Where's My Medal?

Ooooh, ahhh, the coveted soccer camp medal.

See it, amaze in it, admire it.

Do you ever find yourself annoyed with something your child does only to later realize it is a lesson you need to learn?

If you have kids who participate in sports, you know we have turned into an award addicted people. Regardless of how your child performs in any given sport, a medal or certificate will be awarded.

This doesn’t sit well with me. I’ve always been of the philosophy that you need to earn the medal. You don’t get one for just showing up. Keep in mind this comes from the girl whose only claim to sports recognition was 2^nd place in the team relay during field day back in ’83, and that only came about because little Tommy Tryban was on my team, and boy, he was fast.

So, when my daughter is discussing her decision to play a particular sport based solely on the fact of which sport she will get a medal in, I become annoyed.

Then this morning I realized I can be the same way. Ouch. Maybe I’m not looking for the red and white ribbon and medallion to hang around my neck, but I’m guilty of wanting other medals to proudly display on the shelf in my head.

BEST MOM

BEST WIFE

MOST CREATIVE

BEST FRIEND

BEST TEAM MEMBER

HONERABLE MENTION: CHEF (hee, hee)

I think of my mission of working to become a family that GIVES GRACIOUSLY, and I hope it isn’t just another medal I’m secretly craving.

What about you? What medals to you work for and desire?

Nurse Ashley, A Queen, Exit Nine

Have you heard of the website Six Word Stories? Six Word Stories challenges you to tell a story in just six words. Easy enough.

According the the website, the idea of Six Word Stories is based on a bet Ernest Hemingway made with friends. You see, Ernest’s colleagues bet him he couldn’t write a complete story in just six words.

Hemingway came up with this- “For sale: baby’s shoes, never worn.”

Not bad.

Since the theme of my whole crazy journey is GIVING, I wanted to see if I could tell a six word story in which I was the recipient of someone's generosity.

Four of my six word stories:

Nurse Ashley, a green bear…hope.

Believing in dreams when I don’t.

Stopping at exit nine to help.

“You are my queen to me.”

Oh, I want to tell you the full length stories that go along with each, but I guess that's more than six words.

What do you think? Can you tell your story of generosity in just six words? Come on now you writers out there, give it a try!

Happy Meal Prizes Don't Make Good Wedding Gifts

Have you ever received a gift you didn’t want?

I have a family member who is notorious for bad gifts. We aren’t talking the standard pair of socks (I’d be thrilled to get socks from her! I mean at least socks are functional). I am talking things like a paper shirt. Yes, friends you did read that correctly. A paper shirt. No, not a hospital gown. A paper shirt.

Of course bad gifts don’t just run in families. As a wedding present, my husband and I received a whole set of plastic cups straight from McDonald’s Happy Meals. You got it. Twelve glorious cups with Ronald and crew. Oh yes, I wish I was joking.

Did you ever notice how many gifts God GIVES us? I’m not talking blessings like good health, family, freedom, friends…all of which are amazing, but have you ever noticed the gifts God gives that we might not need, but gifts we certainly enjoy.

I just returned from the coast of North Carolina, and one night as I sat watching the moon make its way into the sky, I noticed the design that decorated a broken shell at my foot. Blue, brown, and cream, thin fine stripes, thick fat stripes all coming together to create a beautiful pattern.

What was God thinking? Why did He do that? He could have just stuck with the standard white for all shells. I mean does the design of something that sits under water the majority of time really matter? I guess so.

As if the biggest GIVER the world has ever known, God, doesn’t do enough for us, He is also going to take the time to create different patterns on each shell in the sea.

Wow.

I read once there are over one million different kinds of plants and animals in the ocean. One million. And, even more amazing than that, scientists say there are as many as nine million additional ocean species we haven’t even discovered yet.

Unbelievable.

God doesn’t give bad gifts- things that we can’t enjoy or that He found in the dollar bin. He loves us that much.

A few gifts from my trip-

What about you? Do you know a bad gifter? What extra gifts do you find in your life that remind you of God?

Shopping With A Purpose? Guest Blogger: Karyn Puller

Meet Karyn Puller, Founder of Delicate Fortress Creations.

What is Delicate Fortress Creations? So glad you asked. Here's Karyn to tell you about it-

The whole idea of Delicate Fortress Creations started when I received a Freeset bag from a company as a promotional item. I did some research and discovered the reasons for Freeset and how unique their bags really were! I did not understand what human trafficking was at the time, so I did some research on-line, and I read the book Not for Sale. I was amazed and stunned with the statistics I learned regarding forced prostitution, forced slavery and extreme poverty.

