I am constantly amazed at how fast life can fill up. We have so much that constantly bombards us. Everything from billboards and ads on TV or the radio. Troubling news of countries that are struck with tragedy of natural disasters or human hand. So much. Every day. Wow.
But then, there are those times that I can relax in a bubble bath with a good book and forget about my skin getting pruny because I am feeling so rejuvenated by the inspirational words or messages. I did just that on Thursday night. After I started my blog, my sister told me she had a book that was perfect for what I was trying to do. She mailed it to me and encouraged me to read it. I am so glad that I did! I read "Life of a Daymaker" by David Wagner. He is the founder of Juut Salon Spa in Minneapolis. I highly recommend reading this book and taking to heart his message. Basically, his goal is to make someone's day...every day. Sound familiar? I thought so too. He had a great backstory to his mission and encouraging ideas and points to ponder. The book is also filled with great quotes to remember, write down, and read often.
March 6th to today has been a busy time for me. I have been job hunting, house shopping, lesson planning, house cleaning (okay, maybe not), and trying to keep up with everything that is being thrown my way. Luckily, I have spring break coming up. A time to rest and catch up on all of the things I have on my ever-increasing to-do list.
In the past couple of weeks I have honestly not been very good about keeping up with my challenge. I have done some things, like donating blood, donating money to support a friend who is walking in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, sponsored my nieces in their schools' Read-athon fundraiser, signed up for the Pound for Pound Challenge to get food for food banks, sent encouraging letters for friends who were down and out, read for Mr. Ray, taught children's church, emailed a company about their choice to use chocolate that is not fair trade and other such things.
While I am falling behind on meeting my goal, I have to make tomorrow a fresh start. I need encouragement and support. So, if you are reading this...please hold me accountable. I need to do one thing each day and record it. I know what I have to do. Plan. If I plan what I am going to do, and I schedule things like volunteering at a soup kitchen or something, I am more likely to follow through. So, that is the goal.
Looking ahead to the week:
I am finally cutting my hair on Friday. I am going full-force and chopping off 10+ inches to donate for Locks for Love. I am excited for the change and to know that I am helping someone in a very personal way. I am looking through my list of 365 things to do to see what else I should pre-plan so this week can be successful. I'm open to ideas if you have any!!!!
Lately, I have felt like I should not blog about what I am doing, but rather what others have done for me or what I have seen others do. I have been so blessed these last couple of weeks by the generosity and kindness of others. A sales person at a store at the mall made my day by allowing me to return a defective product without a receipt. This saved me $50! Wahoo! I have seen a 7 year old boy and his mom use the horrible situation they are in to touch the lives of others. He is battling cancer and trying to collect a pillow pet for every kid in America who is ill as a way of showing God' love and providing comfort. Stories of people coming together to help with the efforts in Japan. I am seeing so much good in the world. It's been quite an amazing journey so far to see my heart changing and to view the world through a different lens. There is a song that talks about viewing the world through the eyes of God. I have been praying that prayer and trying so hard to look at things with an eternal perspective, rather than an earthly one.
So, that's it for now. I pray that this week will be successful and that I will give the glory to God in all I do.
Lots of Love!
Chieko
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Saturday, March 5, 2011
February 18-19: Revolve Tour
I volunteered to serve at the Revolve Tour on February 18-19. I originally volunteered because I wanted to be a part of something that I knew would be good, fun, and encouraging for girls. Then, I found out that as a volunteer, I would get two free tickets that I could give to girls to come to the event for free. How exciting! I originally asked one of my friends if she wanted to go, but she was unable to. So, I prayed and prayed and asked God to tell me who he wanted to have the tickets. I hadn't heard a name, but rather to just offer them up. So, I asked my Pastor's wife, Tracy, if she knew anyone who wanted them. The night before the event, two girls from youth group asked if they could have the tickets.
One of my friends from Bible Study and church also decided to volunteer. We were looking forward to going together and watching the Lord move in the lives of all the girls that would be there. She too brought two girls from youth group.
