Compassion

Dress a Girl Around the World

by Suzanne Lofgren January 11, 2011

Who We Are and What We Do… We are women from many cities and countries working with Hope4Kids International to serve girls so poor they can only dream of ever owning a new dress. We transform used pillowcases, sheets and donated fabric remnants into dresses any little girl can be proud of. Our pattern is [...]

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The Stranger at the Deli Counter

by Rachelle Rea December 2, 2010
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Pop. Pop. Crack. Pop. Pop. Crack. Maggie sighed. The woman in front of her in the deli line was popping gum like she was in a speed-chewing contest. Without thinking, Maggie took an involuntary step backward. The woman immediately noticed. “What?” Offense dripped from her voice. Maggie felt her cheeks begin to redden. “Nothing, ma’am.” [...]

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A Warning, a Wish, and a Woe

by Mariane Holbrook September 10, 2010
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She lies in her crib through no fault of her own, A girl of eight months, so they say. No blanket or pillow to cuddle up to, And this goes on day after day. For she is an orphan with no one to care; A nurse keeps her barely alive. The porridge they give her [...]

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Picking Up God’s Pennies

by Sharon Patterson July 1, 2010

The sun picks up a glow on the pavement. I stoop down to pick up the cause of the glow that secured my attention … a penny. “It is a bit battered,” I think to myself. But then, so many of them I have picked up seem to have a nick here or there. I [...]

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Loving God—Loving People

by Kristine McGuire January 16, 2010
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When my husband and I were first married twenty-one years ago we struggled financially, as many young couples do. We lived day by day. Paycheck to paycheck. Trusting in God’s provision and not telling anyone of our need. There was one particular time when we honestly didn’t know how we were going to buy food [...]

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Do You Really Listen?

by Kristine McGuire October 14, 2009
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I have a question for you, and I want you to be brutally honest with yourself before answering. No pat or automatic “Christiany” answers allowed. Be real. Here it is. When God speaks, do you really listen? I’m not sure most people can say they really do, I know I certainly couldn’t but I recently [...]

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Stretch Out

by Mary C. Catterton May 3, 2009
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One special Sabbath, traveling through a field, Jesus and His hungry and tired followers stretched out their hands, plucked and ate some of the ripened heads of grain. “Look!” noticed a nearby band of Pharisees. “Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath” (Mathew 12:1-14). This twisting of the facts was a frequent [...]

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A Family Mission—Do You Have One?

by Maren Stowman October 5, 2008
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For my parents, sisters, and me, it started when we made it a family project to put together a CarePack of school supplies destined for the Former Soviet Union several years ago. Though still a young teen, I read the mailings carefully and wanted to be a bigger part of the ministry. While I dreamed [...]

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God Loves the Caregivers

by Mariane Holbrook February 27, 2007
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Nearly all of us have been through it. If not, we can be sure it will happen sooner or later. Caring for a loved one or close friend who is terminally ill can sap our strength, often reduce us to tears, and make us wonder where God is in all of this. Be encouraged! God [...]

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