matthew 28, He gave the disciples (and ultimately the Church) the mission to share the good news of the Gospel with the whole world. So now that we have the hope of assurance in Christ, we are enabled by the Holy Spirit to go out in boldness and tell others of the hope we have in Christ.

“And Jesus came up and spoke to them saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:18-20 NASB

By sharing the Gospel with others, we can help others understand the peace that only comes in Christ. And do you remember how you feel about those who bring you good news? Do you feel that they are blessings when they bring good news? That is most likely how people will feel when you bring them the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and they accept that good news. However, how will the world know about the good news if no one is willing to go out of their way to share the Gospel with others?

“For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for ‘Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!” – Romans 10:12-15 NASB

It is apparent that believers have the responsibility of sharing the Gospel with others. This is your invitation to tell others about Jesus Christ, the Son of God and our Savior. There are many ways that you can get involved in sharing the Gospel:

• Pray for others to come to know Christ
• Invite others to church
• Tell others about your faith
• Consider sponsoring a child through a Christian organization, such as Compassion International
• Support your pastor by praying for and encouraging him
• Serve in the church

By sharing the Gospel with others, your feet can be considered beautiful because you are bringing hope to the world in the midst of the darkness.

Sponsor a Child

Please consider sponsoring a child through Compassion International. By sponsoring a child for $38 per month, you can help that child get an education, school supplies, food, clothing, health care, and most importantly the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You can help bring the good news to children in poverty around the world.

Join in the Conversation

I always love hearing from my readers, so feel free to comment on this post. Do you sponsor a child through a Christian organization? How do you serve in the church? Are you looking for a church to attend?

Updates on Burusi, Blessed, and Bryan

The past couple of months have been busy, and I am finally able to give updates on three of my sponsored children.

I received a progress report on Burusi in Kenya, whom I sponsor through Compassion International. He shows an interest in growing closer to God, which makes me so happy. Just like the apostle John wrote in 2 John 4, “I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father” (NASB). It pleases me to know that he is growing closer to God and learning more about God.

I received a letter from Blessed in Zimbabwe, whom I sponsor through Eden Ministries. She writes that on May 16th, she was baptized!!!! What a wonderful thing to read. She also hopes to be a Missionary Educator in Uganda when she finishes school.

I also received a letter from Bryan in Zimbabwe, whom my mom sponsors through Eden Ministries. Bryan’s mother wrote the letter for him, and he is in play school. He also washes his hands with soap and water to protect him from COVID-19.

It is great to get updates and letters from my sponsored children because it helps me know they are being taken care of.

Sponsor a Child

Please consider sponsoring a child through Compassion International, Eden Ministries, or Haiti Outreach Ministries. By sponsoring a child, you can change their life by giving them the opportunity to hear the Gospel and learn about God’s love for them.

Join the Conversation

Feel free to comment on this post. I love hearing from my readers.

ABCs of Child Sponsorship Letters: Q

Are you looking for ideas for what to write to your sponsored children? Throughout this ABCs of Child Sponsorship Letters series, I am going to share lots of ideas with you on letter writing. These ideas are useful for any child sponsorship program, but I may give some specific ideas for Compassion International, Haiti Outreach Ministries, and Eden Ministries.

Today’s ideas are about questions. Children have all sorts of questions for people, and in your letters, it is a great idea to ask questions. Asking questions is how we learn, so learn more about your sponsored child today by asking them questions in your letters.

Have you run out of questions to ask your sponsored child? Here are some topics to ask about:

• Your sponsored child
• Their family
• Their friends
• Their church
• Their school
• Their community
• Their country
• Foods
• Farming
• Jesus and their faith
• Animals
• Their dreams and hopes
• Their likes
• Their dislikes
• Music
• Holidays and events
• Birthdays
• Books
• Hobbies and games
• Favorite colors
• Flowers and plants
• Places
• People
• Things
• Culture
• Art and drawing
• History
• Education

Join in on the conversation!

