Setting The Example

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading these tips on how to be a better member of your community. The labels on the sidebar will help you review any of the categories you’re interested in. Feel free to go back to earlier posts and use them as encouragement to stay active in the lives of those around you.

When you are being friendly, caring, daring, determined, and generous, you are setting an example for others as you participate in your community. Don’t think no one will notice. They notice, and they sometimes accept your unspoken challenge without telling you. Your quiet donation of time or money actually improves the chances of others donating or volunteering.

The goal is: Keep it up!

Thank you for making a difference in your world.

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Donate To A Food Bank

When you get hungry, you go to the refrigerator and pull out a snack. What if all you had in the kitchen was a can of tuna and some powdered drink mix? Where would you go for food if you didn’t have enough money to pay the electric bill last month?

You might be surprised at how many people show up at churches and ask for food. But where does the church get their supply?

Food banks supply many people with non-perishable food items. Churches get donations from their members, but some also purchase food for their pantry from a food bank.

Today’s goal is: Donate food to a food bank or a church food ministry.

Organizations who collect items to give to the poor rely on donations. If you can’t donate your time at one of the food banks or churches in your area, then get a bag of rice and a jar of peanut butter while you’re doing your shopping and drop it by a donation site.

It’s easy to buy a few extra items each time you do your grocery shopping. Sometimes you can save money by buying in bulk. Whether you donate two boxes of pasta or twenty cases of canned goods, your generosity helps others in need.

Enjoy knowing you’ve helped.

Happy Birthday To You!

I know I’m not the only one in the world who forgets to send birthday cards to family and friends. Lots of people forget this fabulous opportunity to brighten someone’s day.

My office has a file that stores a variety of birthday cards. Some are specifically for a Grandmother or a sister. Others are fairly generic and could be used for anyone. So I can throw a card in the mail pretty quickly. My problem is remembering that it is someone’s birthday today.

I got a phone call from a relative who wanted to thank me for sending a birthday card. I thought it was strange that he would call and thank me for something I try to remember to do every year. Then he admitted that it was the only birthday card he got in the mail that year.

Today’s goal is: Send birthday cards to as many of your family and friends as you can.

There are all sorts of calendar alarm systems to remind you of an upcoming birthday. You might have a kitchen calendar, a purse calendar, a hand-held computer, a Blackberry, or a calendar alarm system on your cell phone. Whatever system you use, make sure you list those important birthdays and get the card out on time.

You never know if yours will be the only card they get in the mail.

Be A Guest Speaker

This year in school, there will be opportunities for parents to get involved in classroom projects. Some parents volunteer to help with specific areas of interest, things they excel in or have special knowledge about.

Some retired men and women might be interested in being a guest speaker for an afternoon of interesting experiments or story-telling.

Last year, my son’s class learned about geology from one of his friends’ parents. Mr. Smith works as a geologist at an oil and gas company and took a day off to give a hands-on presentation. Thanks, Mr. Smith. You rock!

I know teachers welcome guest speakers who pique the interest of their students.

Today’s goal is: Volunteer to be a guest speaker at a local school.

Is there something you’ve studied and can share with kids in a memorable way? I’ll bet there is. Kids often find stories of an older generation fascinating. The history that was lived by their grandparents or great-grandparents stirs their imagination and brings “old facts” of history into reality.

My husband’s grandmother lived in a covered wagon during her childhood. My kids have never seen a real covered wagon. How much more does history come to life when you know someone who’s lived it?

Whether you’re an artist, geologist, chef, or a fan of classic literature, you have special knowledge that will thrill a young audience.

Help A School Teacher

What if you were your child’s teacher. What if you had a million things to do before school started tomorrow. What if someone offered to help do tasks that didn’t require your personal attention.

You can be that caring individual that shows up with 20 to 30 minutes of spare time to help out with an extra pair of hands.

Today’s goal is: Offer to help your child’s teacher organize pieces of a school project.

The school year is beginning and there are a lot of things every teacher needs help with. My kids’ teachers had sign up sheets to help parents know the areas of need. One teacher needed a library resource parent. Another needed a holiday party organizer. I chose to sign up for the book fair parent team.

If working on an after-school project for your kids’ teacher doesn’t fit your schedule, ask about another area of need. There’s always room for one more caring helper.

Hello! Good to see you.

My son watches Spongebob Squarepants – so I occasionally do, too. I learn things about people when watching characters interact. Friendly characters tend to stand out. When Spongebob takes a walk, he waves to people and says hello.

I’ve also heard of other people – real people – that stand out because they’re friendly. There was a man who couldn’t walk down the street, but that didn’t stop him. He sat on his front porch and waved and said hello to everyone that passed by him, whether they traveled by car, bicycle, or on foot.

