Taking it Up an Octave

Not a half-step. Not even a key change. Taking it up an octave is a BIG change. It requires stretching my comfort zone. I've been pondering this concept this week and today I choose to step up my kindness and sensitivity.

Two elderly ladies I encountered yesterday prompted my focus on kindness. Both were lonely and and in need of someone to take a moment to listen. That's all it took really... a few minutes. I thought about my mom and my grandmother and how many times they've listened to me, even when what I had to say was probably unimportant. I'm thankful for the many people who take time to be kind to them as I'm not physically present with them on a daily basis. I want to take it up an octave today.

Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless. - Mother Teresa

Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see. - Mark Twain

To cultivate kindness is a valuable part of the business of life. - Samuel Johnson

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. - Aesop

Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair, but manifestations of strength and resolution. - Kahlil Gibran

The ideas that have lighted my way have been kindness, beauty and truth. - Albert Einstein

Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves. - James Matthew Barrie

Hitting the high notes while dancing in the daffodils - I'm going to see how that Works for me on Wednesday!

To Begin with the End in Mind

The 40 days of “Everyday Epiphanies” may be complete but the journey is far from over. Since the word “epiphany” means manifestation of the divine, the real challenge is to live with my eyes open and my heart attuned to the moments that hold eternal significance.

I may be peering into time, longing for the glory of God; when it's right before me. For isn’t the glory of God the reality of His presence? What if I’m looking for some supernatural fireworks and His presence was in the embrace of a friend?

One of my favorite descriptions for this attitude of living is found in Emerson’s commentary on Success, which remains my favorite quote of all time and my life’s goal (in fact it was in my very first blog post):

To laugh often and much;
to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
to earn the appreciation of old and new friends;
to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others;
to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

If you have a post that relates to this journey that you'd like to share, Mr. Linky and I are ready.
May your weekend be filled with the splendor of love.

Everyday Epiphanies - That Lady in the Mirror

Is it because women are natural nurturers that we tend to take better care of others than we do of ourselves? Today’s Epiphany, or “Aha!” reflection is that if I don’t take care of myself, I won’t be able to be who I want to be or do what I want to do. In the turbulent times we’re living in, it seems that efforts to stay positive have to move up a notch. I want to be the one leading the way in a life well-lived. So I need to be kind to that lady in the mirror. Here’s a short list of what works for me:

Talk nice. To Yourself. My self-talk can become toxic to productivity unless I consciously rein it in. Since it’s the dialogue in my head and no one else hears it, it’s a matter of self-discipline to speak faith-filled words instead of degrading my own efforts.

Health is Wealth. As much as I say I don’t like to exercise, I feel so much better when I do it. Eating well gives me more energy too. And both of these contribute to being at my “happy weight”.

Live with Passion. Many things will catch your eye, but only a few things will catch your heart. Pursue those. ~ Mac Anderson.

Do the Least Enjoyable Thing on Today’s List. NOW. Procrastination is opportunity’s natural assassin.

Fast the News. As much as I desire to be informed, the plethora of bad news weighs me down. I’m reading and watching less news for now.

Laugh. Laughter is an instant vacation.

You take care of you for me and I’ll take care of me for you. Deal?

Only one week remains in my Lenten challenge of Everyday Epiphanies. I’ve enjoyed the journey. If you have a post that relates that you’d like to share, link up here:

Friday's Epiphanies

I can’t think of anyone that exemplifies love in action better than Mother Teresa. What a legacy she left! Everyday Epiphanies is about putting the focus on others, so today I’m going to let others say it.

We can do no great things, only small things with great love.

I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much.

Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you.

If you judge people, you have no time to love them. ~Mother Teresa

And pertaining to yesterday’s post:
There is no better exercise for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.
~ John Andrew Holmes

You can be a part of the journey if you’d like to link one of your posts that speaks of lessons learned or ideas on reaching out.

Everyday Epiphanies – Everyman Gets Fed

I caught myself being selfish this week.

This past weekend, I had prepared a new recipe, Bella~Mellas’s Chipotle Roast for Builderman along with his favorite scalloped potatoes and fresh green beans. About 45 minutes before dinner time, Builderman came in and said ““Everyman” is having a really bad day and I think we should invite him to dinner.” My first reaction was “there’s not enough!” I have finally learned how to cook for just the 2 of us, so the roast was small (I had cut it in half and frozen the rest). The potatoes cook for 90 minutes and there wasn’t extra of those either. I could snap more beans real quick, but there remained the fact that this individual is rough around the edges and tough to be around.

