A WAY THAT COMPOSITION STUDENTS CAN COMPASSIONATELY REACH OUT TO A WORLD IN NEED
09/28/2016
I WAS A GIFTED COMPOSITION TEACHER AT THREE MAJOR UNIVERSITIES IN THE USA FOR OVER A DECADE. THEN GOD CHOSE FOR ME TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT WITH MY LIFE AND MY GIFTS OF WRITING AND TEACHING. FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, I HAVE BEEN CREATING AND WRITING WEBSITES THAT TESTIFY TO, MINISTER TO AND TEACH ABOUT THE GREAT LOVE AND COMPASSION OF JESUS CHRIST AND OUR HEAVENLY FATHER. I HAVE ALSO BEEN INVOLVED WITH AN ORGANIZATION CALLED COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL THAT SPONSORS CHILDREN IN MANY IMPOVERISHED AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AND TEACHES THEM ABOUT THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST AND CARES ABOUT THEIR HEALTHY GROWTH AND THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO HAVE A BRIGHT FUTURE THROUGH CHURCH-BASED CENTERS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. THIS INCLUDES WRITING LETTERS TO THE CHILDREN AND LETTING THEM KNOW HOW MUCH GOD AND JESUS LOVE THEM AND GIVING THEM WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT AND HOPE FOR THEIR FUTURE. I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU, AS COMPOSITION TEACHERS, TO THINK ABOUT WAYS THAT YOU CAN GET YOUR STUDENTS TO BECOME INVOLVED IN SUCH MINISTRIES AND FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL, WHICH INCLUDES USING THEIR GIFTS OF WRITINGS TO SHARE THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST. WHEN I WAS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS IN THE 1990's, I HAD MANY STUDENTS WHO ADORED JESUS AND WANTED TO WRITE ABOUT JESUS BUT SOME OF THE TEACHERS IN THE PROGRAM DID NOT UNDERSTAND AND WANTED TO CHANGE THE STUDENTS' WRITING. I BELIEVE, VERY STRONGLY, THAT RATHER THAN CENSORING THESE STUDENTS' LOVE FOR JESUS CHRIST WE NEED TO PROVIDE THEM WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPLORE WAYS THAT THEY CAN SHARE THAT LOVE WITH THE MOSTY NEEDY PEOPLE OF THE WORLD AND THAT INCLUDES USING THEIR WRITINGS AND LOVE OF JESUS AND COMPASSION TO MINISTER TO IMPOVERISHED CHILDREN THROUGH ORGANIZATIONS SUCH COMPASSION, WHICH INCLUDES WRITING LETTERS THAT GIVE HOPE TO THE CHILDREN THAT ARE BEING SPONSORED. AND THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER FAITH-BASED, MINISTERIAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT NEED OUR GIFTS OF WRITING, THAT ARE CONCERNED WITH BRINGING JUSTICE TO THE WORLD (SUCH AS INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE MISSION IN WASHINGTON DC) AND THAT WE CAN ENCOURAGE OUR COMPOSITION STUDENTS TO GET INVOLVED IN. I WOULD STILL LIKE TO CREATE THE COMPASSION READER THAT I ENVISIONED THIS YEAR (AND HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT ON THIS BLOG SEVERAL TIMES) SO THAT STUDENTS IN OUR COURSES WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE, THROUGH THEIR WRITINGS, HOW THEY CAN BE INVOLVED IN COMPASSIONATELY AND LOVINGLY SERVING THE WORLD AROUND THEM, WITH BOTH THE HEART AND LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST AND A PASSION FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES AND MAKING THE WORLD A MORE JUST AND CARING PLACE. LOVE ALWAYS, DIANE KAY OLSON
www.amazinggraceministries.org
www.jesusisthehopeoftheworld.com
www.compassionfortheafflicted.com
http://dianekay.typepad.com/wakeup_america/