Deed #4?

Dawn and I were working a booth for Discovery Toys at a Holiday Bazaar this weekend at the Cannon School this weekend. Yesterday when I pulled into a parking space, I could see a woman, another vendor, struggling to gather all of her supplies together to carry inside in one trip. She may have needed to make two trips. It sort of looked like a comedy skit while she would add one thing to her cart and something else would fall off and then she would pick that up and another thing would fall off.

Thinking about it now, it is one of those things was probably frustrating in the moment but about which she might laugh later.

After parking my car and turning it off, I got out, walked straight toward her, and offered help. She gratefully accepted. Once we got through the doorway of the building, she said, "I can take it from here," and promptly dropped her things again. Well-choreographed comedy. I helped her get her supplies to her booth.

The reason that I put a question mark next to the title of this post is that I would have helped this woman anyway, so I am not sure if it counts for my 111 Deeds challenge to myself. I am a bit behind on my deeds, though, so I am counting it!

Deed #3

On Thursday, Boy and I went to meet some friends at Chick-fil-A for a play date. I had done temporary airbrush tattoos for a Kids Night there recently and had traded for some free food coupons.

When we were getting ready to leave, a family arrived with a little girl. I asked the (I assume) dad if they would be purchasing a Kid's Meal. He told me, "No."

Then a lady who works there asked if I needed anything. I thanked her and told her that we did not and that I had asked the guy because I had a meal coupon that I would have given him. Then the guy said something like, "Oh, if it is free...." LOL.

At that point, it did not seem like the guy appreciated it, but I gave him the free Kid's Meal card, anyway, in the hopes that it would be a happy surprise/treat for the little girl.

Deed #2

This past weekend was the Southern Women's Show at Charlotte. Lila (my upline) and I worked the show and met so many people. On Friday, as we were walking across the parking lot to enter the building, I saw three women sitting in a car. they were obviously not exhibitors, or they would not have been sitting outside waiting. Since I had some extra tickets, I walked over to the car and told

the ladies that I was going to give them a gift. It turned out that two of them already had tickets, yet they were very grateful that I gave them an additional ticket so that they could all go to the show for free.

We also met a couple on Saturday who were considering returning on Sunday. I gave them each a free ticket to return. Then the gal's mother did not want to be left out, so I gave her one, too. Hehe.

On Sunday, two gals to whom I had given tickets last weekend visited our booth at the SWS and told me how excited they are about their Discovery Toys party next week. That was a happy thing for me to hear!

Deed #1

Boy and I went outside and headed down the hill with the intention of checking the mailbox to see if there was any mail. By the time we got to the bottom of the hill, we wound up continuing across the street to the end of the neighbors' driveway where the empty garbage pail was sitting. Boy and I walked the garbage pail down their loong driveway, put it next to the house, and then walked back up the loong hill. On the way back up the driveway, we noticed that the other neighbors' garbage can was sitting at the road. We headed over there and dragged their garbage can down their even longer driveway, we parked it near the garage, and we headed back up the hill toward our mailbox and then home.

While this may not seem like a great task, these are long driveways that go downhill. Hopefully we relieved someone from doing a task that they might not enjoy doing, which gave them something about which to be happy this evening.

111 Deeds in 111 Days

September 11th marks an indescribably horrible tragedy for our country and for so many people personally. Evil attacked. Lives were impacted. Bad happened for so many.

My post today is not about the September 11th, 2001, attacks. My post is about doing good for others. I mentioned 9/11 for two reasons. One is to recognize the anniversary of this tragic event and to express compassion for those involved. The other reason is to recognize that there is bad in this world. We know that there is. However, we can add more good.

No, the majority of us probably will not have the opportunity to impact thousands of lives in one act. That does not mean that we cannot impact one life.

I am reminded of a story. Do you know the one about the starfish? I am posting a video here to share it with you. (This particular video is a recognition for teachers, but I liked it the best of all of those that I viewed on YouTube.)

While each one of us may not be able to make an impact on the masses, think of how one small act could impact even one person. Quite possibly, that person might, in turn, do something good for someone else.

