forty-four acts of kindness to do with your kids

I cannot think of a better time of the year to love on those surrounding you than the days and weeks leading up to Thanksgiving and Christmas. Here is a list of forty-four ways your family can serve your community. What will begin as you blessing others will turn into a tremendous blessing for you.

1.      Pass out hand warmers to children playing in the park.

2.      Decorate your child’s principal or favorite teacher’s parking spot with chalk, balloons, notes, or signs.

3.      Go to Wal Mart. Greet the greeter and then treat the greeter to a special treat.

4.      Pass out Hugs and Kisses (the chocolate kind) at a nursing home.

5.      Decorate walkers and wheelchairs at a nursing home with ribbons and love.

6.      Read a story with a nursing home resident. 

7.      Take a Polaroid camera to the nursing home. Take pictures of precious memories and leave them with the residents.

8.      Help unload groceries into someone’s car.

9.      Buy a pack of greeting cards. Write letters to friends and family telling them why they are special to you.

10.   Organize an aisle in the shoe department.

11.   Give high fives to the employees in your favorite department store. Tell them you appreciate the work they do.

12.   Choose your favorite restaurant. Go through the drive though and pay for the next person’s meal.

13.   Tape single dollar bills to items in the dollar bin.

14.   Tape coins to vending machines.

15.   Take dog bones to your vet’s office.

16.   Place parking coins on windshields at the hospital.

17.   Purchase used books from the thrift store. Donate them to your doctor’s office for patients to read while they wait.  

18.   Go to your favorite ice cream shop. Ask the cashier what his or her favorite treat is. Buy it for them to have during their break.

19.   Offer to play with small children on the playground so their parents can rest.

20.   Cut coupons from the Sunday paper and mail or pass out to friends who use those items/shop those stores.

21.   Pass out water bottles to shoppers buying Christmas goodies.

22.   Set up a hot chocolate stand in your front yard. Brighten days with a warm chocolaty treat!

23.   Pass out candy canes on Black Friday. Everyone needs a little sweet on that crazy day!

24.   Offer to pump someone’s gas.

25.   Let someone go in front of you in line.

26.   Fill empty vases at the cemetery with flowers.

27.   Deliver goody baskets to the hospital.

28.   Write get well notes to hospital patients.

29.   Bake cookies to deliver to friends and family.

30.   Go to the local library. Place handwritten notes in your favorite books for others to find.

31.   Decorate bookmarks. Donate them to the children’s section of your library.

32.   Pick up trash at a local park.

33.   Chalk talk a sidewalk with holiday wishes or notes of encouragement.

34.   Pass out fancy pens to waiters/waitresses at your favorite restaurant.

35.   Hold the door for others.

36.   Buy flowers for your banker.

37.   Leave a note of encouragement on the changing table for someone else’s mommy. 

38.   An extra perk would be to also leave a Starbuck’s gift card.

39.   Pass out socks and gloves at the local soup kitchen. Baby it's cold outside!

40.   Tell someone why you are thankful for them.

41.   Take a neighbor homemade breakfast (or bread, or pie, or a cup of coffee, or a flower. It can even be store-bought. Just go).

42.   Refill a parking meter.

43.   Leave a surprise in your mailbox for the person who delivers your mail.

44.   The men and women who pick up trash must be frigid! Warm their hands and their hearts with a cup of cocoa.

 

“And the King will say, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

Matthew 25:40

“By this, everyone will know you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

John 13:35

 

Humbly Grateful - Part Three

I had to read a book in AP English, many, actually.

But this one I read while doing a mini exchange program in Germany.

I hated it, except, I sort of loved it.

It was a book written in stream of consciousness.

And, while it was difficult to follow, especially while my mind was overtaken with the sights, sounds, and exquisite tastes of Western Europe, it is exactly how my brain operates most of the time.

 

I have written two Humbly Grateful posts. They are much more coherent and I invite you read those here and here. This one, I will write just letting my mind wander. Which, ashamedly is how many of my prayers go. Bear with me. Or if it's too unbearable, you have my permission to lose yourself in one of my other spectacular posts.

I kid! Sort of.

 

 

Harley is sleeping soundly at my feet. Providing the socks my barefeet have forsaken on this summer day. For this, I am most grateful, since last night he decided to take a jaunt around the neighborhood and couldn't be found for hours. I was terrified I would never see my sweet pup again. Also terrifying, tomorrow night, I will leave my Baker Boy (and husband, too) for a much needed girls getaway. Will he remember me? Will he miss me? Will I survive? While terrifying, I am thankful for a reprieve. To go to the bathroom by myself will be a welcome change. For fellowship, fun, and friends. Fellowship is good. Fun is good. Friends are good. My mom used to sing a song, "Make new friends, but keep the old ones. One is silver and the other gold." I don't know about silver and gold, I personally like both. But I am thankful for friends new and old. Ones that have stuck by my side, and others who are just joining the ride. It makes me think of the game Red Rover. There are some who have broken through hands intertwined, but others....others we cling tightly to forcing them to join our team. Stand by our side. Hold our hands. Sing the songs of life right alongside us. Singing, I more make a righteous racket than a joyful noise. But I love to sing. And I love to lose myself singing. And I am thankful for singing and songs. Nursery rhymes with Baker to see him smile and hear him laugh and, if I'm lucky, join right in. Worship songs. What a privilege to be able to sing these any day of the week, and not just on Sunday. Duets. For Brian and I to pretend we are Tim and Faith and belt it out making a complete fool of ourselves and falling even more in love by doing so. I am thankful for love. For the love of my husband. The love of my baby boy. Friends. Famiy. Jesus. Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus. Jesus, Jesus, most precious Jesus. The baby is waking. I hear him over the monitor as I stretch my legs slightly longer to reach the end of the chaise to try jostle Harley from his sleep. Back asleep. The baby, not the dog. He is already off chasing a squirrel. Nope. Distracted. Has to leave his mark on the newly budding bush. I'm free to let my thoughts wander for a few minutes longer as Baker wakes slowly from his slumber. Lots to do today. Nothing to do today. The glorious life of a teacher. I can accomplish my lengthy to do list, or I can rewrite it completely. I'm thinking the second. We'll trade grocery store runs and laundry and packing for time on the patio. Sprawled out, taking a cue from Harley who is warming in the summer sun. Sun, sleepy sun. Summer breeze. The sweet smell of gardenias. The hum of Baker snoring. The scorching rough concrete surface, a nice contrast to the cool grass. My feet dance across both. And my eyes threaten to shut.

