When Passion and Purpose Meet

Today I am linking up with Jill Savage and Hearts at Home for Third Thursday Thoughts.  This month's theme is Unleash Your Power to Inspire. 

We have been blessed with a purpose.

"The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.  Do not forsake the work of your hands."  Psalm 138:8

We have been blessed with gifts and talents which will help us fulfill this purpose, but piecing together the puzzle may leave us with feelings of frustration, restlessness, doubt, and fear.  We may have to try and fail many times, but be steadfast in your faith, listen to your heart, and do not give up. 

"Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you."  1 Timothy 4:14

We have been blessed with a passion and when we partake in activities that incorporate this passion while simultaneously fulfilling our purpose, an indescribable feeling washes over us.  Our hearts are filled with joy and in that moment we realize we have found our way.  All of the hard work, restlessness, frustration, doubt, and fear were worth it.

I can attest to this, because, after searching for many years, I have found my way.      

Throughout my journey, I have listened to the whisper in my heart.  I may not have been obedient the first, second, or even the third time I heard that whisper, but in time I have listened.  After high school I went to college to pursue a degree in education.  I spent five years teaching before leaving my career behind to start my new career as a stay-at-home mom.  Four kids and eight years later I still hold that title, but I have added another title to my resume.  One that ties all of the steps of my journey together.    

From the time I was a young girl, I have loved to help others.  The smallest gestures brought me great joy and those memories have lived on inside of me for nearly three decades.  I am now in my mid-thirties and have reached a point in my life where I can say with absolute certainty I am fulfilling my purpose.

A few years ago a childhood friend and I had a little idea.  We were each doing a service project with our families at Christmastime:  her family was making fleece tie blankets and mine was collecting books for children in need.  A lightbulb came on inside of us and we decided to pair the two together and gift them to children at-risk in our community in an effort to promote literacy.  

What started off as a simple concept has grown into a thriving non-profit known as From Cover to Cover.  This week we met with legal council and are thrilled to be moving forward to become an official 501(c)3 organization.  We currently serve the children in our community, but it our hope to expand this program by organizing subchapters lead by volunteers throughout the country.

In two years we have provided nearly 600 kindergarten students with the gift of a book and a blanket and distributed over 3000 new and used books to help children at-risk build their own home libraries.  A few weeks ago we sponsored a visit by Michelle Nelson-Schmidt, an author and illustrator, who shared an amazing inspirational message with nearly 700 low-income children about staying true to themselves, working hard, and following their dreams.   Lives were changed during her visit.  Ours included.

Our journey has only just begun and I cannot wait to see what the future holds.  I have stepped out of my comfort zone time and time again, learned new skills, and dedicated hours to raising funds to fulfill our mission and reach as many children in our area as possible.  Each time we host an event, my heart swells with joy.  I feel overwhelmingly fulfilled.  I soak it all in and come home with the burning desire to do more.  To plan the next event.  To find the money to make it happen...and I do it.

"In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Acts 20:35

Serving the children in my community inspires me.  Every hug, every thank you, every smile...the way their faces light up when they receive their book and blanket is priceless.  Combining my passion for education and God-given gifts has lead me to my purpose and for that I am truly blessed.

2015 is the year to get it done!  Listen to the whisper and find your passion.  It will lead you to a wonderful place.

       

       

   

So Much Joy

Ah, Monday is here again.  This particular Monday brings about some mixed emotions.  Last week, the author visit I had worked on putting together for about eight months happened and it was more than I could have ever dreamed it to be.  Amazing doesn't even begin to sum it up.  Deep down inside, I believe bringing Michelle Nelson-Schmidt to speak to the children served by From Cover to Cover was near the top of my life experiences, outside of my wedding day and birth of my children.  The majority of the children she spoke to live in poverty and the gift of hope and encouragement she shared with them is bound to change lives.  Those sweet kids left with a smile on their face, a twinkle in their eye, and walked a little taller after they heard her speak.  The many hours of grant writing, public speaking, and planning were more than worth it.  I hope to be able to provide this gift to more children in my community in the future.

I ended the week on a high and had a wonderful weekend with friends and my sweet family.  Everyone is back to the grind today and I am feeling the let-down effect.  Months and months of my life went into putting together that author visit and I am left with the feeling of what now?  I know I should be savoring the quiet and resting, but this busy brain of mine has a hard time letting that happen.  In my heart I know my work has only just begun working with children in need in my community, but it is so hard to be patient and wait to see lies ahead.  I am confident more doors will open and He will put more on my heart, but I want a sneak peak now!

