A bit of background: Last evening, I attended a tacky Christmas party, thrown by one of my old sorority sisters. Of course, alcohol was advertised as part of the evening, which honestly, was no big deal to me. My excitement was mostly drawn from getting to wear a ridiculous outfit and play Dirty Santa/Yankee Swap. Oh, and seeing friends. I love my friends and senior year has been a difficult mistress, often interfering with my attempts at a social life.
Upon my arrival at the party, I was immediately directed to the alcohol. Really? At this point, I had kept my decision to not drink anymore to myself. I didn’t mention it at this point either. Of course, I socialized, greeting those I knew and meeting new friends. Not long after, one of my closest friends, pledge sister and “date” for the evening (since we were 2 of the 3 single people invited), caught me at the mini-fridge and attempted to give me a beer. I politely declined and to my surprise, she balked. It did not make any sense to her that I would come to a party with zero intention to imbibe. I calmly explained my reasoning – caloric intake, cost and the plethora of negative things alcohol had helped create in my life. Yet again, she was dumbfounded. Alcohol, to her, and several other guests listening, was the best way to have a good time. Yes, I understand, most of the attendees are in college or are recent graduates, but seriously?
Why is alcohol such a necessary component to these people’s, and anyone‘s really, “good time”? Alcohol does take the edge off and make it much easier to socialize with that group of girls you don’t know and who intimidated you slightly at first. Yes, it helps people flirt with each other. Confidence can be gained with a drink, but so can stupidity. Let’s not even get into drunk driving, but that’s just a scratch on the surface of all the idiotic things drinking too much can do to you.
This post isn’t really intended to be a “drinking is awful” rant. Honestly, my main issue is the fact that out of the 20 or so people attending this shindig, only three understood and/or agreed with my decision regarding alcohol. I firmly believe (although I struggle with practicing) in that whole “Judge not that ye be not judged” thing (see Matthew 6 in the Bible if you’re curious). I willingly went to a party where there would be alcohol, sans a desire to drink, and had no problem with my friends drinking. Yet, my personal and quiet opposition to doing something I don’t want to do was greeted with confusion and annoyance.
Needless to say, I had a great time. Food, dancing, ridiculous Christmas/Hanukah gifts and great friends…what could be better? I went home at the same time as everyone else and guess what? I didn’t wake up this morning with the splitting headache, nausea and exhaustion that comes with that splendid after-effect of alcohol – the hangover.
I think the Beatles said it best, “All you need is love.” I’ll try to keep that in mind from now on when I’m quick to judge someone or when someone’s opinion of me irks my spirit.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
a fearful need for incessant communication
Recently, a realization hit me. My life has been really sheltered. Not to the extent that one would associate with homeschooled children (not that there’s anything wrong with that form of education….although my 2 years did place me a year behind my peers when I entered mainstream education), but in the fact that I have seen and experienced very little outside my little comfort zone of Memphis. At times, I could blame it on my parents and now on school and a lack of true traveling funds. What it all breaks down to, honestly, is fear. I am scared to leave my family and the steady pace of my life as it is. But, a life lived in fear cannot be true living. The blessing of one life to live may be the second greatest gift I have received. Squandering it by staying comfortable and sedentary would be, what seems to me, almost a sin. My desire to break out of this box may be coming at the perfect time. Graduation quickly approaches and with it an entire world of opportunities. Yes, graduate school is my primary plan for next fall, but I feel like, with God’s blessing, might be the springboard to me breaking out of this shell.
I am ashamed to admit that my walk with Christ has become too comfortable as well. My growth seems to have diminished and I am the one to blame for that. A routine is all too easy for me. I love spontaneity but with the stress of school, two jobs, volunteering, a social life, you name it, the best relationship I have is the first to go on the backburner. This susceptibility to denying the One who I owe my all, anything less than all of me is something I must strive to correct. I have found when I am putting my focus primarily on Christ, everything else seems to work out. How simple is that? That’s not to say I do any less work than I would without the focus on Him, but everything is much less stressful. As someone who suffers from an anxiety disorder, this situation will always be preferable. However, with my inane human ability to be selfish and think of myself before my Creator, I suffer, on an almost daily basis.
With this all being said, I feel as though I need to take time to be completely and utterly alone with God. I spend so much time talking, communicating, texting, tweeting, whatever, that it amazes me that He doesn’t give me laryngitis all the time so I shut up. Seriously, He didn’t say, talk all the time so we can understand. No, he stated, “Be still and know that I am God.” So, my goal for the next couple of months is to learn to be silent and learn from God. I’d love to find a silent retreat to be a part of, as I do not believe I have the willpower to go on that kind of journey alone. Who knows though? Maybe I’ll be ready for that sooner than I think.
