27th Birthday

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I finished it! I can't wait to get this one in the mail!!

Faith

I was blessed beyond words when I completed the 27 random acts of kindness for my birthday. It was something that had consumed my thoughts for a long time prior to my birthday and when the time finally came I knew it was something I needed to do. God placed it on my heart for a reason and I knew that feeling would not go away until I surrendered to His will.

While the entire day (and part of the next day) was completely inspiring it was also a little bit intimidating and uncomfortable. We never knew how people would respond or if we would be able to complete some of the projects, but we quickly learned that God uses us when we step out in faith. Regardless of the responses we got from the recipients of our acts we were able to smile and know that our motive was pure and we possibly planted a seed of hope for some of the people that we came in contact with that day. I can say for everyone involved it was NOT about us. It was about being a servant because God calls us to be his hands and feet.

Abraham is a model of faith. He is someone I look up to in the Bible and strive to be like. God said to Abraham, in Genesis 12:1, "...Leave your country, your people, and your father's household and go to the land I will show you." In other words Abraham was asked to leave everything that made him comfortable. His response, "So Abram left, as the Lord had told him."

I obviously did not leave my home in the same way Abram left his home, but I stepped out of my comfort zone.

It is comfortable to receive gifts on your birthday. It is comfortable to go eat dinner with your family. It is comfortable to have people remember you and feel special when they call.

It is uncomfortable to goes against the grain. It is uncomfortable to say to your family and friends, "I would rather you go with me to complete these random acts of kindness than go to dinner." It is uncomfortable asking people to donate money for the cause rather than buy a gift.

While all these things may be uncomfortable in the moment I can promise you it is well worth being uncomfortable or feeling different. It was something I will never forget. I thank God for giving me an example in Abraham and allowing me to heed His call. And while it was not about me, I feel I grew more in that day than I have in a long time. It just makes your heart happy. Try it!

Side Note: One of my former students (and friend's daughter), Gracie Mann, decided to do the same thing for her birthday. She turns 9 tomorrow and spent her day off today serving others all over the city with her 9 acts of kindness. I am proud of her and her big heart! Thanks for letting me help today Gracie. I was honored to be apart of your birthday.

27 Random Acts of Kindness

This has been one of the most fun weekends leading up to my birthday that I have ever experienced. I have many things to say about this experience... and the pictures really don't do the whole thing justice but for now that is all that I have time to share.

1. Cookies and note for the mailman

2. Deliver Angel Tree Gift

3. Gather carts at Meijer

4. Buy Lottery Tickets for complete strangers

5. Buy a friend lunch

6. Sit with someone eating lunch alone

7. Let someone out in front of us (in the crazy Christmas traffic)

8. Put "happy day" notes on cars in a parking garage

9. Drop off break and bake cookies to the Ronald McDonald House

10. Donate children's books to the Children's Hospital in Cincinnati

11. Pass out gum/candy to kids at the hospital

12. Tape money to a pay phone

13. Tape money/note to vending machines

14. Donate cookies and milk to the fire station

15. Donate cookies and milk to the police station

16. Compliment a stranger on a recent purchase

17. Donate money to the Salvation Army

18. Make Johnny coffee (the night before...)

19. Give treats to dogs in the Animal Shelter

20. Buy a hot chocolate for the Salvation Army Bell Ringer

21. Hand out $5 gift cards at Walmart

22. Drop off water bottles for the nurses at the hospital

23. Buy food for the car behind us in the drive through at McDonalds

24. Mail a friend a letter

25. Donate diapers to the Brighton Center

26. Slip a note on someone's mailbox at school (anonymously)

27. Donate canned food to the Free Store Food Bank

Thankful Thursday

This Saturday I am celebrating my birthday (even though it is not until Tuesday)! 27 years! Wow, that sounds really old...I am still trying to get used to it.

Anyway, the reason I am writing this post it to tell the blog world (or those select few that read my blog) that I am so thankful for all that I have and I decided early on that I didn't need any gifts for my birthday this year. I told Johnny this year would be different. I told him that I won't give him any ideas and I won't accept any gifts. Instead we are taking the money that would normally go toward gifts and we are spending it on random acts of kindness.

The plan is to go with Johnny, Jane, and a couple of friends to do 27 (in honor of the big day) random acts of kindness all over Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. We are starting by delivering an Angel Tree gift to a sweet little girl in Cincinnati and then from there the sky is the limit. I have a list of tentative ideas but I can't wait to see what God just drops in our laps!

Wish us luck! Pictures to follow.

Oh and by the way, you can join us if you want! Just wherever you are do something random to make someone smile! I promise it will bring you joy!