Compassion

Today, in church our lesson was about compassion, kindness, and humility from Colossians 3:12

Think for a minute about what compassion is. Or what being compassionate means.

What did you come up with? Feeling sorry for someone, something, or a cause?

The definition from dictionary.com says:

a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken bymisfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.

So in a simpler form, compassion is not only feeling sorry for someone or something but doing something about it too.

In Matthew 15:32 after Jesus has been teaching for 3 days and no one has eaten Jesus says this.

Matthew 15:32 ESV
Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.”

Jesus didn't send the people away hungry, He fed them. Do you drive by that homeless man/woman every day without bothering to take time and money out of your day to get her food? Last time I checked that wasn't loving like Jesus. You see that  person and you feel bad but be compassionate and help them out.

Maybe you feel sorry for the kids in orphanages, cancer patients, animals, or the children in Africa but are you doing anything about it? Are you being compassionate? It's easy to feel sorry for someone but it isn't always easy to do something about it.

Maybe you're not in a place to adopt, but you can pray, donate, and share orphans pictures.

Jesus loves us  unconditionally but we are (well at least I am) judgemental and too full of myself to do that for someone I don't even know. I think it would be different if it was someone I knew. But I don't know their story. All I know is they are wearing yucky clothes and I'm "too good for that" or think "someone else will give to them." That's probably similar to something everyone else thought.

I really need to stop thinking so highly of myself. If I was in that situation I would want someone to give to me. Even if I was in grubby clothes. I'm not any better than them. I'm just not. I'm very self focused. I want a tablet, I want this shirt, I want a new bed, I want, I want,  I, I, I, I. Thats all I think about.  Mine mine mine. There are people sleeping outside on the ground with little, if any blankets. I have so many blankets. I have so much more than I'm thankful for. Those people are thankful for the little food and warmth they have. We are self consumed. That's what is wrong with our world today.

I'm going to work on being thankful and not thinking about myself as much. I'm going to think of others who might be hurting or broken.

Much love,
Dakota

Happy 15year 11month Birthday!!!

Today, February 13, the day before Valentine's Day, another Thursday is what most people would think of today as. But me, all I could think of was that Salome only has one (1) month left to find a family. Thirty (30) days. Seven hundred and twenty hours. In one month you will probably go to work or school 20 days, get 2 paychecks, go to the grocery store 4 times, attend church 4 times, hug your children (or parents) 60 times and pay one round of bills at least.

In one month, Salome will lay in bed. Eat, get changed, and maybe receive a massage. You may not realize how much stuff you will do this month. There are only 30 days left for her family to find her. That's it. Only 720 hours. Less now that I'm writing this at 8:00 pm on Salome's 15 year and 11 month birthday.

This beautiful girl is running out of time fast. Maybe you're super busy this month. But please take a moment to share Salome, on Facebook, on a blog, twitter, instagram, in an email, or a text message. Please pray for her and her family with me.

To Save a Life

I just watched a touching, uplifting, sad, and amazing movie called To Save A Life. It's about a senior boy who goes through so much his senior year. His childhood best friend commits suicide right before his eyes, his parents divorce, he gets his girlfriend pregnant, joins a church, puts his baby up for adoption and gets a relationship with Jesus all in one year. Could you even imagine that???

It is a Christian based movie. I learned so much from it. The boy who commits suicide went into this church the week before he killed himself. One week. That's it. He didn't stay. Said a few words to the youth pastor and then left.

This movie kind of tied into what we learned in church today. I struggle with talking about my faith. I've started to be a little bit more open about it. I think I'm afraid people will judge me or think less of me. I know people think that Christians are no fun when really I have the most fun when I'm with Christians. I need to stop being a "closet Christian". I need to stop thinking about worldly people will think of me. I might be the only light they ever get to see and I could've just blown it. If I don't speak up or speak out I might've just missed my opportunity.

To save a life, I need to share my story with the unsaved people around me. God created me to be a disciple to create more disciples. If I don't share the good news they may never hear it. I don't only need to share my story but God's story.

Those people you see in the hallway or at lunch that you always see alone, reach out to them. Ask them to eat with you or just pray for them. Pray that God will give you the courage to talk to them. You don't know what they are going through/ have gone through and they don't know what your going through/ have gone through. You may have some same or similar likes and dislikes. Even though we are in the middle of the school year doesn't mean we are too late to reach out.


To save a life isn't only to share the gospel with others but to save an orphans life. By adopting a child you are giving them a chance. God adopted you and gave you a second chance. So you too should adopt to give a child a second chance. Love like Jesus. But you may not be in a place to adopt right now, or God just doesn't have that planned for you. Or maybe that's what you want but not what God has in store for you.