On the bright side, summer is right around the corner.  Traveling is one of my passions and soon we'll be hitting the road on our first big trip for the summer.  The excitement in my house is palpable and I am looking forward to our adventures as a family.  These vacations will leave us with lasting memories and I feel so blessed we are able to travel quite extensively this summer.

First up is a week at the beach.  A place where we can all sit back and relax.  The kids are already planning their sand creations and the other day my oldest son so sweetly said, "Mom.  The beach is going to be a nice break for you.  We can just run around all day and you won't even have to yell at us."

Well said, my boy.  We can all benefit from a week of no running, schedules, or plans.  I'll be packing up some good books, a journal, and my camera in my beach bag.  I can already hear the sound of the waves and feel the breeze.  I might be experiencing a bit of restlessness and wonder, but I am looking forward to spending some uninterrupted quality time with my family.  Perhaps I'll come back refreshed and full of ideas.  Only time will tell!

Our happy place

 

The Big Event

May.  Wow, you came up fast!  I was feeling a little down the other day about the progress made during my "Year to Get it Done" project, but after some careful reflection and talking with my good friend, I've come around a bit.  Truth be told, there has been some tremendous progress in the first four months of this project and it happened during the longest, hardest months of the year.  With beautiful weather ahead, the kids home for the summer soon, and a little extra energy, I'm feeling pretty good about what the next eight months might have in store for our family.

The turn of the calendar brings about a packed month of fun, fulfillment, excitement, and relief.  The beginning of the month is filled with activities for my charity, From Cover to Cover.  In addition to a few book and blanket donations, we are sponsoring an author visit for two schools this month.  Late last summer, I began writing grants and speaking to local civic organizations about the launch of our Family Literacy Night pilot program.  Obviously, writing grants and public speaking were not part of my everyday duties as a stay-at-home mom, but they have quickly become a very fulfilling and exciting part of my life.

This project my friend and I started two years ago has turned into my passion.  It has brought me great joy to be able to share our mission and secure funds to add additional programs to help promote literacy and reach more kids in my community.

This project has lit a fire inside of me.  It has filled this unexplainable void I have felt for a long time.  I feel called to do this work and it gives my life a purpose other than wife and mother.  I haven't worked a traditional job in over 8 years and have struggled with feelings of restlessness during this time.  This project has allowed me to focus on a tangible goal and work to achieve it.

The culminating event for the year happens this week and my adrenaline is pumping.  I imagine this is what one feels like when they have worked hard to meet a deadline.  All of the hours of work will soon result in the author we have selected sharing a wonderful, inspiring message with over six hundred children in our community.

I can't help but wonder how many children's lives will be altered a bit by this visit.  How many will follow their dreams?  How many will really soak up her words and choose to set goals and work hard to achieve them?  I will never know, but I am excited to be able to share this gift with them.  To give them hope and inspiration.

I am thrilled to finish up our second year of serving kids in our community and begin planning for next year.  The sky is the limit and I am committed to growing this program not only here in my own community but in communities around the country.  Sharing the gift of a book and blanket has a tremendous impact on the children we serve.  I have seen the smiles, been the recipient of the hugs, and watched hundreds of children's eyes light up when they have received their gift bag.

Our mission may be to promote literacy among children at-risk with this gift, but there is more to this project than meets the eye.  Several times a year we are blessed with the opportunity to speak to and interact with a large group of kindergarten students.  A friend of mine is a counselor with a lot of experience with children living in poverty.  Recently she mentioned this project is conveying a message to these kids that people in the community care about them.  While they may walk out with a brand new book and blanket to snuggle up in and read at home, perhaps this greatest gift is knowing someone cares about them.

This is going to be a great week and I am hopeful many more great moments lie ahead.

Reading a new book

All snuggled up

Sneaking in some reading

Choosing free books

   

The Power of "No"

A few months ago I wrote about finding my best yes.  I am a self-proclaimed doer.  I have a hard time sitting still and often say "yes" to commitments without really giving it any thought.  As this trend continues, though, I am starting to realize the importance of carefully considering how I spend my time and choosing activities that align with my goals and what I have been called to do.  Saying "no" is not easy, but if I don't, my best yeses will suffer and there will not be time for the activities that bring feelings of joy and fulfillment.

