So I am a huge classic movie fan. I love them all from Lost Angel to The African Queen to Guess Who's Coming To Dinner. I love the escapism that classic movies provide. It's a world far far away. But the reality is that we live in a world that needs as much help as we are able to contribute. As a mother, I want my children to be able to contribute and give to the community from an early age.
I learned once that Joan Crawford, a classic actress, made her children reluctantly donate their favorite Christmas presents each year to needy families. Although an admirable act of charity, the method may have been a bit muddled. I wanted to be more clear, and less cruel, when modeling service for my children. A birthday recently came upon our family and my husband and I decided that it was the right age for our child to begin a service project independent from our family service projects. So when the invitations went out, we asked each guest to contribute a non-perishable food item to the party celebrations. We collected the food and donated it to the U.S. Postal Service Harvest Food Drive, a food donation program for those in need in our community. Our child was involved in all the different parts of this project and really felt like they were helping others.
The great part about this service project was that it has greater meaning then just donating to a local program. The birthday party was a "Pasta Party." It was based on one of our favorite children's story that tells of a girl and her mother of whom are poor and hungry, till they are given a magic pasta pot. The young girl and her mother, so over joyed by their good fortune, hold an annual pasta party for their community in thanksgiving. So as the guests arrived we had them pile their items in the biggest pasta pot that we could find, putting a visual to the story for our family. And the best part was that it was all our child's idea. I love it when it all works out that way.
Even if you and your family already complete many service projects here are a few more ideas. Check out Make a Difference in 15 Minutes http://charityguide.org/volunteer/fifteenminutes.htm. I love this site and I know you will too. What do you and your family do as service projects? Share.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Thursday Night Retreats
I've been working on this post for a while and I would love to hear what you have to say.
Life seems to steadily get far more complicated by the end of the week then at the beginning. I really wish this wasn't true. For many, this may seem reasonable since most of us have relaxed to some degree on the weekends and take that calming nature with us into the week ahead. But for some, our lives are not broken up that simply. Some work nights, some have strange schedules, work weekends, have multiple jobs, or try to squeeze in as many family activities humanly possible into 48 hours that going to work on Monday seems like a relief from the weekend.
My family is on such a strange work/relax schedule that trying to keep the same two days a week to slow down and enjoy each other has become a secret priority.
To find some time where I can relax and find peace, I have begun taking mini-retreats. Bear with me for a minute while I explain myself. My cable company airs a channel called EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network). For those who haven't heard of it, EWTN is a global Catholic network run by Sisters and Brothers, as well as lay people. On Thursday nights at 8PM a program called Life on the Rock is broadcast. They invite guests who exemplify, for me, the modern Catholic, to share their story and gain support. By their example hopefully viewers can gain a better understanding of the Faith and maybe examine their own lives. The program is largely an interview between the clergy and a guest.
I like my little faith time-out. I enjoy my time reflecting and listening to others so much that I make sure I have answered phone calls, taken care of family, and feed the dogs before this program so that I am uninterrupted. I invite you to check out my mini-Thursday retreats. It's my quite time. And check out www.EWTN.com for more programming info.
Life seems to steadily get far more complicated by the end of the week then at the beginning. I really wish this wasn't true. For many, this may seem reasonable since most of us have relaxed to some degree on the weekends and take that calming nature with us into the week ahead. But for some, our lives are not broken up that simply. Some work nights, some have strange schedules, work weekends, have multiple jobs, or try to squeeze in as many family activities humanly possible into 48 hours that going to work on Monday seems like a relief from the weekend.
My family is on such a strange work/relax schedule that trying to keep the same two days a week to slow down and enjoy each other has become a secret priority.
To find some time where I can relax and find peace, I have begun taking mini-retreats. Bear with me for a minute while I explain myself. My cable company airs a channel called EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network). For those who haven't heard of it, EWTN is a global Catholic network run by Sisters and Brothers, as well as lay people. On Thursday nights at 8PM a program called Life on the Rock is broadcast. They invite guests who exemplify, for me, the modern Catholic, to share their story and gain support. By their example hopefully viewers can gain a better understanding of the Faith and maybe examine their own lives. The program is largely an interview between the clergy and a guest.
I like my little faith time-out. I enjoy my time reflecting and listening to others so much that I make sure I have answered phone calls, taken care of family, and feed the dogs before this program so that I am uninterrupted. I invite you to check out my mini-Thursday retreats. It's my quite time. And check out www.EWTN.com for more programming info.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