 

I come back to this, several hours later, after a short snooze, lunch, and playtime with Baker. My thoughts are much more streamlined, and I threaten to delete each word.

How awful.

Certainly not a piece I am proud of.

But, as I reread it again and again, these are my thoughts.

My humbly grateful attitude today.

So, instead of deleting to start again, I am perfectly content with my obviously imperfect piece.

 

Humbly Grateful - Part One

As a child, I knew a song.

Our children's choir performed it many, many, many years ago.

The words are catchy, as most children's songs are.

And for me, I often lose the lyrics in singing and clapping along.

 

But not this one, 

certainly not this one,

my mother used to make my sister and I sing this one when we argued or got caught in cycles of complaining about this or that.

 

And even today, I find myself humming it as I fold laundry,

or clean out the dishwasher, or do some equally as thrilling chore.

 

The chorus goes like this, 

"Are you humbly grateful, or grumbly hateful, what's your attitude?

Do you grumble and groan, or let it be known you're grateful for all God's done for you?"  

 

Yesterday, I had the privilege of going to our home church in Mississippi.

About midway through the service,

I scribbled a note to Brian asking if there were any other members of the congregation present, because the message spoke directly to me.

 

Brother Breck preached out of Colossians.

 

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord,

continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him,

strengthened in the faith as you were taught,

and overflowing with thankfulness."

Colossians 2:6-7

 

And with each audible word I heard from our pastor,

the Lord spoke many more to my heart.

 

I consider myself a joyful person.

I am optimistic.

Hopeful.

Loving.

I have happy heart.

An eager smile.

And consider it a privilege to leave others better than I found them by brightening their day.

 

But not lately.

Lately I have been walking around, living life exhausted.

And not just physically.

My heart has been bitter.

I have done a lot of complaining.
And wouldn't you know, the Lord provided these words for our pastor to share,

"Do everything without complaining or arguing,

so that you may become blameless and pure,

children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation,

in which you shine like stars in the universe."

Philippians 2:14-15

 

I want to shine like stars in the universe.

I want to be a light for my Jesus.

But, in my negativity and exhaustion, with my complaining and bitterness,

I wasn't even lighting my way, much less anyone else's.

 

I was challenged throughout the service to call upon the Lord for strength.

To be thankful in all circumstances.

To count my blessings and name them one by one.

 

At the close of the service, our pastor issued homework to each member present yesterday.

It is twofold.

1. Start each day this week thanking God for His many blessings.

2. Thank someone each day this week for who they are or what they have done in your life. Write a note, send a text, make a phone call, or visit. In whatever capacity you choose, thank someone each day this week.

 

Now, as far as I know, we won't be turning this assignment in, or presenting it before the congregation, but I am giving it a try.

What could it hurt?

To start the day thanking the Lord for his blessings?

To share a word of encouragement with someone who has blessed you?

 

My goal was to do this before my feet hit the floor this morning, but a certain thirteen month old said otherwise.

 

So now, as my little one is napping, and the house is quiet,

I am reflecting on my many blessings.

And here, I will name them one by one.

I will try to include these on the blog as much as I can this week, but more importantly, each day, I will do this in my heart.

I challenge you to as well.

 

1. Grace. The most precious gift given to me. Thank you Jesus for loving me, for dying for me, for saving me, for saving me a spot in Heaven to spend the rest of forever praising you. "Amazing grace how sweet the sound the saved a wretch like me."

 

2. Brian. My best friend. The one my soul loves. He is solid and strong, and as many beautiful physical attributes that are obvious to everyone he meets, he has twice as many that are not seen. Not until you get to meet him, at least. He is courageous, and bold, and thoughtful, and loving. And I am so thankful he loves me.

 

3. Baker. Oh my sweet angel. Everyday, he is evidence that God is still in the miracle business and answers prayers far bigger and better than we could ever fathom. His first name, William, means strong willed warrior, and that he is. With his contagious smile and determined heart, he blesses my every single day. I strive to be more godly so that I am the example he needs to grow up in the Lord.

 

4. Family. Each of these - my parents, siblings, cousins, grandparents, in-laws - has shaped me, molded me, given me sweet memories, fabulous recipes, belly-aching laughs. They are each a part of me, and are each a blessing from the Lord.

 

5. Forgiveness. From my Jesus, and from people. I am thankful for fresh starts and do overs. New days and wonderful opportunities to love God and love people.

 

 

What are yours?

If you paused, counted your blessings, and named them one by one, what would they be?

If you took time today to thank someone, who would you thank?

If we approached each day with a humbly grateful heart, how much different would our day be?