After a long period of evaluation and contemplation, I said my first "no" this week.  This year I have served as the vice president of the PTA at my kids' school.  What I hoped would be a fulfilling experience has turned out to be a frustrating, disappointing, time-consuming year.  As a former teacher and parent who highly values education, I wholeheartedly believe in the importance of being involved at my kids' school and thought stepping into this position was a great opportunity.  As the year progressed, the lack of parental involvement left me and a few others to shoulder the load.  While my kids are proud their mama helps out at school, I believe there is a way to be supportive without holding a position on the board which leaves me feeling incredibly unfulfilled and my tank empty.  With the school year winding down, I have made the decision to step down and shared that at our meeting this week.

My load has been lightened and I could not be happier.  Saying "no" has been so freeing.  When I attended the Hearts at Home conference in March, I sat in on one of Jill Savage's breakout sessions where she discussed ten ways to reduce your stress.  There were two main points I took away from this session I want to share with you today:  never say "yes" on the spot and limit yourself to one major commitment and limit the minor commitments.

What is the difference between a major and minor commitment?  A major commitment involves you actively planning, organizing, and participating in an activity.  A minor commitment may be an activity where you simply need to show up.  Overloading our schedules with major commitments stretches us too thin and leads us down a long and frustrating path.  This idea has resonated deeply with me.  Though I love to get involved in a wide variety of activities, it truly is not in my or my family's best interest to accept a large role in all of these activities.  This advice played a big part in my decision to step down from the PTA board after this school year.  I can still be involved, but on a much smaller scale.

Choosing my major commitment was easy.  From Cover to Cover, the literacy charity I co-founded, easily takes the cake.  It is a project I believe in with every ounce of my being and the joy and fulfillment it brings to my life is indescribable.  Outside of my family, this will be where my time and energy will be spent.  From Cover to Cover encompasses so much of what makes me, well, me.  I can use my education background to serve others in need and network with people all over my community.  The experiences I have had in the two short years we have been up and running have been life-changing and as we continue to grow, I know this will continue to fuel my soul.

Narrowing down my minor commitments will be more difficult.  As a doer, it will be so hard for me to step back and not take the lead.  By nature I am an organizer.  In the past ten years I have founded a handful of groups to fulfill the needs in my life.  When my son was born and I was a new stay-at-home mom, I was lonely.  To combat the isolation, I started a moms and babies playgroup with a few other gals I met during those early months.  When we joined a large church and felt isolated as young parents, I started a mothers of young children ministry to connect with other families in our parish.  When we moved, I did it again at our new church.

See a pattern developing?!  I get an idea in my head and tend to run with it.  If I were wealthy, I would have started at least five businesses by now.  By nature my mind runs on overdrive and at times my body tends to follow.  Reigning this in will not be easy, but I am trying to focus on the activities in my life that bring my joy.  By reducing my commitments, I can spend more time baking, exercising, writing, and reading.  Hobbies tend to get shoved aside when you are overwhelmed with outside commitments and I look forward to regularly indulging in activities I enjoy.

 Relationships also tend to suffer, because there is not enough time in the day to tend to all of the responsibilities weighing you down.  I often find myself engaged in activities to better others while my family may be caught in the crossfire of an overstressed, over-scheduled mom.  Clearly this is not the way to live.  My eyes have been opened, now I mentally need to slow down.

This year of getting it done is filled with many goals.  Ironically many of those goals are meant to rid my life of overcommitting and, in turn, make decisions that align with our family purpose statement.  I hope to slow down and enjoy what is right before my eyes.  Not what may or may not happen a week, month, or year down the road.  This is a growing process and it is going to take far longer than 2015 to complete.      

This once again traces back to my word of the year:  discipline.  One must be disciplined and learn the art of saying "no."

A Moment In Time

There are moments in our lives as parents we will remember forever.  Yesterday was one of them.  Last spring, my friend's five-year-old son was diagnosed with leukemia and we began to pray for sweet Jack, a little boy my kids have never even met, all the way in Maryland.  Each night when they say their bedtime prayers, they ask God to help Jack feel better.  They frequently ask me how he is doing and were so excited when I told them his cancer was in remission.  In kids' terms:  the medicine was working and Jack was getting better.

Late last summer my oldest son decided he wanted to grow his hair out.  He is really into Star Wars and wanted to look like Anakin Skywalker.  As his hair grew longer, I would catch him admiring his locks in the mirror and the day it hit his shirt collar, he proudly proclaimed he did, indeed, look like Anakin.  While we supported him in his quest to become a real-life Anakin, we told him he would have to cut his hair for the summer.  He was disappointed.