I always love hearing from my readers, so feel free to comment on this post. What are some ideas you have for writing to your sponsored children? Do you ever get stuck on what to write to your sponsored children? How may I pray for you? What questions do you like to ask your sponsored children? What have been some of the answers that they have given you?

Sponsor a child

Please consider sponsoring a child through Compassion International, Haiti Outreach Ministries, or Eden Ministries. By sponsoring a child through any of these organizations, you will help a child and their family. They will receive an education, food, clothing, health care, shelter, and the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

ABCs of Child Sponsorship Letters: P

Are you looking for ideas for what to write to your sponsored children? Throughout this ABCs of Child Sponsorship Letters series, I am going to share lots of ideas with you on letter writing. These ideas are useful for any child sponsorship program, but I may give some specific ideas for Compassion International, Haiti Outreach Ministries, and Eden Ministries.

Today’s ideas are about prayer requests. Everyone needs prayer, especially during difficult times in their lives. So it is great to ask your sponsored children how you can pray for them.

So what can we write to our sponsored children about prayer? Here is a list of ideas that should help you as you write letters to your sponsored children.

• How may I pray for you?
• How may I pray for your family?
• How may I pray for your friends?
• How may I pray for your community?
• How may I pray for your church?
• Is there anything difficult that you are facing that I could pray for?
• Share your own prayer requests.
• What do you normally pray for? Give your sponsored children ideas of what you pray for.
• Share examples of prayer in the Bible. For example, the prayer that Jesus taught the disciples, the prayer that Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.
• Explain how to pray to your sponsored children.
• Do you need resources on how to pray? I wrote about prayer in this blog post: My Favorite Books, Tools, and Resources for Prayer
• Do you want to know more about praying for your sponsored children? I wrote about it in this blog post: Praying for Your Sponsored Child
• Share Bible verses that encourage them during difficult times and encourage them to pray. After all, our God cares about us!

Join in on the conversation!

I always love hearing from my readers, so feel free to comment on this post. What are some ideas you have for writing to your sponsored children? Do you ever get stuck on what to write to your sponsored children?

Sponsor a child

Please consider sponsoring a child through Compassion International, Haiti Outreach Ministries, or Eden Ministries. By sponsoring a child through any of these organizations, you will help a child and their family. They will receive an education, food, clothing, health care, shelter, and the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

ABCs of Child Sponsorship Letters: M

Are you looking for ideas for what to write to your sponsored children? Throughout this ABCs of Child Sponsorship Letters series, I am going to share lots of ideas with you on letter writing. These ideas are useful for any child sponsorship program, but I may give some specific ideas for Compassion International, Haiti Outreach Ministries, and Eden Ministries.

Today’s ideas are all about memories! Your sponsored children want to know you better. One way to share more about yourself is to talk about your memories. Were you alive during a big historical event? What were your childhood memories? Sponsored children love to hear stories, and I am sure that you have plenty of memories worth re-telling.

So what sorts of memories are worthy of writing about? Here are some topics to write about, and if you need questions to ask your children, these will work for some of the questions as well.

• What are some of your childhood memories?
• What did you play with your friends?
• Where did you go on vacation in your childhood? (Focus on the places, not necessarily on the prosperity you had.)
• Where were you during 9-11? What did you do then? To whom did you look for peace during that time? How did that moment change you? What did you learn during those moments?
• Were there any other big historical events that you were alive during? How did those moments change you? What did you learn during those moments?
• What are some memories that you have of school?
• What are some memories that you have of family?
• What are some memories that you have of church?
• What are some memories that you have of college?
• What are your favorite memories?

Join in on the conversation!

I always love hearing from my readers, so feel free to comment on this post. What are some ideas you have for writing to your sponsored children? Do you ever get stuck on what to write to your sponsored children?