You may not realize it right now but God's plans for you are better than the plans you have for yourself. Maybe you're going through a rough time right now or maybe it's a good time. Whatever type of place you're in you need to trust God, pray, wait and be strong. Encourage others who are going through something you have gone through. Maybe when you were going through that you had no one to encourage you or pray with you but you needed one, so be one.

Go look up or even watch the movie called To Save a Life.

Much love and God bless,
Dakota

Invisible

Hunter Hayes has a new song called Invisible. I heard it for the first time today. 

Here are the lyrics:

Crowded hallways are the loneliest places for outcasts and rebels

Or anyone who just dares to be different

And you've been trying for so long to find out where your place is

But in their narrow minds, there's no room for anyone who dares to do something different

Oh, but listen for a minute

Trust the one who's been where you are wishing all it was but sticks and stones

Those words cut deep but they don't mean you're all alone

You're not invisible

Hear me out, there's so much more to life than what you're feeling now

Someday you'll look back on all these days and all this pain is gonna be

Invisible

Oh, invisible

So your confidence is quiet

To them quiet looks like weakness but you don't have to fight it

Cause you're strong enough to win without the war

Every heart has a rhythm, let yours beat out so loudly

That everyone can hear it, yeah, promise you don't need to hide it anymore

Oh, and never be afraid of doing something different

Dare to be something more

Trust the one who's been where you are wishing all it was but sticks and stones

Those words cut deep but they don't mean you're all alone

You're not invisible

Hear me out, there's so much more to life than what you're feeling now

Someday you'll look back on all these days and all this pain is gonna be

Invisible

Oh, invisible

These labels that they give you just 'cause they don't understand

If you look past this moment, you'll see you've got a friend

Waving a flag, for who you are, and all you're gonna do

Yeah, so here's to you and here's to anyone who's ever felt invisible

Yeah

You're not invisible

Hear me out, there's so much more to life than what you're feeling now

Yeah, someday you'll look back on all these days and all this pain is gonna be

Invisible

It'll be invisible

I'm the girl in high school who might be considered a "goody two-shoes". All my teachers like me and I'm never in trouble. I never swear. I have good grades with a GPA of 3.6. I dress modestly and am usually in a great mood. I like to get my work done and not waste time. I turn all my assignments in on time. I balance school, a job, family, and a social life pretty good. I think of others before myself. All these things make me different than all other girls in high school. 

Teachers and other students like me because I am who I am and I'm not going to change it for you. People know when I'm in a bad mood and typically try to cheer me up. 

When I first started back at public school the hallways were crazy. Everyone had their friends and didn't want any new friends. I would try to talk to them and they would just look at me weird and continue on with their conversation. 

But God led me to another new girl who just moved here and we became friends and are still friends. I've become more involved and joined a club called FCCLA. I tried to get a Christian club started but not enough people were interested. 

I'm not into boys and having a relationship. I enjoy going to church more than anything and that is weird for people. They probably think its weird that I don't try to out dress everyone else or to impress boys. I dress to cover up my body. I don't have guys all over me because they know I'm not going to put up with them. I almost think they are scared or intimidated by me, but really they just have respect for me. 

Just because I'm a goody two-shoes doesn't mean I'm not fun or that I won't have any good memories from high school because I will. They may not be from high school but from high school youth groups and such. 

My mouth may be quiet when teachers are talking because I was taught to respect my elders. I am a leader. I lead group projects (sometimes I take too much control.) People may take too much advantage of me in group projects because I do so much. I pick groups with people who will actually do what they are responsible for. 

But they don't know what I'm like on the inside. They don't know about my love and desire to help the orphans with disabilities (well some of my teachers do). They don't know my whole life story. My closest friends and family know my heart. I'm thankful for the label of goody two-shoes. 

I may be invisible in my school but there are orphans who are invisible to everything. Everything is invisible to them. Orphans with the labels of "worthless" or "broken" or "different". Labels from people who have never even met them. Or maybe they have and just don't care. Labels don't mean anything. Peel them away. The labels earthy people give you are worthless. God loves you for who He made you. 

Some people would be ashamed to have the "goody two-shoes" label but I'm not ashamed of it at all. 

Remember God made you in His own image. If you are labeled goody two-shoes or anything else because of acting like Christ then be honored. Labels will be given. Some good some bad. Some meant to be bad but you can take them however. Some meant to be good can be taken as bad too. 

Orphans with disabilities are way more invisible than I am in a school with 2400 kids in it. These orphans are not worthless. They are worthy. Worthy to have a family. Deserving to be loved by a family. But many children age out of their orphanages every day. They loose their chance to be adopted. Loose their chance to go to schools and be loved and kissed every night before bed. Lets change that. 

Lets make the world known of these orphans who were given the wrong labels. Make it so they are no longer invisible. 

Compared to them I'm not even remotely invisible. 

Signing-off,

The not-so invisible, Dakota Lynch