A few months ago I shared an organization called St. Baldrick's with him.  This event happens nationwide and is a fundraiser for childhood cancer research.  We talked about Jack and how this event helped kids, like Jack, who have cancer.  After a little encouragement my son decided he would shave his head at a local St. Baldrick's event.  He set a $500 fundraising goal and began asking family and friends to support him.  The week before the event, he surpassed his goal by $15.  He was so proud and excited that he had met his goal.

Yesterday afternoon I went downstairs to gather the kids so we could get ready to head to the event.  The minute I said it was time to go get his head shaved, my sweet little boy began to cry and before long he had worked himself into quite the fit.  The reality that the hair he had grown out for so long was going to be shaved off was hard for him.  He loved that long hair and was so sad he would no longer look like Anakin.  He had made the decision he was not going to go.  We wondered if maybe this was just too much pressure for our introverted, anxious son, but we didn't give up.

My husband and I each took our turns talking with him.  We told him he was doing an amazing thing for other children and his heart would feel so full when he was done.  We talked about following through on the promise he had made to others through his fundraising efforts.  We shared the encouraging messages he had received from those who donated money.  We talked about the children with cancer who were very ill or had passed away from the disease and how those children didn't get a choice about the way their hair looked.

We finally got him to agree to go and check the event out.  When we arrived, his heels were still firmly dug into the ground.  We got into the event room and he realized he would be seated in front of a crowd while getting his head shaved and his resistance bumped up another notch.  We continued to encourage him and did our best to be patient and stay calm.  And then it happened.  He started to ease up a bit.  The nervousness and anxiety started to lighten.  I asked him if there was something special he would like to do if he got his head shaved.  He thought about it and said, "I'd like to use my gift card and get something on Amazon."  Deal.

In my heart, I want my children to help others without receiving anything in return, because it's the right thing to do.  Perhaps my expectations are too high for children so young.  My son was doing a great deed for others.  He had raised a lot of money and was parting with something very special to him:  his Anakin Skywalker hair.  He wasn't asking for anything over-the-top.  He just wanted us to take the time to sit down with him, look through Amazon, and choose something to spend his birthday gift card on.  This seemed reasonable, so we agreed.

All of the anxiety, nervousness, and uncertainty went away.  He proudly put on his t-shirt and walked up to his seat when his name was called.  When the stylist started shaving his hair off, he didn't even flinch.  My sweet son sat in that chair longer than any of the other shavees in his time slot.  He had so much hair it took a long time for her to shave it all off!  People in the crowd cheered him on, he got some high fives from others, and even found himself on the local ten o'clock news.

When she was done, my son looked at us with a big smile and his proud mama had tears in her eyes.  I cannot tell you how full my heart was to see my young son struggle and persevere.  He fulfilled his promise to those who supported him in his fundraising campaign and I could see from the look in his eyes that his heart was full, too.  When he was done, he went over to a poster displaying photos of local children with cancer.  He looked at those pictures and he knew what he had done was going to make a difference.

Today I sent my newly shaved son off to school.  He was proudly wearing his bright orange St. Baldrick's t-shirt and a button that said, "Ask me why I'm bald."  He'll tell his friends he had his head shaved to help kids with cancer.  He'll also share with them he did it for a very special little boy named Jack.

We did sit down last night and look through Amazon.  He chose a Star Wars Jedi costume.  I think it will be the perfect reminder of his St. Baldrick's experience.

    

Growing in Faith

One section in my notebook is entitled "Faith and Service."  This is an area I want to focus a lot of attention on this year.  It is my hope to grow in my faith, have a more Christ-centered household, and to find ways to serve through my church and other Christian ministries.

For most of my life I have gone to church regularly.  From the time I was in elementary school I sang in the choir and in middle school I became my church's organist.  I continued to participate in the music ministry at my church until I graduated high school.  Unfortunately, when I got to college I stopped attending church regularly despite attending a Catholic university.  I would attend my hometown church some weekends and sing for holidays and special occasions, but never on a regular basis.

After college, I continued to sporadically attend mass, but did not find my way back to worshipping regularly until we bought our first house and settled in.  We were both raised in Catholic homes and brought up going to church regularly, so since having children we have made an effort to be at church most Sundays.  We have had periods of time where it has been very difficult and we've stayed home, but I would consider us regulars at Sunday mass.