Sponsor a child

Please consider sponsoring a child through Compassion International, Haiti Outreach Ministries, or Eden Ministries. By sponsoring a child through any of these organizations, you will help a child and their family. They will receive an education, food, clothing, health care, shelter, and the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Christian Concerts I’ve Been To

Does shelter in place have you reminiscing about the times when you could enjoy large group settings? I know I am thinking about church, sports events, and concerts that I wish I could be enjoying now and this summer. So I thought I would share with you some of the Christian concerts I have been to over the years. Maybe you will find a new band to listen to or an event you want to attend when this is all over with.

• Third Day: They had a great Christmas concert at Murray State University approximately 10 years ago. Where does the time go? I had a great time at the concert, and it definitely helped me get into the Christmas spirit. That year, I decided to buy their Third Day Christmas Offerings CD because the concert was so good. My review of their concert is that Third Day is so much better live, so if you ever get the chance to go to their concert, take that opportunity!
• Slingshot 57: This band has since retired, but they have a reunion concert every once in awhile. My previous church was very kind to host this band once. This band was a big part of my teenage years, and I have gone to countless concerts of theirs. You can still find their music on Spotify if you want to check out their sound.
• Run Kid Run: When Slingshot 57 retired, Paul Stewart moved on to join Run Kid Run. My friend and I got to attend a concert of theirs before they retired. RKR is a great band too, and you can still find their music on Spotify if you want to check out their sound.
• Hawk Nelson: I got to see this band once or twice back when Jason Dunn was still the lead singer. The sound changed as they got older, and I enjoyed their sound better back then. However, they are a good band to go see.
• Casting Crowns: This was also a concert that I attended while at Murray State University. They were definitely a good concert to go to as well.
• Gaither’s: I attended this concert with my Mom and my Nana. This was one of the last sweet memories that we had with Nana before she passed away. It was around Christmas time; Christmas concerts are somehow the better ones to attend because they have the good Christmas music.
• TobyMac, Mandisa, Capital Kings, Jamie Grace, Colton Dixon: Mom and I attended this concert which was a compilation of a bunch of bands, and we received lanyards that listed all the bands that were there.
• Superchic[k]: Mom, a friend, and I have one of the funnest memories from this concert. It was in a different town, and the road was flooded between our house and there. So we had to drive through the country roads to avoid the flooded roads to get there. The concert was pretty good, and Superchic[k] is one of my favorite bands from my teen years.
• Andy Mineo: He is definitely an entertainer.
• Chris Tomlin: Mom and I attended his concert. It was a good worship experience.
• David Crowder Band, Switchfoot: I saw these two bands with my youth group at King’s Island Spirit Fest. Switchfoot is one of the quintessential bands to see if you ever have a chance.
• Building 429, Need to Breathe, Newsboys, Rush of Fools: I remember seeing these bands but I cannot remember where. Newsboys is definitely a band to go see.
• For King and County: I have saved mentioning their concert for last because at this concert, my Mom and I sponsored Edith from Ecuador through Compassion International. Also besides the Gaither’s concert, this is probably the last concert that Mom and I attended as of yet. The For King and Country concert was wonderful and encouraging; they had it at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY. If you ever get a chance to see For King and Country, you should definitely see them! I have a couple of pictures from the concert to share from that concert (see below). Mom and I were kind of far away so the pictures are not too great, but I am glad to have the pictures to forever remember the night we sponsored Edith.

Join in on the conversation!

I always love hearing from my readers, so feel free to comment on this post.

• What Christian concerts have you been to?
• Who are you hoping to see in concert soon?
• What has been the best concert you have ever been to?

Sponsor a Child

Please consider sponsoring a child through Compassion International. For $38 per month, you can enable a child who currently lives in poverty to receive an education, food, clothing, shelter, health care, and the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You can change a child’s life for the better by sponsoring a child today.

What’s In the Mail: Midkenson

Letter’s in the mail! I received a letter from Midkenson this last week, which is always a joy to receive. I sponsor Midkenson in Haiti through Compassion International, and I have sponsored him for three years. In this letter, he wrote about going to school. He started school when he was three years old, and he is now in Grade 1. He wears a uniform of navy blue pants and a multicolor shirt. His favorite subject in school is drawing. He usually has six other children in his class.

