Tag Archives: serving

“Make Me Feel Important”

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Make Me Feel Important

Imagine that everyone that you meet is wearing a sign that says, “Make Me Feel Important”

In a recent post, we discussed how we are often more important than we realize. So today, I thought I’d flip the script a bit and repost an older article about how we need to make others feel important by imagining that everyone wears a sign that says, “Make me feel important.”

My church is a pretty large church in Tulsa, OK.  There are several things that our church does to make a big church feel a little smaller with small groups, serving opportunities, outreaches, etc.  One of the things we used to do was called a “section community” which is defined as people who connect weekly by sitting in the same section of the auditorium when they come to church.  Each section has section leaders who facilitate connection among the section members.

My section had some pretty great leaders—Scott and Dawn.  One way they connected with us on a regular basis outside of service was through some encouraging e-mails and Facebook posts.  One time they sent an e-mail that I TOTALLY loved, and I got their permission to share it on my blog.  It’s about how we, as Christians, should be treating others.  In particular, they shared how we should imagine that everyone that we encounter on a day-to-day basis is wearing a sign that says, “Make me feel important”.

Imagine that everyone that you meet is wearing a sign that says, “Make me feel important”

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Here is Scott and Dawn’s e-mail message:

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4 Ways to Show Generosity This Season

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4 Ways to Show Generosity This Season

This past week in the United States we celebrated our Thanksgiving holiday and subsequently the start of the largest shopping season of the year. It’s easy to lose focus and lose sight of what we celebrate this week and to remain in a “thankful” posture. In light of that, that’s a primary reason why the Tuesday following the Thanksgiving holiday has been designated as “Giving Tuesday”.

GivingTuesday.org describes this day as a “Global Generosity Movement” that was “created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Over the past seven years, this idea has grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.”

Giving Tuesday can serve to remind all of us to be both thankful for what we blessed with as we recognize others in need as well as become more outwardly focused, looking to our communities and to those in need in order to find ways of helping them.

I would like to take the opportunity before Thanksgiving and before Giving Tuesday to get readers to start thinking about a purposed and intentional plan of generosity.

My challenge today is to encourage you to form a plan of some kind of “sacrificial” generosity or giving in one of four ways:

    1. Financial
    2. Time
    3. Gifts/Talents
    4. Prayer
      Show sacrificial generosity in one of 4 ways this season: Financial, Time, Gifts/Talents, or Prayer

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Financial

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Ways to Fight Discontentment

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Ways to Fight Discontentment

Have you ever struggled with discontentment in something? You know…a situation where you just feel unhappy, frustrated, annoyed, irritated, displeased, dissatisfied, or just flat out angry. It might be in your job, in your marriage, at your current church, in a relationship or friendship, in a class, on a team, or even with material things like your home or your car. I think we all at some point or another in our lives experience some discontentment with various things, myself included.

I have been struggling with a couple of these things myself over the past couple of years. Recently God convicted me about how I was handling some of my frustrations and dissatisfactions. Unfortunately I was letting my discontentment steer some of my attitudes and behaviors, and it wasn’t in a good way. God dealt with me on some practical ways that I can fight discontentment, so that I don’t become bitter or give a foothold to the devil (Ephesians 4:27). This week I thought I’d share some of those strategies with you in hopes that they might help you too if and when you ever struggle with discontentment.

Take Some Practical Steps to Fight Discontentment:

Pray for a right heart and spirit

One of the things that has helped me the most over the past year has been to pray Psalm 51:10 as a heartfelt prayer over myself. By doing this, I’m asking God to change my heart and clean it up and to help me have a right spirit in areas where my heart and spirit may not line up with God and his heart. I’ve seen a tremendous difference in my attitude (and my irritation levels) since doing this. Whenever, I start to feel discontentment and frustration coming on, I will say this verse out loud, sometimes two or three times (or more!).

Another verse that I pray over myself is Ezekiel 36:26 asking God to take away any hard-heartedness or stubbornness that I might have and to help me be more tender and responsive.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10 (ESV)

“And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.” Ezekiel 36:26 (NLT)

Pray for grace

I’ve also found it extremely helpful to pray for grace. This is the kind of grace to be able to handle things that I normally can’t handle on my own. This definition of grace is God’s ability and enabling power. With God’s ability and power helping us, it makes managing difficult situations much easier and more bearable.

“Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NLT)

“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)

Pray for those things that frustrate you

Consider this–maybe God is allowing you to be discontent in certain areas in order to talk to you or trigger you to pray for those areas. Instead of just feeling discontentment in expressing your frustrations and complaining, start praying about those issues or things that you see wrong. Pray about things that need to be changed. Find some scriptures to stand on and believe for that will help with that specific need or problem.

Strive to give, not to get, when you are feeling discontentment

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Acts of Kindness and Good Deeds

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Acts of Kindness and Good Deeds

We have some new little neighbor kids who just moved here from Phoenix a couple months ago. They’ve been coming to the back of the neighborhood where we live and playing in our creek/ditch. Their mom said it’s their favorite place in the whole neighborhood because of the trees and rocks and creek and such. They come catch tadpoles and frogs and crawfish.

I got an idea for act of kindness that my daughter and I could do for these little ones. I can’t take credit for the idea though. It came from my friend Kim. She and her daughter painted some rocks and put them out on walking paths as a surprise for some little girls in their neighborhood to find on their walks. This was such a great idea that my daughter and I decided to duplicate it for our new neighbors.

We painted some rocks in some fun designs and then set them all out in our creek for the kids to find when they come back to play sometime. The anticipation has been so exciting as we’ve been waiting on them to come back to find their surprises. We’ve even talked about expanding our idea to set little decorated rocks out at the base of some of our neighbors mailboxes as an act of kindness for them too so they might have a little fun surprise when they get their mail. Then we discussed even making more to take to some nature trails to lay out for other families and kids to find out some point, and we talked about making some to put in geocaches we find too.

Good deeds rock painting collage

Good deeds painted rocks collage

Expressing an act of kindness is a fun way to pass time

Doing good deeds and seeing the creative ways that others have done good deeds has been a wonderful way to pass the time recently during the COVID-19 pandemic as so many of us are homebound. We love watching clips lately from Some Good News, or following Good News Movement and Global Positive News on Instagram. It’s also fun to get inspiration from those internet or Pinterest posts tagged “faith in humanity restored”. If you’re ever having a bad day these are all good places to focus on the good, pure, lovely and admirable things.

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:8 (NLT)

However, these are also some great places to get some good ideas for some good deeds! Jesus tells us to love our neighbor. (I’ve even written before about loving your actual neighbor.)

“The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:31 (NIV)

This commandment is only second in importance to loving God with all of our hearts, souls, minds and strength.  I also personally believe that the second command—to love our neighbor—is one way HOW we go about showing our love for God in a tangible, practical way.  We can do this by doing good deeds, loving people, and showing God’s compassion and kindness toward them.  It really does stand out in today’s narcissistic and self-entitled culture where people rarely go out on a limb for another.

They will know we are Christians by our love

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The Benefits of Service Learning

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The Benefits of Service Learning

In the class I teach at the local community college, the students are required to complete 4 hours of service learning. At the end of our course, these students are required to do a presentation of their service learning experience. This past week was our final week of class (it’s a short-term, 10-week class), and they conducted their presentations and presented their Vision Boards. It was by far my favorite week of class! Talk about feel-good, uplifting class sessions…this was a perfect way to end our course on a high note.

It didn’t start like that

At the beginning of the semester a large number of the students aren’t terribly excited about this “required volunteer” component (sounds like an oxymoron right?). In fact some of them are just downright mad!

I hear comments like…

“Why do I HAVE to volunteer?”

“You mean we can’t get paid for this work?!”

“I don’t have time to do service learning.”

“This seems like such a waste of time.”

By the end of our class I love seeing the turnaround in many of their attitudes and perspectives. They start to see why service learning is so beneficial, not only to those they serve, but to them as well.

What is Service Learning?

Service Learning incorporates learning with meaningful community service and promotes volunteerism toward meaningful social causes that interest people/students as an individuals. This type of activity allows individuals to develop real-world skills while contributing to their community at the same time.

At the local college where I teach we’ve adopted a definition of service learning as an experiential education that includes:

  1. Student participation in an organized service activity that reinforces specific course learning outcomes
  2. Student identification and response to community need(s)
  3. Structured time for student reflection and connection of the service experience to learning

At my church we might identify these activities as our Love Your Neighbor Outreaches (both locally and globally). At our church we believe that saved people, serve people. We do this by finding opportunities to use the gifts, talents, and resources that God has given us to serve others.

What are some of the benefits of Service Learning?

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Do You Love Your Neighbor? Your ACTUAL neighbor?

