Simple... Simple... Simple Things!

Today was amazing. I was blowing up hundreds of balloons for a diversity conference that my intercultural communications class was holding for the surrounding high school students. I was about to my limit. My hair was running out and to be honest I thought I was going to pass out.

I kept blowing and then two guys from my class came to help. They immediately asked what they could do to help. I told them we just needed to blow up the balloons and without hesitation they began. One told me to stop blowing them up. He then proceeded to blow up a balloon in two breaths hand it to me and I was able to hook it to the stick. It wasn't hard for him to come over and help blow up balloons. In fact to him it was probably easier than folding sweat shirts, and loading bags full of swag. He probably didn't think much of it at all but it meant the world to me. I had reached my limit with tons of balloons to go and they stepped in. They came and helped at the perfect time.

Blowing up balloons is easy. It didn't take much effort for them to do so. There are so many different things that we can do in our every day life that will make a big difference in the life of others. Look for someone who seems to be completely bogged down with what they have to do. Whether it is balloons, books they are carrying, their hands are full and can't open the door. Make the difference. Help them!! Open the door, offer to carry something. It is easy for you to do but it can relieve a huge burden from their backs.

They Do So Much...

There are so many people who are in our lives right now that our constantly doing things for us. They are blessing our lives and most of the time we fail to even notice. These people could be our parents, grandparents, roommates, friends, and teachers. Stop and take a second to look for these people in your lives. Find out who is always so willing to do anything for you. Look for the people who are truly making a difference in your life. 

Once you have found these people return the favor. Make a difference in their lives. Stop and take a second to say thank you or write a quick thank you note. Something so simple really can make a difference in their lives. You are capable of taking a minute here or there to stop and find time to say thank you in one way or another. 

Give Thanks

What a wonderful time of year. A time to give thanks and remember what we are grateful for. Every year during thanksgiving my extended family and I gather together. We cook all day and make pies, simply enjoying the time we have to relax and be together. As the grandparents, their three children with their spouses, the sixteen grandchildren (six with spouses), and the five great-grandchildren gather around the multiple tables for dinner, we find that it can get a little hectic. However, everyone finds their seats, a prayer is offered and the eating commences. At this point we start going around the table and everyone takes turns expressing what they are most grateful for. That is thirty-five expressions of thanks in one setting. 

These simple "I am thankful for.." statements make a difference. They bring happiness, peace, and joy into the day. They provide meaning behind living and it is amazing to see how each simple expression brings a smile to everyone's face. Declare what you are thankful for. Make lists, share these with your family and with your friends. 

I understand that it is Thanksgiving tomorrow, and during this time everyone is so grateful for everything. There is joy and excitement and people are constantly finding the smallest things to give thanks for. Don't let this spirit of thanksgiving be a once a year thing. Start now give thanks tomorrow and this weekend, then continue to give thanks. For the entire year give thanks. It will make a difference in your personal happiness and may bless the lives of others. 

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Here is a quick list of what I'm thankful for....

1. My family

2. My Roommates

3. Pictures with Pineapples

4. Toilet Paper Throw

 

Hurricane Sandy

 

All over the news we are seeing stories of Hurricane Sandy and the effects that it is having on so many people. These people are in need of our help. There are things that we can do to help them. Step up, find a way that you can make a difference. Find a way that you can bless their lives. 

 

Think about this. What if you were in their situation? Would you want help from others?

 

Go to church organizations, or relief organizations, find out what you can do to help the people affected by Hurricane Sandy. They need our help and we need to do whatever we can to help them. 

 

Please find a way especially this holiday season to make a difference in their lives. It will mean the world to them. 

 

 

     

 

Don't Look Down On Yourself

  

Think about a pair of binoculars...

 

If you choose to look through a pair of binoculars it zooms you in and focuses your attention on the one thing that you happen to be pointing the binoculars towards. However, if you choose to only look through the binoculars you will begin to miss the overall picture. You can become so engulfed by what appears through the lens of the binoculars that you miss the true beauty of the scene unfolding around you. If you choose to simply put down the binoculars the most beautiful scene could be laid out right in front of you.

As you look at a landscape you can decide whether you want to focus on the entire picture and appreciate and bask in its beauty and splendor or you can choose to notice the slightly gray cloud off in the corner of the magnificent sunset or the dead tree in the middle of the canyon during fall. You need to remove the binoculars. You need to push your minds away from the scratches and scraps, the slight imperfections and allow yourselves to enjoy and appreciate the entire scene.