I pondered for a few minutes and realized I’d made the wrong choice. I didn’t need to eat much and this person surely needed more than my cooking; he needed spiritual food. I apologized to my husband and said “I’ll do my part – tell him to come on.” I made an extra side dish and adjusted my attitude. I fought with my aggravation again when he was an HOUR late. Arghh.

Turns out he was totally despondent over the fact his wife had moved out that morning and the affect of the talk over dinner was water to his soul and balm to his wounds. And I almost missed it. Dinner was excellent and there wasn't a morsel left over.

Note to self: It’s not always convenient to reach out to others. But it’s always worth it.
Beyond what we're aware of, I’m thinking.

I leave you with a smile from one of my favorite deep thinkers.

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.
~Dr. Seuss

If you want to share a post of an Everyday Epiphany you've experienced, please surprise me by linking up.

Paying It Forward- We have a Winner!!

Sara, Come on Down! Sara won the Pay It Forward drawing and will be receiving a $10 Starbucks Gift Card. Thank you all for playing! I used Random.org to determine the winner.

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
2
Timestamp: 2009-03-13 19:26:38 UTC

I got my CD in the mail this week and that was a bright spot in my day. Thanks, Linda!

The Lord bless you and keep you: The Lord makes his face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you:The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. Numbers 6:24-26

Everyday Epiphanies- Week 3

A newly married son of a very good friend was just deployed a month ago to Afghanistan. I’ve been hearing first-hand stories about the conditions over there and it’s humbling to think about in light of what I consider “rough”.

Everyday Epiphanies is causing me to push out of my comfort zone in acts of kindness. Expressing my thanks and support to our troops (especially the ones who don’t get much mail) is always very worthwhile.

If you've never done this before and want to know how, the best website for starters is http://www.anysoldier.com/index.cfm

I’ve put together my own boxes in the past with socks, wetwipes, hand sanitizer, etc. In the food packages, I’ve done Gator-Aid mix, Kool-aid packs, cookies, candy and gum.
You can get free boxes at the post office since Flat Rate postal is a good deal if you pack them totally full. Don’t mix food items with non-food items. This week, when researching this, I saw a request for magazines. I have a collection of my huband's outdoor magazines that he hates to just throw away and I’m filling up the largest flat rate box with for the cost of $10.95 to ship.On the home-front, I’m continuing my mission to send hand-written cards and notes on a daily basis. I discovered Target now has a greeting card section with cards that are .99 or less. They’re actually decent cards and I am finding they are helping me accomplish my mission.

Have you had any experiences with Everyday Epiphanies that you’ve shared on your blog? Any ideas or suggestions? Then link on up below, or leave a comment.

Pay it Forward

Do you remember how fun it was to get mail when you were a kid? Blogging has returned that joy to me. Getting the mail had become a drag- just bills, bills and more bills. I’ve decided kids can get excited about mail because it’s never bills. It’s just cards or gifts or fun surprises. Blogging can put fun things in your mailbox again!

I recently won the Pay it Forward drawing over at Mocha with Linda’s and now it’s my turn to pass along the fun. I've seen a couple of different ways of doing this - giving a handcrafted gift to the first 3 people or the way Linda did it, drawing for one prize not to exceed $15.

Since my best only crafting is done in the kitchen and that really doesn't seem too appropriate for unseen friends, I thought I'd give away a $10 gift card. I chose Starbucks, partly because of an already colorful history with people paying it “backward” in Starbucks lines. One news story on the phenomenon is Here. But you can choose between Starbucks, Target or Chic-fil-A. If money is tight and you win – you can always just pay it forward by sending it on!

So here are the rules:
1. Leave a comment on this post by midnight Thursday (3/12/09).
2. In your comment, indicate which gift card you would like.
3. If you win, you continue to Pay It Forward by doing some sort of giveaway on your blog.

I'll post the winner Friday!

Every Monday Matters

This 3 minute movie by the folks at Simple Truths has given me an idea to incorporate into my 40 day journey with Everyday Epiphanies. I’ll let you know this Friday which one I chose and how it went. (Hint: It’s not blood donation. I think I’ve told you the Blood Mobile staff politely suggested there are other ways for me to make a difference.)