I remember when my kids were around three or four years old, they stood in the grassy front yard of my mother’s house and waved to all the cars on the adjacent highway. She lives on a curve in the road, so the kids were very visible. I thought it was funny (and so did the kids) that quite a lot of the cars and trucks honked as they passed.

Today’s goal is: Wave at the people in your neighborhood as you travel past them or as they travel past you.

Being friendly in your neighborhood is a good way to get to know your neighbors.

Flowers

Recently, my husband surprised me with a bouquet of flowers. It wasn't my birthday, obviously not Mother's Day, not my anniversary, I wasn't sick, and he wasn't apologizing for anything.

I love getting flowers, especially for no other reason than to say, "I love you."

Do you have a mother, sister, child, or friend who enjoys flowers? Would a small gift change their day for the better?

Today's goal is: Pick out someone who might enjoy a small bouquet - and make sure they hear the words, "I love you" when you give the flowers.

This is an easy way to cheer someone up. When you brighten someone else's face with a gift, your day immediately seems better.

Be A Regular Attender

Have you been sitting around feeling guilty every Sunday morning because you know you should be in church, but aren’t?

My dad raised us to go to church every Sunday, whether you stayed out too late on Saturday or not. I had friends there, so I didn’t complain. I’ve grown up now and recognize the wisdom of regular church attendance. Eventually, the power of God’s presence will sink all the way into your heart. I love it when people give up on fighting against God.

And that’s really what we want. We want God’s power to help us change from where we are to where we can be. He can elevate our goals and help us reach them.

Today’s goal is: Go to church.

Find a good one. Pay attention and take notes. If something sounds a little off, go home and look up the subject in your Bible. Find out if the pastor got it right, but be merciful. All speakers make mistakes. If the pastor keeps making the same mistake, ask for an appointment and discuss it. If you feel the pastor's not following God, try a different church. There are a lot of church options. And a lot of different pastors.

As a regular attender, you’ll see the same church from a few different angles. Some days everyone will be friendly and the choir will bring the house down. Other days, well, you know. We all have our off days. The key to finding the right church and staying there is knowing God wants you there. Pray and find the right one for you.

If you’re waiting for the perfect church, you’ll never find it. But you may find one that offers training in the truth of God, a good prayer ministry, and a way to make and maintain Christian friendships.

You can even make a good church great by joining the ranks of the volunteers. Ask around to see where the needs are. If one ministry isn’t your cup of tea, try another. Be determined to enhance your church.

Because your church is designed to enhance you.

Dare to be a Substitute Teacher

It’s summer and time for families to go on a vacation. But what do Sunday School teachers do when they need to get away?

They ask for volunteers.

I used to teach Sunday School classes. My husband and I didn’t have any children at the time I was asked to substitute in the high school classroom. I’d never done that before, but I accepted the challenge.

When I wasn’t teaching in the high school class, I taught an adult class. The ages were different, but the attitude was the same. They didn’t expect perfection from me, but they did expect me to speak from my heart about real issues that they had to deal with on a daily basis. I wanted my words to matter to them so we weren’t wasting our time. So I studied.

I looked up Bible verses on topics they were interested in. I looked up words in the dictionary. I wrote an outline and presented it in class. I often had a good response from them at the end of our time together.

If your child’s Sunday school class teacher needs a break or is going on a vacation, you can ask to substitute during the teacher’s absence. It wouldn’t mess you up to prayerfully prepare a lesson from your own experience.

Today’s goal is: Ask a Sunday School teacher if you can bring a lesson to give them a break for a week.

You can study the Bible to create a brief lesson based on events in your past. Maybe these were mistakes you learned from or events you had success with. The youth of today will be making the same decisions that we faced. Ultimately, they will thank us for giving them a reason to make the right decision.

If you enjoy volunteering your time, you could find out if there is a list of substitute teachers and put your name on it. Or you could find a teacher who wants to do a monthly trade-off. You teach one month, and they teach the next.

You’ll never know if you’ll like it unless you give it a try.

Encourage Someone You Care About

To encourage someone is to bolster, support, or strengthen them. Standing alongside someone who needs to hear “You can do it” is a small thing for the giver, but big for the receiver.

When I was pregnant with my first child, I called my friend who had a one-year-old baby at home. I was feeling a little unsettled and all I needed was for her to get me out of my worry mode. She calmly spoke to me about her experience and cheered me up. After she helped me change my attitude in those few moments, I could face my day standing a little taller, a little bolder.

I am grateful to her for lifting me up with her words. It was a big thing for me at the time, and just a little phone call for her.

Today’s goal is: Call or email someone with a message of encouragement.

Is there someone who needs your encouragement today?