Day 4

Day 4: Got to "Make the Change" today, met a person that was Terminally Ill and was considering suicide, the person was tired and didn't want to wonder anymore, just wanted to end it. Very sad and very lonely!!! I was able to share my story of the past 10 years and then the past three, gave the person my promise of being just a phone call away, if they wanted to talk, our to have my family come over. It made the difference, it gave hope, it gave a spark of life and it blessed me to be a part of it!!! Not sure why God gives me these incredible opportunities, maybe He gives us all these opportunities we just have to look for them, but it truly has changed my life to witness what some kindness and compassion, acts, deeds and words can do to "Make the Change", so how about you, any opportunities you want to share??? Amazing week so far!!!

Day 1

Day 1, built a computer for a 90 year old lady that I met 12 years ago. She called me a few weeks ago in need of some work, she had kept my number through all these years and through that conversation, found that she needed a few things and God helped to bring us together to bless each-other and Make the Change in each-others life!!!

When do we tell or Share???

Matthew 6:5-7

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

One of my love languages is words of affirmation, I found long ago that I really like it when people especially my loved ones but friends as well as strangers, give me encouragement and tell me that what I am doing is "good" or "right". It gives me strength to keep going and keep doing my "good" works. However, it can also change my reasoning for doing the "good" work as well. If I do "good" works in order to get words of affirmation, then my motives are wrong and my "rewards" are therefore received in full with the words of affirmation that I get. This is what the scripture above speaks to. Many of the religious people of that time, had began to do their duty in prayer out in the public where all could see how devoted they were and how godly they were, because they were "seen" doing the "right" things. However, their hearts were all in the wrong place and therefore, all of their correctness and godliness was rewarded by the praise they received by the people who saw what they did. So they missed out on the eternal reward and the eternal extra's that come along with a truly Godly act!!! So we see in Matthew, that we are told to no longer seek glory in the eyes of man, but to seek only God's glory and when we do this, He will reward us with things that are more then just passing praise that only lasts for the moment!!! However, take a look at this:
Matthew 5:15-17

Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Now, I know one is about prayer and one is about good deeds, but where is the balance??? You might ask why this matters in this group and why I am even bringing this up??? Well, I was asked and told by a member of this group, that I never give examples of how I follow my own posts and how I live my every day life "Making the Change", my automatic response was, I don't think it's a good idea to post all the things I "do", because then I may lose my reward and also my hearts motive may change as well. However, as a leader, even if it's a group page on facebook, those who read my posts deserve to know, that I am living my convictions and that will, I hope, give them or you the inspiration to make the change in your part of the world and influence your community in a positive way!!! So, I will be posting everyday for the next seven days, one thing I do to make the change in my little corner of the world. I hope that it will inspire you to do the same and let us see what your doing, so that all of us can be inspired to make the world a better place, because we chose to make a difference!!! :-)

The Cost of Kindness

Many of us "do" acts of kindness all the time. We open the door for strangers, we help out a friend when he/she calls and needs our help. We come to the rescue when our wife has a flat tire or our neighbor's car battery dies. Most of us are not going to turn down a friend or a neighbor or even a stranger, if what they ask won't interrupt our life's to much, or if we have the skills needed to help. However, how many of us would be willing to give up say our vacation to help a person prepare for an interview for a job. How about our car for a week, to a family that had their engine die on them and won't have a car until it's fixed. How about a bedroom, for a teenager that needs some time away from an abusive parent. How about everything, adopt a child and spend the next 18 years giving up your pleasures and conveniences to help out a person that needed you and you could help? Most of us will do acts of Kindness if the "cost" isn't to high, but how many of us, are willing to do acts of Kindness and "Make the Change" in our part of the world, if the cost is "very" high, or may cost us years of effort and inconvenience? I have made a commitment to do what it takes to "Make the Change", to affect my world in a positive and impactful way. Sometimes, the cost is little, but sometimes, the cost is something that I'm still paying for today!!! How about you, are you willing to "Make the Change", no matter the cost, or only if the cost is minor and the inconvenience to your daily routine light? Sometimes doing right costs more then not doing anything, but, the outcome from that act, can change a heart, a life, a family, a neighboorhood, a community, a state, a country, a world!!! The thing is, none of us knows which act will make the biggest impact, that is why, every act of Kindness, every choice we make to change our world, could be the one that changes everything!!! Have a great week, see you around as I "Make the Change"!!!

Make the Change,
Scott

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"!!!