Act of Kindness – Week #17!!

“Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profundity. Kindness in giving creates love.”

   A couple weeks ago, the new intentional act of kindness that I wrote about was complimenting other people! Our words are so powerful, and we have been given the responsibility to speak love! This week, we are going to take it one step further though and not just speak love but encourage other people with written words!

*The act of kindness this week…show kindness by writing a heartfelt handwritten note to someone that you know could use some encouragement!!

   Life can be tough…there is sickness, relationship problems, unemployment, death, spiritual struggles etc etc etc. I believe that everyone can benefit from encouragement! I encourage you this week to intentionally write a heartfelt letter of encouragement! The body of the letter does not have to be long to be meaningful! A letter of encouragement will most likely leave the recipient of the letter feeling encouraged and even motivated to encounter whatever is next! Of course an email or text can have the same positive effect but there is just something more personable about a handwritten letter! A person can carry it around with them and read it at any time!

*My experience with the act of kindness…I try to do my best to send letters, cards, emails and texts to those I see going through a trial or those who have opened up to me about a struggle that they are currently facing. However, one of the reasons I chose this act of kindness this week is because of the countless people who have come along side of me during my life and encouraged me in several ways!  I am so thankful and grateful for you all! I have received letters, cards, texts, voice mails, face to face chats, phone calls, facebook messages, emails and even some smaller gifts! Your continued kindness and love means so much to me! It leaves me each time feeling so encouraged and stronger than before I read the uplifting words! Below are just a few different ways that I have received letters of encouragement from others in the past couple months! Each time I receive encouragement from someone else, it also reminds me to be more intentional about sharing this act of kindness with others in my life as well!

   For some of you, writing letters of encouragement might be a brand new thing! Do not feel overwhelmed by it, for I believe that we all agree that a short letter of encouragement is better than not doing anything! Better something than nothing, right?!! Below are a couple helpful guidelines on how to write an encouraging letter that I found online if you have not done it before! 

“How to Write an Encouragement Letter

Encouragement letters can have a very powerful effect on others. The perfect letter may express sincere support and inspire others to accomplish great things.

1)      When writing letters of encouragement, keep the tone positive, and focus on what has been or can be achieved.Your goal is to give hope or express how much you care.

2)      Encouragement is most needed after a disappointment or setback, and written encouragement can be very powerful in these circumstances. It gives the reader something to keep, share, and review.

3)      Demonstrate a tone of genuine appreciation in your encouragement letter.

4)      Be careful to avoid strong language that might discourage readers.

5)      Offer your reader help if assistance is appropriate and genuinely available.

A good time to encourage your reader is after he or she has successfully completed a task. The written word has a motivational power that casual comments do not have, and a positive letter can motivate the reader to even higher standards of excellence.”

   “While you may not be able to fix someone's circumstances, your encouragement can be instrumental in changing their perspective. Ultimately, a person's perspective controls the way they feel and react to situations. There are many uplifting words you can share, but God's words are "life to those that find them and they heal the whole body." (Proverbs 4:22)”

  Let me leave you with one more very important fact...our greatest love letter and letter of encouragement is from our Heavenly Father which is found in the Bible! Sharing His letter of love and encouragement with other people is very important as well!!

p.s. Please comment below with your own experience with this act of kindness! I would really enjoy hearing about it!!

Act of Kindness – Week #16!!

“Everyone agrees you are pronounced dead when your heart stops beating…why does not everyone agree that you are alive when your heart starts beating?”

   Two blog posts ago I wrote about babies and how to show kindness to new Mommy and Daddys once their baby is born! Once again, this blog is going to be a lot about babies (it is the season of life I am in!), so here we go! My church and I support a non-profit organization called “Mosaic Pregnancy & Health Centers”! Mosaic PHC’s website is: http://www.supportmosaic.org/. Below is a little information about Mosaic and their mission and core values.

“Mosaic PHC never performs or refers for abortion. Our mission is to reveal truth about life in the womb, educate women about fetal development, provide free and confidential services such as pregnancy tests, ultrasounds and referrals and ultimately empower women to choose a life-affirming alternative to abortion.”

“Our Mission - Mosaic Pregnancy & Health Centers' mission is to reveal truth to our clients through the mosaic of life. 

Core Values - Our core values (TRUTH) are a set of unchanging ministry beliefs.

Treasuring Life - All human life absolutely valued

Deuteronomy 30:19 – “I call Heaven and Earth today as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life that both you and your descendants may live;”

Genesis 1:27 - “So God created man in his own image; in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” 

Representing Christ - Perfect love personified

Colossians 1:10 – “that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;”

1 Peter 4:11 – “If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

Upholding Integrity - Truth lived by example

Psalm 78:72 – “So he (David) shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands

Titus 2:7-8 – “In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.”

Transforming People - Lives changed by the Gospel

Isaiah 61:1 – “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;”

John 17:3 – “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”

Having Faith - Mountains moved by Faith

Hebrews 11:6 – “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

Mark 9:23 – “Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.””

