inspired

i was sitting in church yesterday and inspiration struck! we had a special guest, the director of creative ministries for the united methodist church. i'm not sure if "inspiration struck" is the exact phrasing i want to use, but i definitely felt.......called upon, pulled to, "lightbulb came on".......

he talked about ministries that can be done locally, nationally, and globally. i felt like i need to do something, i want to do something, i have to do something. i was literally inspired by the different things that the umc does and thought, even small things, i can do and be apart of and make a difference. locally, there is the festival of sharing. a phenomonal event that i am definitely going to check out this year! the name says it all: sharing! only good can come from that. on a national level, the umc has been doing a lot with rebuilding in areas affected by the many hurricanes and other natural disasters. i remember about 2 years ago, the wesley foundation on campus was going on a trip to the gulf for spring break to do just that. i really wanted to go and for my husband to go with me. i couldn't get him to go and i let myself get talked out of it by not only him but the rest of my family. not again! next time i get the opportunity, i am there! globally, we learned about the program to provide mosiquito netting to families in countries affected by malaria and other diseases. such a small contribution can provide a net, and essentially save a life. i would love to get my church involved in that, but we are such a small church, we will have to see how that goes.

i feel like there is so much to do. do i really have the time to do it all? probably not, but i want to do something. i think about what the world would be if no one did anything. it would be an awful place! i think about the future and what i teach my kids. teach them about what is right and wrong, what is good and bad, responsibility, compassion, empathy.........

now here i am 1 month later, completing this entry and reflecting on that experience and my life since that time. since then, i have made steps to volunteer with the rape and abuse crisis center. i want to give back.......i also want my children to begin to see volunteering as something that you should just do as a good, christian person. i realize that i need to be that example for them.

we already do things with them, like giving toys away that we don't use, helping people when they need it. noah (i must brag here) has been my leader! he first, received the "caring candle award" at school because he stayed with a hurt child while someone else went to get help. he is so caring! it seemed he was always doing something for his classmates, that he even received a good character award at the end of the year. he next gave away his prized scooter to a child who does not have hardly anything because she had such a good time riding it at our house. then he went to vbs and they raised money for the summer lunch program for kids in our town. noah asked me if he could then help pass out those lunches. unfortunately he didn't get to because they have to be in middle school and high school to take part in that ministry, but it was just the fact that he wanted to do it. god is good and he is everywhere!

okay, now that i have rambled and scattered myself everywhere, let me bring it back home and summarize. get involved. do something to help others. be inspired.