RAKS

What are RAKS, you ask? Before Christmas I read a friend's blog and was inspired. A RAK is a Random Act of Kindness. We are always trying to teach our children to give to others when we have the opportunity but really how often to do put that into action. So after reading Tammy's blog post (you must read it yourself) I was inspired to put it into action. As usual I had these big plans of doing something every day for the month of december but of course the time got away from me and we weren't able to do them. However we did get our Sunday School kids together one day before Christmas. We met at the church and had a fun filled time of baking and decorating cookies to give to someone else. I told them that they were going to get to take atleast one plate of cookies home with them but the rule was that they couldn't keep them. I wanted them to take a moment and think of someone they could bless with the cookies. Did they know someone who was spending the holiday alone, or someone who had to work on Christmas.

My Kimberly had a hard time deciding who would be the best recipient of her cookies and then on Christmas Eve she made her choice. After we were finished with our family time for the day and she had placed her cookies out for Santa and the carrots out for the reindeer, we put on our coats and got in the car. She decided that she wanted to take a plate of cookies to the Sheriff's office and another to the gal who was working at the convenience store. I went in with her at the Sheriff's office but let her go into the convenience store by herself. Sitting in the car I watched her as she walked to the counter and waited patiently for the young lady who was working to finish what she was doing and come to her. Then she handed her the plate of cookies and said "I just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas" and walked out. I have never seen my child so radiant before. She beemed at the opportunity to bless someone else. And I would swear she walked out of that store six inches taller.

So this leads me to our plan for Valentines Day. We are doing 14 days of Random Acts of Loving Kindness. We have our list together and are ready to get started. Kimberly is very excited at the prospects we have lined up. I will take pics and post them as I can and I challenge you to do something for someone else. It doesn't have to be anything big, what may be small to you might just be the biggest thing in the world to someone else. And it doesn't have to even cost you any money. Sometimes simply smiling and saying hello to someone will make all the difference in the world to them. Think about it, what can I do today to brighten someone else's day?

With thankfulness in my heart

How often when your world is falling down around you or even when everything is going well do we take the time to stop and think about what you have to be thankful for? Beginning the 1st of November I started posting what I had to be thankful for that day on my Facebook page. Of course it was November and many others were doing the same with Thanksgiving in mind, and most of those ended their postings at the end of the month. But I was compelled to continue. And now 91 days later, I continue to post what I have to be thankful for each day. And the plan is to continue through at least this year. I don't claim to be a writer at all, in fact most of the time I feel like I'm just rambling and when you get to the end of what I've written you will be wondering "what the heck did she mean by all that" but I hope to try and make some sense. I tried this idea of blogging once before and then life got so busy that I didn't get back to it. But now I'm feeling compelled to do this again.

During the beginning of my posting thankfulness for the day I lost a friend to a tragic accident. She was one of those rare souls who could always find something to laugh about no matter how bad things seemed. I want to be one of those people. Yes I cried and my heart was broken. I had spent a week praying and crying out to God to fix her. Her boys needed her, her family needed her and she was much to young to die. And yet the day after Thanksgiving the injuries to her brain were to much and she left us. I know that some people will say "if God is so good then why didn't He heal her" but I believe He has. She's whole again. She's laughing still and I am going to choose to be like her and be thankful for the time I had with her. To be thankful for the laughs we shared. And to be thankful that I was blessed to be able to call her my friend.

I always strive to teach my daughter that even when it seems we have nothing we are still richly blessed and there is always someone who is struggling worse then we are. I want to be one of those people who always finds the good. I know that my God is good always. Even when I don't understand and all seems dark, God is good.

One of my favorite verses is.....

Philippians 4:6 Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

So I hope you will come along with me in search of what is good, what we have to be thankful for and focusing on what God is doing and not what we think He should have done.