Will You Be Missed?

There is a study that our church is going through called "Out Live Your Life" it's based on the fact that a person can live in such a way that when they are gone, their principles and values, the core belief's of that person can live on, in the people and the communities in which they have a sphere of influence and in fact can even span the globe depending on the people who are changed by their influence and their relationships.



This came to life for me this past week when a neighbor who comes by our house everyday several times walking her four dogs and she stops and gives my dog a treat and in fact gives all of the dogs in our neighborhood a treat but my kid's and my wife have befriended her and in fact my kid's have walked with her several times and she is just a really nice lady. This week however, I hadn't seen her in a few day and when I drove by her house her lawn hadn't been mowed and I got a little worried and found out that she had just been really busy this week and her schedule had changed for the first time in months and now shes back on her routine and she came back by the house. It got me thinking though, what if I was gone, would anyone outside my family miss me, would my neighbors notice that I was gone, would people who were not related to me notice that I wasn't there anymore?



Make the Change came about for me because I knew that I needed to make sure that I was making a difference in the life's that I have an influence in and make new connections and influence those life's as well, not because I believe they need me to change their life's, but because I believe all of us need each-other and all of us can help each-other make life easier by giving our talents and time to those who are in our sphere of influence. I saw people who complained about never having enough time to do this and that, or needing help with this or that and people wishing they knew someone who could do this or that. I found that in many cases, I could do those things but I wasn't, I was to busy, I was to involved in living my life to make time to help out those who weren't "close" to me. We need to remember that there are no accidents in this world when it comes to relationships, relationships are made on purpose and require time and effort. We all have that time if we are honest, but are we willing to sacrifice our favorite show or our Facebook time to "Make the Change" and make sure that if we suddenly left this world, not only would we be missed, but maybe, just maybe, our lives would have made such a difference, that what we did, would live on in the lives and relationships in which we poured our time and efforts. "Make the Change"



Scott

What are you doing to prepare?

Have you helped out lately?

     My son is a Boy Scout and as such we receive a magazine called Boys' Life. It is filled with lots of really cool stuff about Boy Scouts and Merit Badges, jokes and projects. It also has in it, a really cool section, called Scouts in Action, where they feature Scouts who have accomplished something life changing by simply being prepared and acting when needed. One boy helped save a family friend who was fishing with them and slipped and fell on some rocks and hit his head in fast rapids, he thought quick reached out with his wading pole and the man grabbed it, but pulled him in as well, but he didn't panic and his Dad was there and together, they pulled their family friend out of the water got him to a hospital and saved his life. Another boy heard his mother screaming in the kitchen of their house, he ran in and found the kitchen on fire, knowing that the fire would quickly spread, he ran and picked up his twin brothers and took them safely out of the house and then ran back in for his mother who was sick and weak from cancer, he got her out of the house, then he ran back in, found the fire extinguisher and put out most of the fire.

     I wonder if we are enough like Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts? Are we prepared to help our friends, family and neighbors when they need us? Do we prepare ourselves for the eventuality that one day we will be needed? Do we seek opportunities to help, or do we wait until an emergency arises? I think we can learn a lot from Scouts and make a choice to not only be prepared by training ourselves to know how to help when it's needed, but also to find opportunities to help, simply because it's the right thing to do. I make sure that I do something every week to help someone no matter how big or small that something is and I also make sure that once a month my family does something as well for others. It is said that our lives are but a vapor that appears for a short time and then is gone. What will you do with your time while your here? What are you waiting for "Make the Change"!!!

I'm Different "What Now"

Recently I found out that I am much different from what I thought I was. As I sat in what is normally a very safe place for me, I began to hear those who spoke, make jokes about men who do the things I do and for the first time, I became embarrassed about who I am and what I do. I am sure that many of you out there have felt the same at one time or another, or maybe you feel that way all the time. So what do we do? If you have been a follower of my blog or facebook page for long, you know that I don't quote scripture to often, but I believe that this is a time where we need to see how God views us and what He thinks about those who are "different". This comes from a sermon that our Pastor recently delivered here is the scripture:

Romans 12:

³ For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. ⁴ For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. ⁶ We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your^[a] faith; ⁷ if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; ⁸ if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,^[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. 