Through continued research, I learned of several different products that were produced by people who had escaped these situations and desired to be free from trafficking and its effects. It wasn’t easy to find places that offered these products though. So, I decided to start a business that would offer many different products of hope all in one spot, making it easy to support a cause you could believe in simply by shopping!

All of the products offered through Delicate Fortress Creations are from artisans who have escaped from human trafficking and are fighting to earn an education, receive counseling, and learn vocational trades to improve their livelihood and that of their children. We are striving to impact the issues of illiteracy, extreme poverty, at-risk children, forced prostitution and modern day slavery, all part of the cycle of human trafficking.

Delicate Fortress Creations is a Shop for Purpose store that allows a person to help others by simply shopping. In addition, our blog has been designed with the focus of introducing you to easy ways to live with purpose- making a difference in lives around you. I invite you to come take a look at what we have to offer and see what you can do- with purpose!

Karyn Puller

http://delicatefortress.blogspot.com/

http://www.delicatefortress.com

Thanks Karyn! Friends and family, expect to receive some of these products for upcoming birthdays, and if anyone is wondering, I'm really into the pink and brown Cotton Blossom tote.

Go now, You have permission- Go shop with a purpose!

Consumed By Crickets

I almost missed catching crickets last night. I almost missed this running barefoot in the grass, giggle-filled, bug (sometimes) squishing, summer experience.

Why? Because often I am so busy writing about experiences that I forget to actually get out there and have them.

Ick, I don’t like that.

In The Geography of Bliss, (Have you read this fun book?), Eric Weiner describes an interaction in which someone tells Eric, “You are always writing, writing, in your notebook. You need to experience. Really experience.”

I can be that person- always reading, planning, writing, brainstorming, editing, and then rethinking again, but not last night. Oh no, last night I watched two shrieking girls chase hopping creatures across the yard.

Epiphany! One of the best and most valuable gifts I can GIVE to those I love is my attention. I know, I know, it’s so hard to filter out the distractions of life, but there’s no money involved, it can fit into just about any part of the day, and I promise there are a few people in your house who will love it.

So today I will practice being totally in the moment, and really giving my attention to those I love.

Off to rank and discuss my favorite Disney princesses-

Who Are You Following?

Let’s talk.

Giving you advice on how to raise giving kids is not me.

I know we don’t know each other, but trust me on this one. It’s not me.

First of all, what do I know? Second, I’m not giving. So that pretty much ends that idea.

Right? Well, not exactly.

None of the lessons God teaches us are ever simple, and so He placed a huge burden on my heart. I tried to ignore it, but it was so heavy that I felt as if I was suffocating.

So then I did what I usually do when God is trying to tell me something I don’t particularly want to hear. I continued to ignore Him.

But the heavy suffocating feeling got worse.

All around I observed selfishness. I saw a world consumed by the next must-have tech gadget, the next soccer trophy, and the next family vacation. I hated this, and decided my family had to change, but how?

I mean seriously, I had no idea.

There are so many ways to help. I was overwhelmed. Where to start? Was I even qualified to do anything?

I argued with God. I am only capable of small gifts. I don’t have an abundance of money or grand ideas about getting mosquito nets to people in need. However, slowly I started to embrace what God had planned for me. I let go of the idea that I needed to fund a pregnancy shelter or get on a plane and dig a well for an impoverished community in Africa. Maybe one day I’d get a chance to do some funding and digging, but as for now, God just wanted me to get up and move in my community. He wanted me to get off the couch and do something.

So that’s my deal. Not only do I blog about my journey in learning to give, but I’m writing a book on it. Ugh. It’s funny- sometimes that’s tough to say because I feel as if I’ve still got so much to learn…so far to go.

Anyway, as I logged on today I giggled at my little group of followers and wondered about YOU. So to my followers and friends, why do you blog? What’s your goal? Or if you don’t blog, why have you decided to bounce around the blogosphere? Who do YOU follow and why?

Details please. Tell me. Tell me.

Age Appropriate?

You want to give of yourself and give your time, but what is appropriate for your child? All experiences and projects just don't suit all kids.

Points of Light Foundation has developed some sample project ideas based on age groups and the Hands on Network Asheville-Buncombe Counties posted it on their site as a helpful guide. Although the list is written for teachers, it has loads of good ideas for parents who are looking for family friendly volunteer activities. Take a peek-

Kindergarten and First Grade Students:

• Make holiday greetings cards and artwork for senior citizens who live in a nearby nursing home.