The event was awesome! I had so much fun listening to the speakers and meeting some incredible people. I even made a new friend. I was part of the usher team, so I helped escort girls to their seats and direct them to the nearest restroom, etc. I knew that this would be part of ushering when I volunteered, but I didn't know that the ushers also helped control the lines of girls waiting in line to meet and greet the artists and speakers. It was crazy! There were multiple signing times and several artists at each. The artists would sit at tables to sign the autographs. I worked the table for Britt Nicole, Kathryn McCormick, and Jenna Lucado Bishop. I had so much fun watching how excited the girls got when they met the artists. The Revolve Tour also had Chad Eastham, Hawk Nelson, Group 1 Crew, and Jamie Grace.
The highlight of the entire conference was when one of my youth group girls, Mandee, saw a girl who really wanted to meet Group 1 Crew but didn't have a ticket, so Mandee gave up her ticket to meet and greet. I was so proud of her! I could not believe that she would be so selfless to give up her ticket for her chance to meet the group. Actually, I could believe it. Her heart is always so kind and concerned about others, she is just that kind of person. I got an idea in my head. I wondered if there would be any way for her to meet the group backstage. I knew that Group 1 Crew was already done with their signing times. So, I asked the head of the usher crew (not his official title) if he could help me help her. I told him the story of her selfless act and he said he would do what he could. He told me to get her and bring her down to the backstage staircase. When I returned with Mandee, there was Manwell from Group 1 Crew!!! She was so excited and I have to admit that I was excited too. Watching her face light up and knowing that she got a personal meet and greet was really special.
It was so much fun to serve and to be filled up through powerful messages, beautiful music, times of worship, and being surrounded by sisters in Christ.
One of my friends from Bible Study and church also decided to volunteer. We were looking forward to going together and watching the Lord move in the lives of all the girls that would be there. She too brought two girls from youth group.
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| The Stage |
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| My Badge |
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| Shannen, Jenna L.B. Mandee, and me! |
It was so much fun to serve and to be filled up through powerful messages, beautiful music, times of worship, and being surrounded by sisters in Christ.
Marching into March
Last month seems like a blur. I am so far behind on blogging that I feel overwhelmed. So, in an effort to take a giant step forward, I am going to start my blog from March 1st. Hopefully, I will find the time to go back and fill you all in on the amazing things that happened during February. February was so fantastic and full of incredible things that I had no time to blog. But, all the more reason to tell you all about it. :0)
March 1: I was running late for an appointment. I blazed into the parking lot, threw my car into the first spot I saw and made a mad dash for the door. As I was about to break into a full on sprint, the driver of the car parked next to me asked if I would be long. I explained that I was not sure how long my appointment was but that I was running late...really late. She said, "Okay. Never mind." She turned her head away and I couldn't help but notice that something was wrong. I stopped and asked her why she was asking. It turns out her car battery died and a co-worker of hers was on the way to help jump start the battery. She was hoping to have the parking spot open so she could easily reach the two cars with the jumper cables. There really were no other parking spots open and I could certainly see her dilemma. I apologized as I ran into the building. I felt horrible. I wanted to help her but I could not afford to pay for a "missed" appointment. In that moment, that was all I could think about. As I finally entered the doctor's office, I felt a terrible burden for the lady I just met. I apologized for being late and explained the situation to the receptionist. Luckily, the receptionist was sympathetic. I excused myself and darted down to the parking lot to move my car. The lady was so thankful!
I know this is not exactly a perfect story of how I thought of others before myself, or that I jumped her car myself. Instead, it was a reminder to me that sometimes I am "that" person. You know. "That" person who is too busy to care about others, or "that" person who seems needlessly rude. "That" person who seems to not be able to give a single moment of their time to help someone who was really in need. Yes, the story ended alright, as I was able to move my car. But what a better story it would have been if I was able to express to this woman that she was more important than an appointment. Imagine how important I would have made her feel if I just took the extra moment to move my car right then. She was already stressed and I could have eliminated some rather than adding to it. Or even better, to jump her car myself. I had jumper cables with me. I know how to use them. This was a good reminder for me to stop and think about how other people see me and how my actions, or in-actions, can affect others even in the moments that I don't "have time" to think about it.
