Now a days, people want to be blessed. Sadly, many of us miss the way to be blessed. It is TO bless others, with expecting nothing in return! So here are some easy, fun ways to bless others. I hope to try to do every one on the list soon!
Pay for the person's coffee that is behind you in line at the coffee shoppe drive thru. Just ask the guy how much their order is, then pay it. Then get your stuff and drive off. You don't get to see the person or their reaction, it it doing for others. If you see the mom in the car behind you looks worn out, this is a great way to encourage them!
Keep $5 and $10 giftcards in your purse. I keep two $5 gift cards to Dollar General in my purse currently. I would like to also keep some to McDonald's. Then if I see somebody in need (like a homeless person, a mom in the store looking at diapers who you can tell needs a boost, whomever) I can simply hand them the card. I like the Dollar General because they have a big selection of $1 food items and are located "all over the place" where I live. If you can do $20 cards, GREAT!
Write a Snail Mail note to someone. Just a thinking of you card or note can mean so much. Just because someone looks like they have it all together does not mean they do! (A lady told my husband how I am always upbeat and have it together! HA! If only they knew!) I have been blessed by cards from my friends.
Bake some goodies for a shut in or widowed person. Widows and Widowers, and Shut Ins can use our encouragement! Bake a loaf of Banana Bread, in three mini loaf pans. It costs about $1.50 for the mix at the store. It takes less than an hour and a half of your time to bake and deliver it to them. They don't need a whole loaf so the mini- ones are great. Let your kids draw them pictures so they have something fun to look at (it does not have to be perfect....!!)
Take something to a neighbor and be nice! I have neighbors that I hope to take some bread and eggs to soon. One side is an older couple, and the other side is a house filled with young people. I hope to take the younger people a basket of baked goodies (I doubt they cook too much!) You don't have to go in and chat. Just ding the bell and say something like Hi, I live there and just wanted to share these things with you & Have a great day!
Offer to help when you get the chance. IF YOU CAN. Don't offer if you wont follow thru, or if you don't have the ability. If a friend says she has SO much laundry, offer to pop by and pick it up and let her know it will be delivered in a day or two, all folded and clean. If a mom has several little ones, stop by with a tote of books, snacks, games so she and her little ones can sit on the couch while you do a quick cleaning of the bathroom and the kitchen. There are a thousand ways you can help someone!
And lastly, you can help by getting good quality canned goods to donate to your Church's food pantry or a local pantry in your area. Don't buy stuff you would not eat. Don't buy stuff you need to add lots of other ingredients to, they might not have them.
Happy Blessing Time!
Showing posts with label Simple Living; giving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Simple Living; giving. Show all posts
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Friday, December 30, 2011
Benefits to the Simpler Life
Life goes by so swiftly. The days turn into a month, the months into years, and the years into decades. Life gets full. We fill our times with tv, shuttling the kids to and fro, the Internet, and so much more. At the end of a day, many of us have had many hours where we could have accomplished so much more. This is a real challenge with desiring a simper life from what is common.
Family is our core. God is our cornerstone on which our lives need to be built, and for which we desire. Second to that is our marriage and then our children.We have to make a point to have family time. SO much can get filled into our time slots. Good things, but maybe not beneficial things. Simply by lessening our physical belongings we have freed up time as we no longer have to care for them. By moving to a smaller home, the same thing...more time.
For me, living more simply has afforded us the opportunity to be with each other. The very best benefit. Our expenses have also lessened. We cut our home payment by $500 a month, not to mention the power bill is dramatically less. We moved to the city, lessening our gas bill by what I would guess is perhaps $400 a month. That is a benefit.
Working together is also a great benefit of our family being our top priority. We get to care take our home together, rake leaves, all those good things that our kids need to learn and we need to do. We had to cut out some, and all for a while, of the activities our kids were in. I was worn out & they were going, going, going. I still feel guilt over that at times. But busyness cannot be substituted for time, quality time that is. I know my kids. I know them very well. They have time to be kids...to be "bored" and therefore create and use their imaginations. My marriage is strong, because of God's grace, and the time we spend together. Time I cannot take if I am caught up in too many things.
The last benefit I will mention is that of crafting for others with your time and talents. To bless others. I can buy someone a gift (and I am a big gift giver! I think it is so fun and I so enjoy shopping!) but if I craft a card of encouragement for someone, lend a listening ear, bake for them, clean our home, invite someone over for fellowship, or any manner of things, I give something of myself, something that is sometimes deeper than just a gift off a shelf. That is a blessing to almost everyone, when you give of your time and talents for them, with no strings attached.
Family is our core. God is our cornerstone on which our lives need to be built, and for which we desire. Second to that is our marriage and then our children.We have to make a point to have family time. SO much can get filled into our time slots. Good things, but maybe not beneficial things. Simply by lessening our physical belongings we have freed up time as we no longer have to care for them. By moving to a smaller home, the same thing...more time.
For me, living more simply has afforded us the opportunity to be with each other. The very best benefit. Our expenses have also lessened. We cut our home payment by $500 a month, not to mention the power bill is dramatically less. We moved to the city, lessening our gas bill by what I would guess is perhaps $400 a month. That is a benefit.
Working together is also a great benefit of our family being our top priority. We get to care take our home together, rake leaves, all those good things that our kids need to learn and we need to do. We had to cut out some, and all for a while, of the activities our kids were in. I was worn out & they were going, going, going. I still feel guilt over that at times. But busyness cannot be substituted for time, quality time that is. I know my kids. I know them very well. They have time to be kids...to be "bored" and therefore create and use their imaginations. My marriage is strong, because of God's grace, and the time we spend together. Time I cannot take if I am caught up in too many things.
The last benefit I will mention is that of crafting for others with your time and talents. To bless others. I can buy someone a gift (and I am a big gift giver! I think it is so fun and I so enjoy shopping!) but if I craft a card of encouragement for someone, lend a listening ear, bake for them, clean our home, invite someone over for fellowship, or any manner of things, I give something of myself, something that is sometimes deeper than just a gift off a shelf. That is a blessing to almost everyone, when you give of your time and talents for them, with no strings attached.
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