Kindness Challenge & #21 Days

The Kindness Challenge

&

#21 Days

I'm participating in two challenges simultaneously. The Kindness Challenge is a 14 day event. 14 acts of kindness in a 14 day period. Actually, if you follow the instructions, it will be MORE than 14 acts of kindness, because some of the acts are multiple in nature. Here's my progress so far:

I See Rain, Lots and Lots of Rain

(Laughing in the Rain (c) Greything via Creative Commons @ Flickr.com)

Walking by faith. It's sometimes easier said than done. I love my church. Have I said that lately? I don't go to one of those "feel good" kind of churches that perks you up so that you can have a good attitude for a week and then come back for a refill when the feeling wears off.

We have some light messages, but the vast majority of them are designed to convict you and point you in the direction of living more Christ-like and less narcissistic and selfish. The lessons are also heavily centered on responsibility -- personal responsibility for your circumstances, and responsibility as a steward for everything you have dominion over, which would be... well, everything if I read the creation story right.

Forgiveness

(Jesus Does Math by LivingOS @Flikr via Creative Commons License)

2012: A Year of Thanksgiving and Praise

Day 19: Today, I'm Thankful for Forgiveness

Have you ever had a difficult time forgiving someone for something they did? Who hasn't, right? Sometimes people can be so insensitive, and the things they do can hurt so deeply...

How many times have you thought (or even said) "I can never forgive him for what he did"?

Or how about, "I've forgiven her, but I'll never forget what she did".

Sometimes we are so deeply offended that it seems we can never truly let go of the pain. The truth is, forgiving others isn't nearly as important for the other person as it is for ourselves.

Laughter

(Laughing Baby photo by Weird Beard @ Flikr - Creative Commons License)

2012: A Year of Thanksgiving and Praise

Day 18: Today, I am Thankful for Laughter

I was thinking about laughter today. Seems it's a popular vein in my household right now. I came home, and Nick has been watching comedians all night. Laughter is a good thing.

Have you ever had one of those days (or nights) when everything just strikes you as funny? You start laughing and just can't stop.You can barely talk because you are laughing so much. Every time you think you have your laughter under control, you start up again.

It's been a long time since I've laughed like that. I think I'm overdue for a good belly laugh.

There's nothing like laughing so hard that your stomach hurts and your muscles ache -- both in your abdomen and in your face!

Lessons from the Past

2012: A Year of Thanksgiving and Praise

Day 16: Today, I'm Thankful for Lessons of the Past

Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. day. The banks and post offices were closed. Some offices were closed. But many of us went to work just like any other day.

I was a young girl when Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed. It was a brutal, deadly time in American History. It seemed we went from one tragedy to another.

President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 2, 1963.
Lee Harvey Oswald was killed on national television 22 days later, November 24, 1963.
Bobby Kennedy was killed on June 5, 1968.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated only 5 days later, June 10, 1968.

It was a lot for a small child to take in.

Friends

Photo by Gibson Claire McGuire Regester used under Creative Commons license.

2012: A Year of Thanksgiving and Praise

Day 15: I'm Thankful for Friends

This is the post I should have written yesterday. But, I was having one of "those" days. So, I posted the video from TED instead.  (And no, I didn't mean to rhyme, it just turned out that way.)

We often take our friends for granted. They are there to talk to, to hang out with, to have fun with.

Our friends also fulfill very important roles in our lives at times when we need them most. Sometimes they are there to lend an ear to talk to, or a shoulder to cry on, or a swift kick in the backside when we need that too to stay on track.

Most of all, friends are there for each other. There is no selfish underlying motive. If you need something, they are there. If they need something, you are there. That's what friends do.

Choice

2012: A Year of Thanksgiving and Praise

Day 13: Today I'm Thankful for Choice

Have you ever caught yourself saying "I had no choice..."? That is a phrase that we should all abolish from our vocabulary. I know that there are times when we may not like the choices we have, and it may seem that one choice isn't any better than the other (I frequently feel that way come election time!). But, to say we have no choice is a lie.

From the very beginning, we were created with the power of choice.

Warmth

2012: A Year of Thanksgiving and Praise

Day 12: Today I'm Thankful for Warmth!

