Social media is my job. I manage this blog. I send out the tweets for @compassion. I create the photo sets in Flickr, upload videos to YouTube, update our Facebook status, etc.

I have a good job. I like it a lot. I don’t want to do anything else. My fellow webbies are great peeps. Lots of fun. And I love seeing and being a part of the conversations you have with one another. But amid all that I can still be a bit jaded at times.

Since this blog is a place of honesty and transparency, I have to admit that I have been known to say “Who cares?” to a tweet or two. Not any I send, of course.

I also admit to not putting much effort into managing “my personal brand” in those spaces, and that includes our newly launched OurCompassion.

However, on Wednesday, I learned what OurCompassion is really about. (more…)

What does it mean to live with integrity?

Listen to Mark Hanlon, Senior Vice President of Compassion USA, talk about the importance of living with integrity.

Integrity is not common.

“But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” – Matthew 7:14, NIV

To live with integrity:

• means we don’t compromise our faith in Christ.
• means the small things matter.
• means life can feel lonely.
• reflects the character of God who dwells within us.
• requires intention.

At Compassion, integrity means that we say what we mean and we do what we say. We value accurate information and full transparency. We hold ourselves accountable and share the full truth, even when it is difficult.

Officially, we describe it as:

“… aligning our thoughts, motivations, attitudes and actions with the ethical principles found in God’s Word. In both our personal lives and our ministry, what we believe, what we say and what we do should be consistent, congruent, reliable and transparent.”

Warning: This post may be bit uncomfortable…

Before I sponsored my first child back in college, I had a lot of questions:

• Where is all my money going?
• Will this child actually know about me?
• Is she really the one writing these letters?
• Does she really need my money?

Wow! Those questions are somewhat embarrassing to write out, but I want to be honest with you. And honestly, the answers to those questions were about to dictate my opportunity to glorify God and bring hope to a precious little girl.

Since that time and over the years I have learned that I often ask the wrong questions, which can be a problem when I am looking for an answer.

Ever notice how Jesus would often answer a question with a different question? That is one of the reasons why I am so wondrously captivated with Him … His initiative to give us new understanding. He knows the answer but He also knows the question we need to be asking.

Our questions can be very critical to how we are living our lives and what we are putting our hope in.

I’m curious, what questions do you find yourself asking? Be honest, I won’t judge.

If you need a little nudge, I just so happen to have one.

This is Eric Timm. Listen to what he has to say.

Did you get that? Instead of continuing to ask, “Why is there poverty?” he is now asking, “Where are God’s people?”

This clip, which I saw awhile back, has challenged me to keep my mind focused on the things above when everything in me starts producing a list of questions.

Here is what I believe I should have been asking when it came to sponsorship (or my spending in general):

• Am I glorifying God with how I use my finances?
• Will I be faithful to encourage and support this precious child?
• Am I obeying God in how He has asked me to use His money?
• Do I really need all the stuff I think I need and spend my money on? And if I don’t, who does?

How is that for a dose of perspective? I think it is challenging but in a refreshing kind of way!

OK, here’s your cue. Remember those questions I wanted to know you were asking? Well, through this lens, what questions are you asking now?

Okay, y’all. The paint is barely dry on our first blog contest (which Juli Jarvis won) which means it must be time for our second contest. This time we’ve asked Tim Glenn to pony up the prize.

You may know Tim for his thought-provoking posts. But do you know that he is also a member of our independent artist network? He promotes Compassion at his concerts and through his website and CD sales.

Tim’s latest CD, So Human, has just been released; actually, the release party is this Friday, and we asked him if he’d be willing to give away a couple of copies. He said yes.

Before we tell you how you can get your hands on the CD, let’s find out what it’s all about.

“During my life as a Christian, I have seen a lot of people disillusioned about what this religion is all about. And I think, to a great extent, it could be our fault. ‘Everyday with Jesus is sweeter than the day before’ the old hymn says. I know what that hymn is trying to say, but the message often gets misconstrued. There are no bad days? There are no ‘down’ days? You see, I fear that we may often (although unintentionally) give the impression that once you accept Christ, you’re on an ‘escalator ride to God.’