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Do you love your neighbor? Your ACTUAL neighbor?

“Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”” Mark 12:29-31 (NLT)

Do You Love Your Neighbor? Your ACTUAL neighbor?

This past weekend, I had the opportunity and privilege to put the “love your neighbor” commandment into action alongside 2000+ other members of my church during Love Day (#loveday16). People participated in over 70 different outreaches throughout the Tulsa, OK Metro area. As a part of the larger Serve Day 2016, we joined 307 other churches across the globe to love our neighbors. I hope each of you were able to find your own way to love your neighbor too this weekend! More than at Love Day, I was able to love my neighbors…my ACTUAL neighbors…this past week as well. 

Do you really love your neighbor–your actual, literal neighbor? #loveyourneighbor

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Do you really love your neighbor, your actual, literal neighbor?

Leading up to Love Day, I mentioned that I have been doing a group book study on the book Servolution and some personal individual study on how to love your neighbor. There has been some great practical advice about reaching out to love others around you. Something that stood out and was a bit convicting for me was to love my ACTUAL neighbors.

I’ve lived in my neighborhood for 15 years now, and do you know that up until this past week I’ve never even met or talked to at least half of the neighbors on my street. It’s kind of embarrassing. Or maybe you can relate? It’s so easy, and honestly more convenient, to just keep to ourselves. We don’t have to deal with the awkwardness or messiness of dealing with strangers and their potential “issues”. However, in keeping to ourselves we might be missing out on not only obeying Jesus’ commandment to love your neighbor but also the joy that comes with it as a byproduct.

It’s rewarding to love your neighbor

After my reading and studies on how to love your neighbor, I’ve tried to be more purposeful about it. I’ve especially tried to step out and show love to the people right here in my own neighborhood. It’s taken a lot of prayer and getting out of my comfort zone. Can I tell you though…It’s been so very rewarding. I had such a great week this past week!

Sometimes it seems like when you try to help others, you end up getting more out of it than they do. By stepping out of my comfort zone recently to talk to my neighbors, I have received loads of unexpected benefits. I’ve made some new friends, both young and old. I got some history lessons (I love history!), and I even learned what a Dogtrot house is! I also ended up with some fresh eggs from one of the neighbor’s chickens! Most importantly, my heart and soul were happy and full at the end of the day. 

To love your neighbor is good for your soul and good for your heart! #loveyourneighbor

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On a mission to love our neighbors

Love your neighbor--Storm cleanup in our yard

The boys had to get pretty creative to get a rope around a broken limb hanging about 40 ft over our drive!

This past week our community suffered a severe storm with tornado strength winds and the accompanying damage. Thankfully we had no damage to our property. We only had a couple trees and several limbs down, a 2 day power outage, and a big mess to clean up. Many of my neighbors were not so lucky. There were several trees on top of houses.

As a result, the kids and I decided it would be a great opportunity to serve! The day after the storm we set out on a mission to Continue reading →

We Can Use What We Have To Serve Others

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We Can Use What We Have To Serve Others...What is YOUR Olive Oil and Wine?

“And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”” Mark 12:30-31 (NLT)

We Can Use What We Have To Serve Others

I mentioned previously in the post about taking steps of incremental obedience (as opposed to “leaps of faith”) that I was reading the devotional plan “How to Neighbor” by Pastor Craig Groeschel from Life.Church on the YouVersion Bible app.  I started the plan because it goes along nicely with my current studies of serving others. One of the things I’m learning is that some of the steps we need to take in serving others is to use what we have at our disposal. We don’t need to wait until we have what we THINK we need.  We first need to step out and start serving where we can. 

Don’t wait until you have what you think you need–Step out & start serving others now.

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My church is preparing for “Love Day” which is part of a National Serve Day in which over 275 churches across the globe are taking part.  As part of our preparation my church small group is reading through and doing a study on Dino Rizzo’s book, Servolution.  So far it’s a great book and an easy read with excellent anecdotal stories!  It really will get you excited about following Jesus’ example and instructions of serving others, as does the “How to Neighbor” plan and sermon series.  Both give some really good, practical ideas for serving.  You know me…I love practical steps! 😉 I’ve already stepped out and tried a few of the ideas myself!

Use what we have in order to serve…like the Good Samaritan

In part of our study of the book, we read through the story of the Good Samaritan. Here’s the story…

“Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.

“By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.

“Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’

“Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”” Luke 10:30-37 (NLT)

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