He wrote the letter on March 17, and he says that he has not heard anything from me in awhile. I do try to send a letter at least about once a month, so maybe the mail started slowing down then. He says hi to all my church members and my family. He says that in Haiti, they are experiencing famine and kidnapping. He also says that only Jesus can watch over us and that the Bible says that we need to live by faith. He also drew a person with something that may be a gun with bullets shooting out. I am not for sure what the drawing is, but I think Midkenson is a skilled artist.

Prayer Request

Please be in pray for Midkenson, his family, and the people of Haiti. I have heard from another of my sponsored children that there truly is a food crisis. The prices of the food are too expensive for most families. Compassion International is doing its best to help these families by delivering food when it is safe, and for that, I am truly grateful!

Sponsor a Child

Please sponsor a child through Compassion International. By sponsoring a child through Compassion International especially during this time of pandemic, you are helping a child receive food, clothing, shelter, an education, health care, and most importantly the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To sponsor a child through Compassion International, it costs $38 per month.

Join in on the conversation!

I always love hearing from my readers, so feel free to comment on this post.

• Do you sponsor a child through Compassion International or another sponsorship program?
• Have you had to give up your sponsored child due to financial strains during the pandemic?
• Have you heard from your sponsored child lately?
• How may I pray for you?

What’s in the Mail: Edith

Letter’s in the mail! This week, I received a letter from Edith in Ecuador. I feel like this may be one of my last letters from her in awhile since the pandemic and shutdown. So I am thankful to have received it. This letter is from January, so it is good to be able to note that it takes approximately four months for a letter to transit from Ecuador to my home in Indiana. She wrote this letter the day before her birth day; she is now 17 years old.

In this letter, Edith writes that she celebrates Christmas by preparing dinners together as a family and sharing laughter and joy. She says that she is almost ready to finish the school year. She says that she celebrates her birthday at school with her friends and then at home with her family and friends from church. She also wrote about her daily schedule and typical week.

Edith is an avid fan of animals, and she hopes to be a veterinarian someday. She writes that they just adopted “a little animal in the street,” whom they named Stuar (Stuart maybe?). She also has an older but very loving dog, who is the caretaker or guard dog of the house, a pretty parrot, and a guinea pig. In this letter she also drew the above picture, which looks like a mix between a baby and a balloon. Haha! She is a good artist nonetheless.

Join in on the conversation!

Have you received any letters recently from your sponsored children? What have you read or heard about their countries during the COVID-19 pandemic? How may I pray for you during this time?

Sponsor a Child

Please sponsor a child through Compassion International. I understand that many people have lost their jobs or part of their income, but if there is any way that you can sponsor a child, please do. You can sponsor a child through Compassion International for $38 per month, and it helps that child receive an education, school supplies, food, clothing, shelter, health care, and most importantly, the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Follow my A-Z series on Sponsored Child Letters! Every Monday, there will be a new post giving you all sorts of ideas of what to write your sponsored children.

What’s in the Mail: Berekyah

Letter’s in the mail! I received another letter from Berekyah this last week. I sponsor Berekyah through Haiti Outreach Ministries. In this letter, Berekyah drew a lot of pictures: a house, a flower, the Bible, sunshine, a person that I think must be him, a police car, and something that is tall and sort of looks like a mail box. However, from what I know about Haiti, they do not have an organized mail system. Therefore, I am unsure about what the tall thing is. Do you have any ideas?

He also writes that he is praying for me that God blesses me and my family. He is so sweet. Since the translator must not have seen the writing on the back of the letter, I used Google Translate to decipher what his message was. Berekyah ended his letter saying, “I love you.” He is so sweet!

Join in on the conversation!

I always love hearing from my readers, so feel free to comment on this post. How are you? How may I pray for you? Have you received any letters from your sponsored children lately? What have been your favorite drawings from your sponsored children?