I don’t know about you, but my spiritual journey has been more of a roller coaster ride than an escalator. That’s why I recorded this new album, So Human. It’s an honest look at my spiritual journey. I’ve never been this transparent in my songwriting before. There are songs for those peak moments, when you feel like you could reach out and touch God and there are songs for those valleys where you feel like He couldn’t hear you if you shouted at the top of your lungs. And I admit, I’ve done some shouting. (Just being honest here.) I want my music to be a real reflection of who I am, who God is in my life and what it’s like to take this journey. I think it’s important that believers know that there are others out there who have very real lives — lives that come with heartache as well as joy; peace as well as turmoil.

One of the songs on the album, Where Are You? was borne out of one of those dark moments. It seems odd to talk about it now, but I was really struggling with not being a dad. I wanted to be a father so much. I prayed. My wife and I prayed. We wanted children. Still, after 12 years of marriage . . . no kids. I became angry at God. Then, completely broken. I felt like it was too late to be repaired. God was too far away to hear my cries. Where Are You? Wouldn’t you know it? God gave us a son! And now, baby #2 is on the way! And yes, being a dad is everything I hoped it would be — and more! Sometimes, I think God waits for you to have those “valley” moments before He can work with you. He needs you to be broken. That’s why the song right after ‘Where Are You ‘is called ‘Here I Am’ — God revealing Himself in a powerful way.”

So, for the contest:

Write a blog post about one of your “peak” or “valley” moments, and in the post, link back here. Then, leave us a comment so we know you’re participating.

On Monday, November 24, we’ll put all of your entries into a hat and draw a winner for an autographed copy of Tim’s new CD.

And for a second chance to win: go to Tim’s Facebook page and leave a comment there!

Yep. Just leave a comment and you’ll have a chance to win the other autographed CD he’s giving us. That’ll be a random drawing too. And it’ll happen on the same day, November 24.

While you’re at Tim’s Facebook page, be sure to “Become a Fan.”

We look forward to reading your stories of your spiritual journey.

I stumbled across this post this morning, thanks to Google. More than the honesty the author writes with, I am impressed with the sincere desire that I perceive in his words – the desire to do good for the right reasons.

I strongly encourage you to read one man’s experience with us, even though his experience isn’t rah-rah.

I’m posting this because I am committed to creating a forum for authenticity and honest discussion

I’m also posting this because we, as an organization, have made these commitments.

Read Losing Compassion for Compassion International at the Protestant Blog Ethic.

Integrity is another one of our core values. But what does that mean? What is integrity?

“Integrity means doing the same thing whether people are with you or whether you are alone.” – Ed Anderson, senior vice president and chief financial officer

Integrity doesn’t just apply to big decisions. It also applies to your small decisions. It pertains to your whole life.

Integrity is doing the right thing, not necessarily the popular thing.

Integrity is being honest, upstanding and having a strong character.

Officially, for Compassion, integrity is:

“… aligning our thoughts, motivations, attitudes and actions with the ethical principles found in God’s Word. In both our personal lives and our ministry, what we believe, what we say and what we do should be consistent, congruent, reliable and transparent.”

• Do you think that the children at our child development centers ever “get tired” of “pleasing” the sponsors who briefly, but regularly visit many of the same centers on our sponsor tours?
• If the children do “get tired” and would rather be doing something else but can’t admit that they don’t want to greet another group of sponsors, for whatever reason, is this a matter of integrity?
• If it is a matter of integrity, of not aligning our thoughts with our actions, who is out of alignment? The child? The sponsor? Compassion?

Have you noticed the “international” component of who we are? Compassion International.

Part of that internationality is that we work in 24 countries throughout the developing world … uh, 25 countries (you know about Togo, right?)

And the other part of that internationality is that there are 11 countries that form Compassion’s Global Partner Alliance. These are the countries where you, the sponsors, come from.

For the most part, the blog is written by Compassion U.S. staff with great contributions and insight coming from staff in the developing world. But there is more to us than those two perspectives.

Today’s post is written by Irene Kao, digital marketing specialist, in the Compassion Australia office.

Our plan is to have our global partners contribute as frequently as possible to help expand your perspective on who we are and how we work, as well as connecting you with sponsors and donors throughout the world.

Take it away Irene! (more…)