March 2: The PTA at my school does a great job. Right now we are enduring the daunting task of administering the CSAP (Colorado Student Assessment Program) and the PTA has worked hard to provide snacks for all of the students taking the assessment. I thought it would be nice to help. I have used donated popcorn from AMC Theaters in the past for youth group events, so I thought that perhaps AMC would like to donate for the students. Sure enough, they agreed to donate popcorn. I knew the students would be excited. I spoke to the coordinator of the snacks and told her about the donation. She was so excited. Evey day next week I will pick up a bag of popcorn and help eliminate some of the work from this busy PTA volunteer and to brighten the day of the students. It also makes me happy that the popcorn won't be wasted, but enjoyed by many instead.
March 3: I visited Mr. Ray and read his mail for him.
I am now volunteering to read to a blind man named Mr. Ray. I have volunteered for a little over a month now and have been so blessed to have him a special new friend. We have a good time together and he has taught me a lot about what it is like to be blind and the modifications he has to make in his daily life.
March 4: As I mentioned before, CSAP testing is currently underway. About a month ago, I went through the training required for all those who wish to proctor the test. It is a good thing I did, because there have been several times when I have been asked to proctor. While proctoring is certainly not fun, it does make me feel good that I have been helpful to the staff at my school. CSAP is stressful, and knowing that I have been able to eliminate a little stress makes me feel good. We are half way through at this point. Next week will be full of testing too.
March 5: Richard gave me some Legos that he wanted to donate. I was happy to give the Legos away to a teacher at my school. I love watching things be reused instead of thrown away. I also spent my morning cleaning the kitchen. I checked the dates on everything and purged, cleaned, and organized everything. I was so glad that I was able to recycle a lot of things instead of just trashing them.
While I am happy to share these things, I also feel that I must share with you how my family was blessed this week.
My best friend, Amy, agreed to let our dog out. This was a huge blessing as my husband and I did not want to pay the money for doggy daycare. Amy has been great about taking care of our pup and also sending me reassuring text messages. Usually, when someone in the family is out of town, Maile gets sick or acts strangely. It has been so nice to not worry about Maile. Last night, my husband read on Amy's facebook page that her daughter has been ill. I had no idea! Amy never mentioned anything and she still took care of our baby. Amy is always so selfless and kind. She truly was a blessing to my family this week.
Well, that's it so far. Like I said, I will do my best to go back and fill everyone in on February. But for now I will just keep my goal at staying caught up from here on out. Hugs and love, Chieko :0)
March 1: I was running late for an appointment. I blazed into the parking lot, threw my car into the first spot I saw and made a mad dash for the door. As I was about to break into a full on sprint, the driver of the car parked next to me asked if I would be long. I explained that I was not sure how long my appointment was but that I was running late...really late. She said, "Okay. Never mind." She turned her head away and I couldn't help but notice that something was wrong. I stopped and asked her why she was asking. It turns out her car battery died and a co-worker of hers was on the way to help jump start the battery. She was hoping to have the parking spot open so she could easily reach the two cars with the jumper cables. There really were no other parking spots open and I could certainly see her dilemma. I apologized as I ran into the building. I felt horrible. I wanted to help her but I could not afford to pay for a "missed" appointment. In that moment, that was all I could think about. As I finally entered the doctor's office, I felt a terrible burden for the lady I just met. I apologized for being late and explained the situation to the receptionist. Luckily, the receptionist was sympathetic. I excused myself and darted down to the parking lot to move my car. The lady was so thankful!