Prayer Request

COVID-19 has infected Haiti as well, so please be in prayer that God will stop the spread of the virus in Haiti and that He will protect my sponsored children in Haiti and around the world.

Sponsor a Child

Please sponsor a child through Haiti Outreach Ministries. For $35 per month, you can help a child receive an education, school supplies, clothing, food, health care, and an opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Due to the skyrocketing prices of food during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is as important as ever to sponsor a child to ensure that they can get food for survival. Please sponsor a child through Haiti Outreach Ministries today; you have approximately 333 students to choose from when sponsoring a child according to the latest information I received from HOM. So that is 333 children that need a sponsor today. Are you one of those sponsors?

ABCs of Child Sponsorship Letters: B

Are you looking for ideas for what to write to your sponsored children? Throughout this ABCs of Child Sponsorship Letters series, I am going to share lots of ideas with you on letter writing. These ideas are useful for any child sponsorship program, but I may give some specific ideas for Compassion International, Haiti Outreach Ministries, and Eden Ministries.

Today’s ideas are Bible stories and Bible verses! Your sponsored children need to know the Gospel and about Jesus Christ. Therefore, use your letters to share the Gospel with them.

The prime time to share the Gospel is as long as it is called today. That time is right now! Don’t delay because we are never guaranteed tomorrow.

So what Bible verses and stories are helpful in sharing in your letters? Here are some topics to write about and a few questions to ask as well.

• What is your favorite Bible verse?
• What is your favorite Bible story?
• Who is your favorite Bible character?
• What Bible verse are you trying to memorize right now?
• What have you learned in church this week?
• What was this week’s sermon about?
• Who is your pastor? What are they like?
• What is your church like? What does your church do during the year?
• What are some of your favorite Bible study tools?
• What book of the Bible are you studying and / or reading right now?
• Do you use a Bible reading plan?
• What Bible reading plan do you use?
• Try sending a Bible reading plan for your sponsored child to use, especially if it is similar to the one you are using. Wouldn’t it be great if you read the same verses together each day?
• What fruit of the Spirit do you want to grow this year?
• What are some promises that God has made in His Word that you are holding onto?
• In sharing Bible stories, many children love stories that include animals. So try talking about when God created the world, Noah and the Ark.
• Other stories could include David and Goliath, Esther, Ruth and Naomi, Daniel in the Lion’s Den.
• There is always time to talk about Jesus! He is the main point of the whole Bible.
• If you are nervous about talking or writing about certain parts of the Bible, remember that all of the Bible is God’s Word. It is important that nothing is left out. See these Bible verses about the importance of God’s Word: Luke 24:27; John 10:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20; Deuteronomy 8:3; Psalm 18:30; Psalm 119; Proverbs 30:5; Isaiah 40:8; Isaiah 55:11; Matthew 4:4; Matthew 7:24; Matthew 24:35; John 17:17; 2 Timothy 2:15; Hebrews 4:12; Revelation 19:13; Revelation 22:7.
• Either ask your child or ask your sponsorship organization if your child has their own Bible in their own language. If they do not have one, consider bringing one to them when you visit them in person. The gift of God’s Word is special to them and not something to take for granted.
• You can even share the history of the Bible with them, such as when it was put together as one book, the stories of the martyrs who sacrificed their lives to translate the Bible, and the stories of missionaries who put their lives on the line to share the Gospel for the glory of God. You may inspire your sponsored children to become missionaries when they grow up too! You never know the legacy that you could have when you sponsor a child and encourage them through letters.

Join in on the conversation!

I always love hearing from my readers, so feel free to comment on this post. What are some ideas you have for writing to your sponsored children? Do you ever get stuck on what to write to your sponsored children? What things do you like to share about the Bible with your sponsored children?

Sponsor a child

Please consider sponsoring a child through Compassion International, Haiti Outreach Ministries, or Eden Ministries. By sponsoring a child through any of these organizations, you will help a child and their family. They will receive an education, food, clothing, health care, shelter, and the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.