• Students participate in Arbor Day events, develop a basic understanding of the need for such a day and what community is all about.

• Students participate in the up-keep of a road or park.

• Collect stuffed animals to donate to children in a homeless shelter.

• Make bird houses for a nursing home or shelter.

Second Graders:

• Visit the nursing home as a group, making presentations that could include singing, story telling by seniors or by students, games, and like activities.

• Begin a “Stay in School” campaign, start by making posters explaining why is school good for you.

• Adopt a zoo animal.

• Hold a food drive for the homeless.

• Organize a liter patrol during lunch and recess.

Third and Fourth Graders:

• Students adopt an elder: write letters, share projects, visit, assist with utility bills through fundraisers.

• Sponsor aluminum can drive to raise money to plant trees in a park.

• Adopt a ____ project; a portion of a river, stream, highway, beach, or park trail.

• Fund raise for zoo and raise awareness of endangered animals.

• Collect clothes, toys, and shoes for needy countries.

• Start a community garden.

Fifth Graders:

• Assist the Kindergartners and first graders in making their cards for seniors, explaining who the cards are going to and helping personalize them.

• Plant gardens with low-income families.

• Read-a-thon projects, where students read to younger children or get sponsored to read books. And use the money raised to buy books for a library or underprivileged kids.

• Hold a health fair to raise awareness about diet, disease, and exercise.

• Research the problem of air pollution, and start a “Carpool” campaign.

• Lead workshops on bike safety.

Is your child a little older? Click on over to find more age appropriate ideas.

And This Is Why The Internet Rocks

So short version of a long story-

About a month ago, I wrote a post on my struggle with panhandlers…what to do? I want to be GIVING. I mean that is the focus of this crazy journey my family and I are on, but handing over money to just anyone on the street didn’t seem right. I received a comment on the post from Rebecca Ramsey. See, she knew someone, Beth Templeton, who happened to write a book dealing with poverty and one of the chapters discussed my questions on panhandling. The chapter Becky mentioned was called Servant or Sucker?. Nice title right? I thought so too so I stole it, and changed the name of the post. I mean really, with my teeny, tiny following who would notice, right?

Um, wrong.

The next day I received an email from Beth’s publishing company. Yikes! Did I know about the book? Gulp. But, instead of chastising me, the woman asked if I would like Beth Templeton’s email. You see her publishing company thought I might be interested in talking with her. What? Well, OK!

So first of all, Beth’s book Loving Our Neighbor: A Thoughtful Approach to Helping People in Poverty is a must read for anyone interested in understanding those in poverty, and practical ways to help. On the subject of giving money directly to people on the street she says this, “When someone walks up to us, tells us his or her "situation," and asks for money, we may pull out cash and give it. We do it because we truly want to help. Or else we give because we feel guilty. We respond because we are afraid. We hand over money because we want the person to go away.”

Yes, yes, yes! I never thought of it that way, but it’s true. Although I don’t give money to panhandlers I often have that same reaction…go away.

So what is a better way of handling the situation? And how do I explain this situation to my daughter?

Beth believes in giving to local service agencies and offers up this as a possible way of explaining the situation to your child.

“I really care about what's going on with that man. If I give him money right now for food, he might not be hungry for the next few hours. But if we give that money to such and such agency and suggest that he go there for help, they can help him in ways that could improve his entire life. And then make sure the child knows how you're helping the agency. If you decide to collect food for a pantry, you can tell your child that you are giving food so that guys like the one you saw on the street can eat.”

Good stuff. If you, your church, or you know of any kind of organization that is interested in this topic, go take a look at Loving Our Neighbor A Thoughtful Approach to Helping People in Poverty. Go now, it's worth the double click.

Do You Want A Bikini Bod?

In the book The Power of Giving: How Giving Back Can Enrich Us All, Azim Jamal and Harvey McKinnon detail the many health benefits of giving. Yepper, backed up by scientific data and research! In their book, Jamal and McKinnon state giving has MANY positive health benefits for the giver. For example giving does the following:

*Encourages a “helper’s high” which is a release of endorphins that can boost the immune system, speed recovery from surgery, and cut down on restless nights.

*Lowers cholesterol levels.

*Reduces stress.

* Strengthens your heart.

*One study even noted that over half of the people surveyed reported general improvement in health, and get this, twenty percent claimed they LOST WEIGHT…nice!

So in conclusion, giving can actually help you get that bikini body you’ve always wanted. Ok, ok, I may be stretching the truth a little, but giving can help your health, and that my friends is a documented fact!