   Mosaic receives no government funding so their primary source of funding is through donors like you and me and partnerships with businesses and churches. They also do some fundraising events to raise money and that is where the new intentional act of kindness comes in this week!

*The act of kindness this week...show kindness by finding an organization that you agree with their mission/work and then support them (financial support, volunteering your time, telling others about it and encouraging them to support it as well etc)!!

  

   The Mosaic Pregnancy & Health Centers’ Walk for Life is this coming Saturday in three different locations near me! Those who participate in the walk are taking a visible stand for life! The website says those participating in the walk are: “…believing that lives will be changed and babies will be saved from the darkness of abortion. Please know that you will be walking in honor of a baby's life – a life that now has hope because you cared! Each walker will receive a Be Bold! lanyard with an individual baby name to honor…”. Did you hear what they said…your caring (KINDNESS) gives HOPE to a baby’s life!!

*My experience with the act of kindness… There are a couple ways to show kindness and support Mosaic’ walk for life: donate, walk or support other walkers! Unfortunately, I am unable to walk this year for Mosaic’s walk for life (Lord willing, I plan to walk next year!), and I am so thankful for other people who are available and willing to walk! Two younger girls in my church, Emelia and Isabelle, will be participating in the walk for life this Saturday! They put together a website to encourage other people to walk and also for financial sponsorship. My Husband and I are so happy to be able to sponsor them to walk for life! Thank you, Emelia and Isabelle!!

   When supporting Mosaic Pregnancy & Health Centers, you are showing kindness to countless women and their unborn precious baby! The prayer also is that through the kindness of donors, the volunteers and the workers at Mosaic, all the people walking through Mosaic’s doors will leave seeing the kindness of so many and Christ’s love, kindness, mercy and grace as well!

p.s. Please comment below with your own experience with this act of kindness! I would really enjoy hearing about it!!

Act of Kindness – Week #15!!

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around!”

  Remember the song you sang growing up, “Sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me”? The older I got the more I realize that song was NOT true! Words are powerful and can do more than just convey information. Have you also realized that words are a unique and powerful gift from God? Humans are the only beings on the planet who God has given the ability to communicate with spoken words. What do we do with this exclusive gift from God? Our words have the power to destroy and the power to build up (Proverbs 12:6)!

  Please read the truthful lyrics to Hawk Nelson’s song, “Words”: “Words can build you up. Words can break you down. Start a fire in your heart or put it out. Let my words be life. Let my words be truth. I don't wanna say a word. Unless it points the world back to You (God)!”

  Spoken words can break us down, but they can also build us up! A verbal compliment was one of the first things that came to my mind when thinking of a new intentional act of kindness dealing with spoken words! We should not care what people think, but you have to admit that a compliment can really perk up any day...especially if your day is not going well!

*The act of kindness this week…show kindness by complimenting people and be specific on why you are giving the compliment!!

  It can be difficult at first and take some courage to give a compliment when you see something that is worth complimenting. We all want our compliments to be well received and not misunderstood. I have been doing some reading on giving verbal compliments. The main thing that I have learned is to be specific about why you are giving a compliment! First tell what you have observed and then give the compliment! If people hear the motivation before they are given praise, the compliment is better received! Example- If you say, “I like your blog”. You may hear that person answer with words that basically are along the lines of “oh, it’s nothing”. It is sometimes hard for people to accept compliments so instead of saying “thank you”, they seem to want to respond to a compliment in a way that almost lowers the compliment. Let us be specific with why we are giving a compliment first and then second to verbalize the compliment…“Your blog encourages and uplifts me. I like your blog”.

*My experience with the act of kindness… I am not going to share my experiences specifically in case those wonderful people that I have complimented are reading this! I was intentional about complimenting people I know and also a couple strangers! I also concentrated on not only complimenting looks but also personalities, attitudes and decisions. In almost every case, people took the compliment with a big smile on their face and a “thank you”.

  Recently I got a new curling iron and have had several compliments on my hair! A special “thank you” to all of you who gave me those compliments! And what do you know…I learned something else important this week while giving and receiving this act of kindness! What I learned was that compliments my looks (hair, clothes etc) was only for that day (and maybe only a couple hours since the curls started falling). Someone else close to me recently complimented me on my work ethic and a different person complimented me on my walk with the Lord! The compliments that were focused on my personality, the way I am living my life and my decisions/choices in life have stayed with me every day since and have contained way more encouragement than a compliment about my hair looking nicely curled!

  Have you ever noticed something nice on someone or appreciated their attitude or how they dealt with something and just let the moment pass by without saying a word? I am encouraging you to verbally speak your compliments to others and not let them just cross through your mind!!

   Let us be intentionally to not be quick to criticize and lousy to compliment!!

p.s. Please comment below with your own experience with this act of kindness! I would really enjoy hearing about it!!