Bucket List: Go To The Eastern State Penitentiary

By Lara

I have a friend named Candy who likes scary things. I have endured several ridiculously cheesy scary movies at Candy's request. We have spent many hours in her basement watching television shows like, "FEAR." One such episode of, "FEAR" was shot at Eastern State Penitentiary. Candy discovered two or three years ago that there is a haunted house every fall at the Eastern State Penitentiary. She went and loved it.

I have been curious about this haunted house ever since. I imagine that is how "Go to the Eastern State Penitentiary" came to be placed on the Bucket List. Soon thereafter, Beth informed me that she had found coupons for the Penitentiary. Score.

I don't know how many of you have driven in Philadelphia, but that may actually be the scariest part of our adventure. However, Beth and I eventually made it to the ghost bus parking area at the Philadelphia Zoo. We parked under a bright light, secured our valuables, and got in line at for the ghost bus.

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Love Is A Verb

By Chuck (Sharing Compassion)

Recently at my home church we started a six week study called "40 Days of Love" which was written by Rick Warren (Sr Pastor of Saddleback Church). This is the same type of study that some of you may have done like 40 Days of Purpose or 40 Days of Community. All of these are great six week studies designed to grow, stretch and strengthen your faith. It is said that it takes six weeks to develop or break a habit so these fit right in there in creating a new way of thinking. Over the next few posts I want to take some of what I have gleaned from this study and share my perspective.

Though not from the study, but rather from my heart, today's post is entitled Love is a Verb. This is something that I have discussed many times with sponsors and others when presenting Compassion's programs. You see we can say we love someone or something but that is really just words. Love requires action, love requires doing. I can tell my wife over and over that I love her but unless I back those words with actions then it just means nothing to her. Those actions too must reflect my words. They are tied together. I cannot say I love her and then treat her harshly for that negates the statement.

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Even The Small Things Are Important

By Pat

I often struggle with feeling inadequate in God's kingdom, and wish that I was in a position to do bigger, better things. I call it the "Mother Theresa" syndrome. It seemed as though the little things I do are very insignificant, and that I am hiding my light under a bushel basket.

But very recently, as I shared those feelings with a friend, I was reminded that sometimes it's the little things that can make the largest impact; in this case, kind words. Just by caring about him, praying for him, and sending words of faith and encouragement, I reminded him that God is at work in his life, and that He loves him. My heartfelt words, although they seemed small to me, impacted him deeply, and I had no idea. When my friend shared with me what a difference my words had made, I was truly surprised. But why? God tells us through scripture of the importance of our words and of the impact they can make, both positive and negative.

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Praying For Self-Control

By Nick (My Experience As...)

Because I want to!!!

As the parent of young children I am very aware of what self-control, or rather a lack of self-control, is all about. My oldest son, currently six, is a prime example. He will get into trouble for doing something he knows he shouldn’t. Being a good parent I sit down and talk with him. After all discipline is rooted in teaching and teaching is rooted in communication. 

We will talk about what he did and how it was wrong.  He will understand the reasons for why he should take a toy from someone or whatever the offense was. He’ll understand how it feels if someone does that to him and even feel sympathy for how he made the other person feel. Then we will get to “why?” 

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Tasty Bites: Pumpkin!

By Beth

I was once daunted by the idea of converting a big, orange pumpkin into something that resembled pumpkin puree sold in cans at my local grocery store. Pumpkins are good for decorating your front porch, and for making Jack-O-Lanterns, but they aren’t really thought of as food. Cooking with pumpkin usually involves a can. I was happy to learn that those pumpkins can be easily be turned into food once they have completed their service as fall decorations. Small, sugar pumpkins have the most tender flesh, but a pumpkin of any size can be made into beautiful, orange puree rich in beta-carotene and fiber, with a very small investment of active cooking time.

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