I know this is not exactly a perfect story of how I thought of others before myself, or that I jumped her car myself. Instead, it was a reminder to me that sometimes I am "that" person. You know. "That" person who is too busy to care about others, or "that" person who seems needlessly rude. "That" person who seems to not be able to give a single moment of their time to help someone who was really in need. Yes, the story ended alright, as I was able to move my car. But what a better story it would have been if I was able to express to this woman that she was more important than an appointment. Imagine how important I would have made her feel if I just took the extra moment to move my car right then. She was already stressed and I could have eliminated some rather than adding to it. Or even better, to jump her car myself. I had jumper cables with me. I know how to use them. This was a good reminder for me to stop and think about how other people see me and how my actions, or in-actions, can affect others even in the moments that I don't "have time" to think about it.
March 2: The PTA at my school does a great job. Right now we are enduring the daunting task of administering the CSAP (Colorado Student Assessment Program) and the PTA has worked hard to provide snacks for all of the students taking the assessment. I thought it would be nice to help. I have used donated popcorn from AMC Theaters in the past for youth group events, so I thought that perhaps AMC would like to donate for the students. Sure enough, they agreed to donate popcorn. I knew the students would be excited. I spoke to the coordinator of the snacks and told her about the donation. She was so excited. Evey day next week I will pick up a bag of popcorn and help eliminate some of the work from this busy PTA volunteer and to brighten the day of the students. It also makes me happy that the popcorn won't be wasted, but enjoyed by many instead.
March 3: I visited Mr. Ray and read his mail for him.
I am now volunteering to read to a blind man named Mr. Ray. I have volunteered for a little over a month now and have been so blessed to have him a special new friend. We have a good time together and he has taught me a lot about what it is like to be blind and the modifications he has to make in his daily life.
March 4: As I mentioned before, CSAP testing is currently underway. About a month ago, I went through the training required for all those who wish to proctor the test. It is a good thing I did, because there have been several times when I have been asked to proctor. While proctoring is certainly not fun, it does make me feel good that I have been helpful to the staff at my school. CSAP is stressful, and knowing that I have been able to eliminate a little stress makes me feel good. We are half way through at this point. Next week will be full of testing too.
March 5: Richard gave me some Legos that he wanted to donate. I was happy to give the Legos away to a teacher at my school. I love watching things be reused instead of thrown away. I also spent my morning cleaning the kitchen. I checked the dates on everything and purged, cleaned, and organized everything. I was so glad that I was able to recycle a lot of things instead of just trashing them.
While I am happy to share these things, I also feel that I must share with you how my family was blessed this week.
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| Maile at Christmas |
Well, that's it so far. Like I said, I will do my best to go back and fill everyone in on February. But for now I will just keep my goal at staying caught up from here on out. Hugs and love, Chieko :0)
Time Flies!
My last post was January 23rd. I had just gone to the Life and Justice Conference and I promised to fill you in on all that I learned. I am so sorry that I have been terrible about blogging. I am pleased to say that I have been too busy "doing!" It's a good problem though, don't you think? I will post about the conference on a separate post. This post is to share some of the happenings of the last month.
Admittedly, I have done something everyday but I have not logged what those things were. Here is a list of some of the things I have done to keep my challenge going:
Admittedly, I have done something everyday but I have not logged what those things were. Here is a list of some of the things I have done to keep my challenge going:
- Gave a hungry student food
- Cleaned a toilet for someone else
- Cleaned someone's home
- I am now reading mail each week for Mr. Ray, a blind man (this will be on-going)
- Spoke at a youth group about choices and the love of Jesus
- Joined the "Missions Team" at church (this will be on-going)
- Volunteered to teach Children's Church (this will be on-going)
- Provided groceries for someone in need
- Returned stray grocery carts from the lot so they wouldn't hit anyone's car (in the freezing Colorado weather!)
- Volunteering at the "Revolve Tour" (2/18-19)
- Donated tickets to "Revolve Tour" to two girls from youth group
- Raising awareness about human trafficking with everyone and anyone who will listen
- Apologized and sought forgiveness from someone
- Provided a ride to someone in need
- Planned a screening of the documentary "The Dark Side of Chocolate" and have worked hard to get a Fair Trade chocolate company to donate chocolate. The screening is on February 26th at 7pm!
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