I Forgive You, I Forgive You Not

I attended a wake yesterday, and someone told me “I learned how to forgive because you forgave me.”

Powerful, especially since I’m not a forgiver.

Oh, I’m better than I used to be. Pushing people away who wronged me (at least in my eyes) used to be somewhat of a specialty of mine. I could phase you out of my life before you blinked. Easy, no looking back.

As the years have passed, God has made me acutely aware of the never-ending surplus of forgiveness he showers upon me…daily. If I am sick of my struggles, I know God must certainly be sick of watching me learn the same lessons over, and over, and over, and yet, He forgives.

Isn’t it amazing that we worship a God who not only lets us choose Him, but also allows us to choose the paths in our lives? And what’s even more amazing is when we stumble and choose the wrong way, God is waiting for us- our sins already forgiven.

Do I live with a forgiving heart? Do I parent with a forgiving heart? I know I’m not a GRACIOUS GIVER when it comes to forgiveness, but I’m working on it.

What about you?

Do you dole out forgiveness easily? Or do you hold it tightly to your chest only handing out sprinkles when you deem someone is truly deserving?

Her View

As you know, my family and I are on a journey towards gracious giving, or sometimes I'm on a journey, and I just drag them along. Last week, I told you about an amazing (and easy!) family project through Craft Hope.

By the way, over 15,000 towels have already been collected through this online community to help with the oil clean-up process in the Gulf.

Sometimes when we do projects, I ask my daughter to write about her experience. Today we participated in Project 8: Gulf Coast Oil Spill. Check out things from Her View:

We helped animals today. There was a big oil flood. We made towels for the animals. My mommy drew on the cloth, and I cut. I am glad I got to help the animals. Love, Amelia

It's not too late to get involved!

Halfhearted and Partially Committed?

So I’m reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan…love it, love it. In it Chan talks about ways in which we would describe ourselves.

“Would you describe yourself as totally in love with Jesus Christ? Or do the words halfhearted, lukewarm, and partially committed fit better?”

Not me, no siree. Nothing halfhearted about me, and I’m certainly not partially committed!

Chan goes on to say the following:

“Lukewarm people do not live by faith; their lives are structured so they don’t have to. Oh, I guess I am pretty structured. They don’t have to trust God if something unexpected happens-they have their savings account. We do have our savings account, but doesn’t everyone? They don’t need God to help them-they have their retirement plan in place. Well, a retirement plan is just being smart! They don’t genuinely seek out what life God would have them live-they have life figured and mapped out. Come on now, is a little planning so wrong? They don’t depend on God on a daily basis-their refrigerators are full, and for the most part, they are in good health. Um yes, check, check and ah, check. The truth is, their lives wouldn’t look much different if they suddenly stopped believing in God.” Ouch, that one burns.

Maybe I am lukewarm.

Now here’s what I’m thinking related to my whole idea of GRACIOUS GIVING. It is easy for me to give. I’m off work for the summer, and I have plenty of time. We aren’t loaded, but every physical need we have is being met. I have two great kids and a husband who although is a little obsessed with Sports Center, rocks.

Is life perfect? No way.

Am I abundantly blessed? Absolutely.

Will I continue to have a relentless desire to find ways for our family to GIVE even when difficult times arise? I hope so.

Random Ski Lift Guy

A couple of years ago, I was riding a ski lift with a guy I didn’t know. The view was spectacular, one of those breathtaking scenes that immediately encourages silent thanks to God.

Seemingly endless rows of snowcapped mountains. Fat, heavy falling flakes…

Beep, beep, beep. What?

Hmm, Random Ski Lift Guy was texting. Semi-annoying, but tolerable. I will ignore, and maybe he will lose coverage soon.

Perfect pines standing so straight they look like little fake trees in Christmas villages that line storefront windows during…

“Dude, you seriously won’t believe how awesome this place is. The powder is amazing!”

Is he really going to talk on his cell phone? Um, not really tolerable.

I’d like to say his calls ended there, but the entire way up the mountain Random Ski Lift Guy clicked, texted, and discussed the amazing views.

But did he really enjoy the beauty? I don’t know, maybe.

Am I Random Ski Lift Guy? Sigh. Sometimes.

When I feel distracted, want to write a few more paragraphs, check my email, or just checkout, I try to remind myself to stop planning, starting living, and not be Random Ski Lift Guy. I force myself to enjoy the many gifts the biggest GIVER I know gives us.

Rocky Mountain views a week ago.

Bridal Veil Falls today.

Firefly catchers just about any night this summer.