Today I’m interviewing my close friend of 20+ years, Michelle.
She has been an inspiration to me with her love for people and her love in action by intentionally adopting a child with Down Syndrome.
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Give Back
Give Back With These Volunteer Opportunities at St. Elizabeth Hospital
Volunteering is such a rewarding way to give back to your community.
Have you been wanting to volunteer but don’t know where to start?
I’m sharing more about meaningful ways that you can give your time and use your talents at St. Elizabeth Healthcare.
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How a Social Worker is Inspiring Her School to Get Healthier
I met Karen several years ago as the sponsor of a program that I’m a part of that helps encourage middle and high school students to make good choices.
Over the years we have become friends, and I’ve observed her passion for health through CrossFit continue to grow.
As someone who prided themselves on never trying CrossFit, I’ve always appreciated that people were really into it… from a distance….
A potholder from a homeless man
I was involved in a feeding program for the homeless community in downtown Dallas for one semester during college.
Each week we would meet a pastor who would drive 30 miles one way with donated food from local fast-food restaurants. Each week we would spend time getting to know the people who came for a meal.
On my first day, I met a man named Charles. He was middle-aged and great at crocheting things. The following week, I decided to bring him some yarn.
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Insider Tips- How to be Kind to Your Mail Carrier
I have a family member who is a mail carrier. Conversations with him have given me a new appreciation for how hard they work and also an awareness of how small acts of kindness can affect their day in such a positive way.
February 4th is National Thank a Mail Carrier Day and I wanted to give you some insider tips for how you can be kind to your mail carrier all year round.
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Why this West Michigan Dad Wants You to Wear Plaid
A few years ago in December, I noticed our friend, Tim Ruff, getting pretty passionate about plaid on his instagram account.
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Why The Compassion Experience Made Me Want to Be a Better Sponsor
I think one of the biggest challenges of sponsoring a child is being mindful of them.
Our family knew that we wanted to join our community when we were given the challenge to sponsor more kids in the country of Nicaragua than had ever been done before….
How a Fathom Cruise Wrecked My Family in a Good Way
As a parent, I want to instill in my kids a sense of gratitude and respect for others from all walks of life. It’s so easy for all of us to feel entitled or take things for granted. I can easily fall into the trap of comparison in my own life until I’m brought back to reality with large, humbling doses of perspective. I wanted my kids to be stretched in this area in a new way. That’s where a family adventure on a Fathom cruise came in. I was invited by Fathom to be on the final pilot trip to the Dominican Republic in the spring before Fathom launched their new cruise line focusing on impact travel.
So how is this cruise line different?
Well, they are cruising differently.
How?
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How my trip with Fathom in the Dominican Republic impacted me
There is so much to reflect on from my incredible impact travel experience with Fathom in the Dominican Republic. The people that I met on our team, along with the locals that we interacted with and worked beside, truly left an impression on my heart. I have soooooo many stories to share with you!
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Family Giving Challenges All Year Round With Giving Families
One of my challenges after the holiday season is to continue to model a lifestyle of giving all year round with my family. I feel like giving tends to come easier for our family in the months of November and December because it ties in with thankfulness and gift giving. After the holidays, we have good intentions and sometimes they are that are just that….good intentions. I’ll think about lots of ways to give…and then I’ll forget about it…or I’ll get a great idea while I’m doing something else, at a time when I can’t stop to put that thought into action. Sometimes giving can feel like another thing on my to do list of what I should be doing. I want our family to give more with more frequency. Sometimes I just need the reminder and the deadline to give myself accountability.
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