"And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." -Hebrews 13:16 NIV

Here is my challenge to myself. On September 11th, there will be 111 days left in 2010. My goal is to do 111 good deed in 111 days. Will I reach this goal by the end of the year? I certainly hope to.

I know, I know, we do kind things for one another every day, sometimes without even thinking about it. At other times, though, I suspect that we can so caught up in our own lives and experiences that we do not think of others as much as we should. For this challenge to myself, these will be purposeful and conscious tasks with the intention of making something a bit easier for someone or making someone feel a bit better about themselves or even just adding a smile to someone's face that was not there before.

So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith. -Galatians 6:9 TM

If you would like to join me on this journey of 111, I hope that you will share what you do with me. Maybe I will get some new ideas for your good works. Until tomorrow....

Ice Cream Hangover

Before you do something that you want to do, it is wise to get all of the facts. That seems like a logical statement, right? However, how often do you do something because it is what you want? How often are you just making a selfish decision when it might not be what is the best decision or even the right decision?

When I was young, I used to enjoy doing things with the Boy Scouts. Yes, I am a girl. However, my dad was a troop leader for many years, and there were often activities happening. One weekend, when [I think] I was thirteen years old, I was going to be getting up early Saturday morning to go to a Boy Scout camp with Dad. I was looking forward to it.

Friday night, I decided that I wanted mint chocolate chip ice cream Mmmm...that was my favorite flavor. Mommie made the best homemade ice cream, and I decided that it would be genius to make my own mint chocolate chip ice cream.

I went to the freezer and got a container of Mommie's homemade vanilla ice cream. I want to the refrigerator and found a bottle of some minty-smelling liquid in the back. I went to the cabinet and got a bag of chocolate chips. I went to the drawer and got a spoon. I was set. I mixed the ingredients really well and enjoyed the mint chocolate chip ice cream that I wanted. Mmmm.

The next morning at somewhere around 7:00 or 7:30, it was time to get up to leave for the Boy Scout camp. OH. MY. GOODNESS. I had such a headache and felt sick to my stomach. How much of that ice cream did I eat? Did I eat too much?

As it turned out, I had a hangover. I did not realize that until years later. After all, how would I know? I did not even know what a hangover was. I also, apparently, did not know what Creme de Menthe was.

That is right. I wanted something, so I went about making it happen for myself without asking for help or finding out all of the pertinent facts. Then I suffered for it. (Some of you may have heard me say that I have never been drunk yet once had a hangover. Now you understand.)

How often do you find yourself acting on your own wants and desires and doing whatever you need to do to make what you want to happen happen only to find out that it was probably not the best thing for you at the time, after all? Worse yet, do you get the facts and choose to ignore them because they do not suit what you want?

He who separates himself seeks his own desire,
He quarrels against all sound wisdom.
-Proverbs 18:1

My challenge for you is that the next time you find yourself in a situation where you need to make a decision, if you have even the slightest question about whether or not you might be making the right decision, then seek the facts necessary and consider them objectively. You may wind up saving yourself (and possibly others) some hurt or frustration when you make the right decision because you had the right information.

Like at First Sight

While we were away, we got to do so much, including watch our Boy continue to be such an amazing child.

Boy is not even two and an half yet, and he had three teenagers doting on him at the pool...the first time that he went there! He called them his ladies. By the end of the second day, the girls and a couple of their guy friends were "hanging out" with Boy. They could not seem to get over how adorable he is, and he certainly enjoyed being a part of their group. They played, they laughed, they booped each other's noses, they "walked" the pool wall, the talked. The last time that he saw them, he obligingly gave each one of his new girl friends a hug good-bye when they asked and then told each of them, "Bye-bye, (name of girl)."

How amazing is it that the children can like someone right away and just enjoy the time with them? How willing are we, as adults, to instantly like someone and welcome them to our lives.

In Matthew 19:14, Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

Jesus has a special place in His heart for the little children. Could it be because the youngest of us are the least jaded and the least cruel and the least hateful of all of the people? Could it be because the children are the closest to what Jesus would have each of us be with their open hearts and welcoming kindness toward others.

Matthew 18:4 tell us, "Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

Who among us could take a lesson from the children rather than trying to teach them one?