Thanks for doing your job

I hope by now you have begun doing the daily Planned Act of Kindness (PAK) Challenge that we are encouraging through the 40 Days of Service campaign on wiiserve.org. If not you are missing a blessing. It is true what the Bible says that “it is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Today’s challenge was to write a thank you note to your mail carrier. We expanded it to writing a thank you note to someone who typically serves you. That includes mail carriers, cafeteria workers, cashiers at the local store or restaurant servers.

I had written a note for the mail carrier who delivers to my house while at work. While sitting there I heard the mail man at the office. I quickly went and wrote him a thank you note. It was a pleasure to deliver this envelope without a stamp to him simply to say thanks.

Now do we really have to thank these people? Really they are getting paid to do it. It’s their job. And the truth is we don’t. But I think it helps us to recognize that they are more than what they do…they are real people with families and lives and instead of treating them like objects, saying thank you affirms them as people.

So this thanksgiving season, beyond saying thanks to God, thank someone who you usually take for granted because of what they do. I challenge you to do it in a written format instead of just verbally. Thank them for what they do and more importantly for who they are.

Let it rain…

Day 4 of our 40 Days of Service and 2nd Day of Planned Acts of Kindness (wiiserve.org). Well today’s challenge was to share your umbrella with someone. An umbrella in use would generally accompany rain falling. And rain falling is not something we can control. As much as we have good intentions of performing that task, we can’t do it without help.

Today I am glad to report that it rained in Kansas City. Usually I’m not a fan of the ran but today I was glad about it. It allowed me a chance to open up that umbrella and share it with one of my co-workers as she walked to her car.

Helping others requires divine intervention. Rain usually symbolizes blessings. Serving others requires God’s blessings to be present for us to share. We can never allow ourselves to be proud about all the service we are doing because if God didn’t send His rain, then we wouldn’t be able to do the small tasks we do. Remember He controls the rain.

God opened a door for me to open a door

Well today was the first Planned Act of Kindness (PAK) challenge for our wiiserve 40 Days of Service and Sacrifice. (If you want the full calendar go to wiiserve.org and click Calendar).

Today’s challenge was to open the door for a stranger. I was on my last stop before heading back home, at the library and I had not had an opportunity to open the door. I whispered a prayer silently to God to give me an opportunity to do so. On my way out, someone walked up to the door and I was able to get the door for them and give them a nice smile.

Now I know this doesn’t seem like a biggie – open the door for a stranger. Some of you do it everyday. But what’s the big deal for me is that God answers our prayers to provide opportunities for us to serve others for Him.

Over these 40 Days, why not seek God daily for an open door to serve others for Him. Partner with Him to touch lives of those around you. It’s so much more awesome serving with God than on our own.

Consistency….the missing ingredient

I’m about to get in shape…again. The tool of choice this time is going to be P90X. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s a revolutionary workout, diet program that is guaranteed to sculpt your body in just 90 days. So I’m about to try it.

But it hit me that this revolutionary tool has a lot of company in my never ending quest for physical fitness. It lines up behind my exercise bike and Ab cruncher in the basement. I used them for a few weeks faithfully but then stopped due to some reason (a goood one). This journey has also included my pedometer where I was doing my 10,000 plus steps a day. Walking vigorously lasted a few months but then my pedometer broke and I never replaced it.

This exercise quest also included early morning jogging. I bought some running shoes, clothes and an ipod to listen to music. That lasted a few weeks but then my shoes hurt and I never got them fixed. We then started using the Hip Hop abs video exercises (please don’t tell anyone I did that). It worked for a few weeks but then I got tired. Then it was off to the gym for some months. Actually enjoyed it. But then it got too cold to go out and so we canceled the membership.

Lastly I bought the Nintendo wii fit. That had to work because I didn’t have to go out and it was fun. Except I only lasted two sessions.

Well here we are – P90X. The truth is I just need some consistency. So here’s what I’m trying. I’m coming clean and asking you to help keep me accountable. When you see me ask me how the exercise program is going. Hit me up on fb and make sure I’m off the couch and working out.

I don’t think I’m the only one that struggles with consistency in exercising,work, time with my kids, even devotional habits. Let’s become a community where we help keep each other accountable. We’re not always strong on our own. Let’s lean on each other. That will help our consistency.