Wow, how awesome is that, I'm different and God made me that way. Our Pastor showed us a picture of a neighborhood filled with houses that all looked the same and to tell you the truth, it felt good to see the picture, it was safe, it was unified, it was "normal". Then he showed a picture of a neighborhood filled with house's of every kind, large, small, beautiful, different, the picture did not bring the peace of mind that the other picture did, but the truth behind the pictures was the question that our Pastor asked "which of these pictures should the church be represented by?" My first thought was the first, it felt good, it looked unified, it was "normal", but in light of the verse above, it was the second picture. The second picture was still a neighborhood, it was still filled with people, but the difference was, that everyone was allowed to express themselves as they saw fit within the rules of the neighborhood.

God made each of us different and the reason for this, was so that we weren't all doing the same thing, but instead, each of us have a roll to play and therefore, all of us are needed. The sermon went on to show Scripture saying, "The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!", the truth is that all of us need each-other and if one part of our body is missing we are handicap.

So the title asked the question, I'm Different, "What Now", I say, find a place that needs your unique and wonderful qualities, plug yourself in and be the best "you" you can be. Don't be embarrassed about being different, it is those differences that God uses to make the body whole. More than that, remember that many will not accept or enjoy your differences, but know that without you, they are crippled. It's not easy being different, but anyone who has lost a toe or a finger, knows how much harder life is. However, before losing that part, that person probably didn't even give that finger or toe any notice at all, but it certainly made life a whole lot better. You matter!!! You are needed!!! So your different, good, get out there and "Make the Change"!!!

What Can I Do???

Happy New Year!!! Everyone who has a family or loved one's has probably felt the sting of the holidays on their checkbooks. For many going into debt is just part of the holiday tradition. This can cause serious problems for many people and it may be affecting those you know right now. The high interest rate on credit cards can make paying back all those great and awesome gifts you gave this year pretty hard. So you might ask yourself the question, what can I do about it???

Well, I have found a number of ways to help my friends, family and even neighbors out of a few financial struggles by giving them my talents for free or at a very generous rate. Just before the end of the year, I was able to use some spare parts I had in my basement, to help fix a computer of a couple who were looking at buying a new one because theirs wouldn't work anymore. My extra parts and talents saved them an extra 3 or 4 hundred dollars, since now they don't have to buy a new computer. I have also done many other things with my gift's, talents and skills to help over a dozen people or more this past year. I didn't do all of it for free, but I saved all of them a ton of money by giving them a parts only price. I am not saying this to get a pat on the back, but showing you that a poor guy like me, that is very limited on money, can give hundreds of dollars to people, without spending a dime. Another thing that we did this year, was make blankets, scarf's and hat's for all of our relatives for Christmas. Now you might think that cost a lot of money, but in fact, we barely had 40 dollars into all of the materials, because we found a company that was throwing away brand new fabric, two huge boxes full and we got the yarn for the hats and scarfs for barely a dollar a roll. This helped in two ways, it saved some of our relatives money on hats and scarf's this year, but it also allowed us to stay in the black this year and not go into debt at all during the holiday.

So when you consider helping someone, you don't always have to think, well how much money do I have to spare this month, but instead, find people who need your talents, gifts and skills and bless them with a monetary gift that didn't brake your bank, but helped save them from having to burn a hole in their pocket, due to a repair bill or winter gear they needed to buy. Remember, now is a great time to "Make the Change" in your little part of the world. Go ahead, what are you waiting for???!!!

