Impact Your World...What Will it Take for YOU to do Something?

Have you ever thought about the significance of the statement, “Impact Your World’?

I’d like to think that impacting the world we live in would and could be an easy task if we weren’t so selfish, yet the reality is, we often think, “we can only do so much” and “time is valuable”…we are selfish beings with selfish needs and well, the fact of the matter is, we spend our lives trying to attain ‘things’, material possessions, because in America, we are a consumer driven society…we strive on getting ‘something’ more because corporations continue to throw those ‘things you need’ at us daily…I must say, I’ve fallen prey to that trap…I’m as selfish as the next person…

And here is the thing…I’m not just talking about money, I’m talking about time too…Time is money, right? We subscribe to that thinking so often…but think about it…what if we ALL did ONE thing different? Cut out one thing from our daily ‘routine’? Think about the time and perhaps, money, we could put in the world to impact it…for real!

There are many resources out there to help you get involved…it’s just taking the time to see what best fits you…whether it’s volunteering, donating money, or becoming an advocate; it doesn’t take much to make a difference even if it's only in ONE life…

The following are a few organizations that you might like to learn more about:

Action Against Hunger

ACCION International

Make a Wish Foundation

Save the Children

Wildlife Conservation Society

The Humane Society of the United States

American Red Cross

Direct Relief International

CNN Special Report: Impact Your World
(You can find MANY more organizations trying to impact our world through CNN's Special Report. Click the link above to find out more.)

"What will you do to make a difference, to make a change? What will you do to help someone along the way?" -- Skillet

Independence Day...

So I’m thinking about Independence Day…the Fourth of July…what it ALL truly means…

We live in a country where we can have the freedom to do as we wish; the freedom of speech to say what we want; the freedom to be who we are and not have to worry about being condemned in any way for it…

It’s amazing to me that we have such freedoms, yet so many times, we take it for granted…

I’m so thankful for the freedom we have, to be who we are and NOT be afraid of it! I’d like to think then we shouldn’t be ASHAMED either of who we are…we have the freedom so why not reflect that?

Men and women die to protect this freedom…their blood has been shed for centuries and yet we still don’t recognize the significance of what they’ve done for us…it’s NOT about politics, it’s NOT about democracy, it’s about the sacrifice of one for another…

In reflection…that sacrifice could be mirrored to what Christ did on the cross…he died so you and I could live…could be free…could still be who we are and yet, He still chooses to love us anyway…
In this moment in time…on this day of remembrance of what our forefathers did so many thousands of years ago, I think it’s pretty fitting to understand why we are free today…to thank and appreciate the men and women who are fighting for that freedom at this moment in time, and how we can be free through the one who so freely gave his life on a cross…

Younger Years...

I think we all have these ideas of what our lives are going to be like when we are young. We think becoming a ‘grown-up’ is going to make life ALL better; perhaps make like a little easier…OH…if we only knew…

I think the reality of it is we don’t really anticipate the disappointment that life can bring…AND…with that…we don’t anticipate the BLESSING that life can be either…

Sometimes it seems like this double-edged sword that no matter how hard you try, you can’t escape from it…which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, yet I think we embrace BLESSING yet dismiss the hard times because, well, it’s hard! Yet, with it all, I think God is trying to give us an idea of what we TRULY have, what we should TRULY be thankful for…

We try so hard to attain success, yet what really is the meaning of that word? As children we think having money is the key, or maybe making it to the big town to make a name for ourselves is another thought…I don’t know really…I just know that as I’ve grown up, I’ve come to the realization that it doesn’t matter what ‘stuff’ I have, or if my name is plastered across the front page of the newspaper in recognition of something, but it’s who I am as a person that really matters…

Think about it…MOST people in the world who have EVERYTHING they’ve ever wanted are the most miserable people dwelling on the face of the earth! As the saying goes, ‘Money can’t buy happiness’; yet I also believe ‘Stuff’ can’t buy happiness either!

I’ve been BLESSED beyond measure with the many people in my life who have chosen to be a part of it...and despite my dreams of my younger years, and the hard times that life can sometimes bring, I think my life, to this point is perhaps what it should have been all along…and for that, I truly am BLESSED…