All around the world there are “pictures” or “scenes” that can be described as beautiful. Although some people may have their own personal favorites, no one can really contest which is the most beautiful or captivating. You can look at the night scene of the Eiffel Tower, or the sunset over the ocean. Hiking up to the top of a mountain and watching the sun rise, a waterfall cascading down into a jungle. It could be a quiet stream flowing gently through the dense trees or a small ranch house surrounded by fields of hay.  The same quiet mountain scene in the winter when everything is covered by the falling snow undisturbed by any outside force, or in the spring as the wild flowers begin to bloom and turn the clearing into an expanse of color, or in the fall as the surrounding trees spring into reds, yellows, and gold making the entire scene mystical and captivating. Each of these holds their own special kind of beauty. We love each one and want to see it because it is different.

What if every day we woke up to the exact same sunrise with the exact same clouds, or the trees, flowers, and plants remained the same all year round never changing, and then as the sun went down the same colors painted the sky in the same pattern every night. Although we would find these beautiful and captivating the first several times that we saw them, eventually they would become part of life, they wouldn’t be seen as beautiful because they would be ordinary.  That is what makes a landscape so beautiful and that is why photographers travel all over the world to try and capture the moment. They are beautiful because they are different.

All too often in life we begin to focus too much on our own faults. We allow ourselves to become overwhelmed by the slightest things that we would like to improve about us. If we aren’t very good at singing, acting, playing soccer, or whatever it might be, we allow that to cast a large shadow over ourselves so that we begin to only notice and focus on that to the point that it becomes who we are in our minds. That “shadow” that closes in might not always be talents and abilities that we want to have. We might be disappointed by our personalities, our ability to make friends, or the way that we look. Maybe your teeth aren’t straight, you have acne, or maybe your foot isn’t on straight. Little things can begin to cast large shadows if we let them.

When we allow them to, that is us picking up those binoculars and focusing on the slightest imperfections of the “picture” before us. Why focus on the dead tree or the gray cloud, or the crack in the rock. Zoom out realize that you are more than singing, or sports. You are more than a crooked tooth. Look in the mirror and realize that you are beautiful. Remind yourself “I am as my creator made me and since he is satisfied, so am I.” 

Think about it do you think that Christ looks at you and thinks “wow, she has a zit, or she missed the goal.” NO! He doesn’t realize those things. Christ looks at us and he is proud of who we are and who we are trying to become. He doesn’t care if we have a scar here and there, that is why he came and atoned for us, so that we can begin to heal and become better. Christ isn’t going to judge us by the bumps and bruises rather he will look at us and see the entire picture. He will look at us and see the beautiful young women that we are becoming. Don’t lose sight of your beauty by focusing in on your personal faults or by comparing yourself to others. Each landscape is beautiful in its own way. If it wasn’t it wouldn’t be beautiful. Embrace who you are and what you are capable of, and never let one thing stop you from remembering your self- worth.  You are beautiful, God loves you, and you are important to him. 

As we come to accept ourselves and begin to truly like ourselves, we will be happier and then we can be better prepared to make a difference in someone's life. Because in the moment we accept ourselves we begin to look outward to others and no solely on ourselves. 

Be Proud to Be An American

What a great time it is. Today we have the opportunity to vote for the next President of the United States. Don't sit idly by watching the events as they occur, get up and go Vote!!! As citizens of the United States we have a duty to show our pride and take the opportunity to elect someone to help lead us. 

Make a difference today and Vote. Take the opportunity you have to be part of this historical moment don't let it pass you by. It doesn't matter what party you are affiliated with, or what your personal views are. Study the candidates out, decide which one you agree with, and then take the few minutes out of your day to vote. 

Taking time out of your day to participate as a citizen of the USA gives you a chance to make a difference. To make a difference in how the next four years will be. What will take place. Go vote for what you want. 

"If you don't vote you have no right to complain," these words spoken by a lady from my home town were inspiring. If you don't take the time to go and vote then there is no reason that you should complain about who is elected or what changes they make. If you have a say then get out there and choose who you want, or what you want. It will make a difference in your life and in the lives around you.

 

Remember, today is the day to vote for the difference you want to see. So, make that difference!

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!