A Caroling We Go

     The family and I have made a tradition out of going Caroling every year at Christmas time. A lot of people miss great opportunities for Making the Change in the lives of many people who are unable to get out of their houses for Christmas. We visited 9 homes and a Rehab center for those who have had a stroke. I can tell you that it was the greatest time we have had so far this Christmas season. Seeing the smiles and tears from those we sang to was incredible. The greatest thing about Caroling is that you don't have to know how to sing. We had a group of about 41 people when we went and the great thing is, that there were some great singers who had nice loud voices and those who thought they couldn't sing, were able to sing without hesitation. No one really cares how good your voice is, it's the thought that you came out to spend time with them this season. A lot of healing and Joy comes out of caroling, not only for those who receive the songs, but also for the friends and family who participate. So what are you waiting for, get a group together and go "Make the Change" in your little part of the world!!!

Self and Self-Confidence

Today's thoughts I heard from a family member and it made a lot of since, it deals with self. Self is the main reason for so much of our circumstances in life. Self can bring us to our knee's in despair, or raise us to the top of mountains. It is self that motivates us to the highest achievements or dooms us to failure for lack of Self-confidence. Now for those of us who believe in God, we also know that He can overcome our "self's" if he chooses, we see that in the life of Moses for instance, but how we "feel" about ourselves and how we choose to react to circumstances in our life, will go a long way in determining how we live and how we seem to those around us. There are those we see as "to" happy, or those we see as always gloomy, or those who are always negative, or those who are always sick, or those who seem to be so confident and those who seem to always get the best in life, everything they touch turns to gold. All of those people in our life have in some way or another, made a decision about how they will view "self" and it affects everything they do. So how do we deal with self in a good and positive way that helps us "Make the Change" in the lives of those in our families, neighborhoods and communities, here is a good start:

If you are right then there is no need to get angry, and if you are wrong then you don't have any right to get angry.

Patience with family is how we show love, Patience with others is how we show respect, Patience with self is how we show confidence and Patience with God is how we show faith.

Never think hard about past failure, it brings tears, and lack of self-confidence

Don't think more about what the future will bring, it brings fears and trouble

Live this moment with joy and contentment, it will bring cheer to you and those around you and will help you to "Make that Change".

The Golden Rule

Everyone has heard the Golden Rule and many people live by its principles, but for those who don't know it, here it is: Do onto others, as you would have done onto you. In other words treat others as you want to be treated. ...A key element of the Golden Rule is that a person attempting to live by this rule treats all people with consideration, not just members of his or her in-group.

This rule played itself out in a current episode of the reality show Survivor. One of the Survivors this year is a very small, nerdy looking, wimpy guy, who has since day one been the butt of his tribes jokes and has had to humble himself and work like a dog in order to make happy his other tribe mates so that they wouldn't just vote him off. They treated him with disrespect, no loyalty and made him know that he was always the "next" to go, if he didn't do what they asked. However, the tide turned when the tribe merged and it became a one on one game and the two tribes were equal 6 tribe members a piece. They told the wimpy guy to act as a spy and gather information about the other team, get their trust and then they would burn the other tribe at tribal council. The problem was, the other tribe understood the Golden Rule and treated the wimpy guy with respect, compassion and friendliness that compelled him to turn on his tribe and vote off his greatest nemesis, in a brilliant move.

We have people in our lives every day that look at how we treat them and learn to respond in like manner. Kids are the biggest litmus test of the Golden Rule, because they tend to mirror our actions and we get to see from them who we really are, often in those "kids say the craziest things" moments. So who are you, are you someone who is living by the "Golden Rule" treating those in and out of your circle of friends and family with respect and kindness? Or are you like the tribe who is always picking on the little guy, stepping on feelings and following the crowd when it comes time to poke fun at the odd guy or gal in the group. Remember, that sooner or later, our actions and words come back to haunt us and it may end up costing you more than a game in a reality show, but a friend, job, marriage, or worse. How about you, are you Making the Change in your life to live by the Golden Rule and change people’s life’s in your actions, your words, your deeds and your faith?

Make the Change!!!
Scott