Attending mass is important, but truly embracing our faith and being faithful servants is even more so.  I'm not going to lie, some Sundays I feel like I've gained little from being at church.  The kids don't always cooperate and I have difficulty focusing on the readings when I'm helping someone every few minutes.  To grow more in my faith, I need to spend time outside of mass reading and following His word.

We were married by my childhood priest.  Either in conversation or in the card written to us that day, I distinctly remember him encouraging us to find a ministry at our church and be an active member. He encouraged us to be leaders and serve.  Though he is gone now and those words were shared many years ago, I have always held them close to my heart.  With young children it can be hard to be a leader and serve others, but just because it is hard does not mean we shouldn't do it.

This year I would like to find my niche in my church.  Whether it be music ministry or finally accepting the invitation to be a sponsor couple for others preparing to marry or both, I need to set my fear and reservations aside and step up to the plate.  It is time to be leaders in our church and model for our children what it means to be a good and faithful servant.  

    

Finding Joy in Serving Others

This morning I read a post by one of my favorite bloggers, Kristen Welch.  Her writing speaks so clearly to me and I look forward to each new post she puts out.  She is truly an inspiration and I love how her trip to Africa changed her.  She came home wrecked, but instead of burying the heartache and ignoring the pull inside of her to do something she chose to act.  I can relate to her, because I, too, have felt this pull.

I have this soft spot in my heart for children, especially those coming from low-income homes. When I taught, I had the privilege of teaching students on both ends of the spectrum.  While I cared deeply for all of my students, the years I taught in low-income schools had the most impact on my life.  I felt extremely connected to these children and knew the effort I put into teaching and nurturing them made a difference.

My experiences in the classroom have certainly played a significant role in the creation of the programs we provide through From Cover to Cover.  My heart is full when I meet these children and share the gift of reading with them.  I believe, for now, this is my calling.  While it brings much joy to my life, it is not always sunshine and roses.

There are times when it becomes overwhelming.  We have been blessed with many supporters and financial gifts, but if we want to achieve our goals and reach even more children in our community we have a lot of work to be done.  A huge chunk of this work is finding more supporters and naturally, more money.

There are days when I feel defeated and discouraged, but then I read something inspirational and feel invigorated again.  Determination and perseverance eventually prevail, but some days it is just.so.hard.  It is so hard to be patient when I want everything to fall into place now!

One of the biggest goals I have for 2015 pertains to From Cover to Cover.  We are exploring becoming our own 501(c)3 in order to be eligible for many more funding opportunities, especially at the local level.  This is new terrain for us both and will be a road filled with bumps along the way I'm sure, but it is our hope to have this finalized by the beginning of the next school year.  Once it is done, we will be expanding the geographic area we serve.

This goal is lofty and has the ability to have a tremendous impact in my community.  I pray it all works out and I, along with my friend and co-founder, have the courage, patience, and knowledge to see it through.  This is an exciting, yet frightening, time and I hope by the time The Year to Get Sh*t Done is complete, I can check this goal off as completed.

Until then, I will continue to serve these awesome kids and teach my own children about the gift of helping others.  No matter the outcome, this has been an amazing journey and I know it will continue to bring joy and purpose to my life.

 

 

  

    

Light a Fire

As many of you know, in 2013 my lifelong friend and I co-founded a local charity called From Cover to Cover.  How we came to be is really quite simple.  In December of 2012, her family was doing a service project for Christmas (making fleece tie blankets for those in need) and our family was collecting money to purchase books for kids in need.  We learned about each other's service projects through Facebook and one thing lead to another.  5 months later we officially launched From Cover to Cover.

What started out as a little dream for two small-town Iowa girls has snowballed into an unbelievably awesome reality.  To date we have donated over 400 book and blanket sets to sweet kindergarteners in our own communities, as well as thousands of used books for classroom and home libraries.  Our latest project, sponsored Family Literacy Nights, is off and running.

A little spark has fueled a fire.  This project has brought so much joy to my life.  While I've never been blind to the needs of those in my community, I never fully grasped how so many live in such poverty that something as simple as a book is a treasure.  I have learned so much from my conversations with the administrators and teachers at these schools and the interactions I have had with the students and their caregivers.   I feel even more compelled to not only help these children, but to share these stories with my friends (and strangers alike!) in an effort to bring more awareness of this unfortunate problem.

This is a huge component in my Year to Get It Done.  We've come a long way, but we have a long way to go and the desire to get there.

What is my point today?!  Search within yourself and find a cause you are passionate about.  Let a little spark start a fire in you.  You will feel so alive when you do!