Everyday Epiphanies- Week 2

Generosity of the spirit is not measured in this world’s currency. One can always afford to be extravagantly kind.

As I venture into the second week of Everyday Epiphanies, I am acutely aware of the power of my words. It costs nothing to speak encouragement to those in our lives. Probably because of the seminar on marriage I gave last week, I’ve even been more aware of telling my husband all the things I appreciate about him. What a powerful exercise.

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold, in settings of silver. - Proverbs 25:11

I’ve noticed I'm not procrastinating on doing the small things that come to mind to do for others during this 40 day focus. Good intentions are not the same as the gift of time to write a note or make a phone call. Not procrastinating is major progress for me.

Attitude is the aroma of the heart. You can be a pleasant fragrance everywhere you go.
Focusing on Everyday Epiphanies is good for my heart and my attitude.

Have you had any experiences with Everyday Epiphanies that you’ve shared on your blog? Then link on up below, or leave a comment. My favorite math rule is this: A problem shared is cut in half and a joy shared is multipled by 2!

Everyday Epiphanies - Week 1

Do you want to know the secret for living well? It’s understanding that your life can make a difference and acting upon that knowledge.

Imperfect action is better than
perfect inaction. ~Harry Truman

Thus my small gestures to show kindness intentionally everyday for 40 days have lifted my spirit and heightened my hearing. I feel like a musician listening carefully for the notes that are my cue to come in. I have a part to play. There’s a song in my heart. Come! You have a part too!

This week, I started by writing simple notes to people who have been on my mind and I haven’t taken the time to write. It didn’t cost me anything but a stamp. It has encouraged me to begin. I have things in mind I want to do in the coming week: dropping cookies by to a neighbor I haven’t seen in awhile, encouraging another neighbor with a small contribution to the charity she is working for… one day at a time. I want to be kinder and more aware of the people around me. I am using my calendar to make little notations of what I'm doing as a simplified diary.

Your thoughts, ideas and inspiration are like a gentle rain on my intentions. This is the first week of Everyday Epiphanies. You are welcome to link your post below or join me anytime during this quest.

Everyday Epiphanies

You've heard of paying it forward. You've heard of random acts of kindness. You've probably heard about the book Love Dare, made popular by the movie Fireproof.

I've been interested and intrigued by all of these but have fallen short of implementing consistent actions that embrace the intent of these honorable concepts. Then the idea of Everyday Epiphanies blossomed in my thoughts.

I now resolve to challenge myself to 40 days of showing love in an intentional and unexpected way to someone every single day. I realize I can learn so much if the plan is multiplied through my bloggy friends, so I invite you to join me for Everyday Epiphanies.

The goal is to show love in some small way, whether it be to a spouse, a neighbor, a child, a stranger… whoever you have opportunity to be a blessing to. It can be a note, a smile, a word of kindness; it doesn't have to cost more than a moment in time.

This Weds. Feb. 24th is the beginning of Lent. It matters not whether the church you attend formally commemorates Ash Wednesday and the time of reflection that leads up to Resurrection Sunday (mine doesn’t). I think the timing is perfect for this 40 day commitment.

Epiphany means “manifestation of the divine.” Will you join me in looking for simple ways to be a breath of hope and love in someone’s life?

I will post every Friday with my updates and give you opportunity to link up and tell what you are experiencing in this journey. Your post can be in whatever form inspires you; a diary, a story of one day’s epiphany or ideas for simple things to do for others. You can post anytime during the weekend, ideally sometime between Friday and Monday. This challenge will go to Easter Sunday, April 12th. Whether you participate for one day or 40 days, blog about it and link up!

I’ll figure out this week how to post the HTML code for the tag in case you’d like to put it on your blog and share the challenge. I’m excited to see what God will do through Everyday Epiphanies.

A Simple Truth

I received an email from a friend about a month ago that had a link to this movie about Johnny the Bagger. I’m not usually a big fan of the clips that go around on the internet, but I watched this one twice that day. In addition, I signed up for the newsletter on the simpletruths.com website put out by Mac Anderson. He describes the message in this movie saying , "it bypasses the brain and goes straight to the heart." The movie (and book) are supposedly about customer service, but it’s really about how your life can make a difference. It inspires me, touches me and motivates me to be kind to everyone I meet. When I received the Simple Truths email today and this movie was featured, I watched it again and decided it’s only fair to share it with you. It will be a very worthwhile 3 minutes, I promise. Click Here to watch.