...and I mean that with all sincerity. It is cold tonight. Right now, the actual temperature is 32 degrees, but with the wind chill factor they say it feels like 23. Tonight it's supposed to get down to 17, with wind chill values as low as 8. Can you say brrrr??

But, I'm in a house with central heating, and with a space heater in the room for good measure. So while it's freezing (literally) outside, I'm still warm.

Tina

2012: A Year of Thanksgiving and Praise

Day 11: Today I'm Thankful for Tina

Tina is my little sister. Today is her birthday. She's a little miracle. Everyone who knows her loves her -- that is somewhat of a miracle in itself.

Tina was born 48 years ago with Down Syndrome. Momma said that when Tina was born, the doctors said she probably wouldn't live to see her 1st birthday. I guess she showed them!

Movement

2012: A Year of Thanksgiving a Praise

Day 10: I'm Thankful for Movement

I've been gradually getting back into my familiar routines. One thing that I have been lacking -- and actually missing -- is movement. 

Work

Photo by Benjamin Earwicker www.garrisonphoto.org/sxc

2012: A Year of Thanksgiving and Praise

Day 9: I'm Thankful for Work

I wasn't raised to be idle. In fact, I was raised on the old saying "Idle hands are the devil's workshop." Now, I will be the first to admit that there are times in my life when I carry this to an extreme and fill too many hours of my day with work, and not enough with other things. I tend to be a bit of a workaholic if I don't rein myself in. But, I would much rather be working than be bored with nothing to do. 

In fact, I don't understand how people can be bored. It seems to me there is always something to do but never enough time to do it all. I guess I had my moments of boredom when I was younger. But, I don't think I suffered from boredom the way so many do now.

Songs of Praise

2012: A Year of Thanksgiving and Praise

Day 8: I'm Thankful for Songs of Praise

I love music. I guess I always have. And I love to sing. Ever since I can remember, I sang in church. Even as a little girl, I sang in groups, or in duets, or by myself.

I used to like just about all kinds of music, but as I've grown older, I've pretty much narrowed my musical preference down to one genre:  praise and worship.

I still sing in the choir, if I'm not running projector. Either way, I love to participate in that very special -- and important -- part of the worship service.

Rest

2012: A Year of Thanksgiving and Praise

Day 7: I'm Thankful for Rest

"For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works."

~ Heb 4:4

I think God knew what he was doing. He worked for six days, and then rested on the seventh day. Today, on the seventh day of the new year, I'm thankful for rest.

Books

2012: A Year of Thanksgiving and Praise

Day 6: I'm thankful for books.

One of my favorite activities is reading. Over the years, I don't know how many hundreds (or thousands) of books I've read. I go through phases where I just plow through them reading everything I can get my hands on. Then there are phases where other things take precedence and I don't get to read as much as I would like. (Lately it seems that when I settle in to read at night, I fall asleep more often than not!)

I enjoy many types of books, but read non-fiction almost exclusively. Most of the books I read are Christian writings, although I also enjoy reading books about finances (Dave Ramsey and David Bach being two of my favorites in that category). It's not at all uncommon for me to be reading several books at once (right now I'm reading 6 books).

My favorite book to read is the bible. I have several different versions as well as concordances and dictionaries. 

Health

2012: A Year of Thanksgiving and Praise

Day 5: I'm thankful for health.

There is nothing like not having something to really appreciate it when you do have it. For the majority of my life I have been "as healthy as a horse", as the old saying goes. I was raised in one of those families that just didn't get sick. We didn't miss work or school due to illness, because we just weren't ever ill.

Sure, we would get an occasional case of the sniffles, but nothing ever kept us down.

Light

Day 2: Today I am thankful for Light.  

Of course, this can have a whole variety of meanings... Thankful for the light of day. As I often do, especially on mornings when I don't have to get up at a particular time to go somewhere (work, church, etc.), I hit the snooze button when the alarm goes off at 5:00 am, and allow the light to wake me up (usually around 7:00 am). It's a wonderful, peaceful way to start the day. At some point, I would love to have my life and work reach the point where this can just be my normal routine.