I am ashamed to admit that my walk with Christ has become too comfortable as well. My growth seems to have diminished and I am the one to blame for that. A routine is all too easy for me. I love spontaneity but with the stress of school, two jobs, volunteering, a social life, you name it, the best relationship I have is the first to go on the backburner. This susceptibility to denying the One who I owe my all, anything less than all of me is something I must strive to correct. I have found when I am putting my focus primarily on Christ, everything else seems to work out. How simple is that? That’s not to say I do any less work than I would without the focus on Him, but everything is much less stressful. As someone who suffers from an anxiety disorder, this situation will always be preferable. However, with my inane human ability to be selfish and think of myself before my Creator, I suffer, on an almost daily basis.
With this all being said, I feel as though I need to take time to be completely and utterly alone with God. I spend so much time talking, communicating, texting, tweeting, whatever, that it amazes me that He doesn’t give me laryngitis all the time so I shut up. Seriously, He didn’t say, talk all the time so we can understand. No, he stated, “Be still and know that I am God.” So, my goal for the next couple of months is to learn to be silent and learn from God. I’d love to find a silent retreat to be a part of, as I do not believe I have the willpower to go on that kind of journey alone. Who knows though? Maybe I’ll be ready for that sooner than I think.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Obama: Seeking to Help the Hungry
http://philanthropy.com/news/updates/index.php?id=10256
For all the complaints conservative Americans have against President Obama and his new administration, there honestly should be no complaints against this new "Neighbor" campaign.
President Obama is proposing that each and every American donate in some way to relieve hunger. Different ways that this can be accomplished are donating food to food banks and other organizations that provide food to groups of people unable to obtain it, volunteering to serve a meal in a soup kitchen or donating your time working in a food bank. Of course, cash donations to charitable organizations are always nice and eternally welcome.
Most Americans have enough to eat every day. However, in 2008, 14.6 percent of American citizens went without food at some point. For the wealthiest country in the world, it is pitiful that anyone should ever go hungry. If every person took a small amount of what they have (and usually have too much of, leftovers, anyone??) and donated it, there is no way this hunger crisis would still exist.
It's not that there should not be greater focus on hunger relief in other places, such as third-world countries, but in order to solve a problem globally, Americans must first act locally to counteract this basic human need.
President Obama is doing great things to help the super-rich of this nation learn that there are poor people out there and they desperately need help, even with such small things as a meal.
For all the complaints conservative Americans have against President Obama and his new administration, there honestly should be no complaints against this new "Neighbor" campaign.
President Obama is proposing that each and every American donate in some way to relieve hunger. Different ways that this can be accomplished are donating food to food banks and other organizations that provide food to groups of people unable to obtain it, volunteering to serve a meal in a soup kitchen or donating your time working in a food bank. Of course, cash donations to charitable organizations are always nice and eternally welcome.
Most Americans have enough to eat every day. However, in 2008, 14.6 percent of American citizens went without food at some point. For the wealthiest country in the world, it is pitiful that anyone should ever go hungry. If every person took a small amount of what they have (and usually have too much of, leftovers, anyone??) and donated it, there is no way this hunger crisis would still exist.
It's not that there should not be greater focus on hunger relief in other places, such as third-world countries, but in order to solve a problem globally, Americans must first act locally to counteract this basic human need.
President Obama is doing great things to help the super-rich of this nation learn that there are poor people out there and they desperately need help, even with such small things as a meal.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
http://philanthropy.com/news/updates/index.php?id=10171
First and foremost, I found it extremely encouraging that employees are feeling more willing to volunteer during the tough times we are having. With unemployment on the rise and the economy still suffering, it seems more likely that people with jobs would want to spend their time making money rather than not. However, this survey has shown otherwise.
I personally find great satisfaction in giving of my time and energy to those in need. I cannot always give money as I do support myself and volunteering is a great way to give back some of the blessings I have received.
The fact that the survey polled larger companies leads me to believe that the findings are pretty accurate, since employees of All State and The Gap tend to be, what I believe, "typical" Americans. Obviously, with all surveys, there will be outliers and the results cannot be guaranteed for every single person, but the 71% findings is astounding.
The idea of companies donating to charities that its employees is really cool. It might be interesting if larger retail companies also created the option for customers to choose where the company donated funds. Of course, there would need to be a list of options for customers to choose from because otherwise it would be much to chaotic.
I had never heard of companies allowing employees to volunteer during the workday, but this is a really cool concept. Often non-profits need people to volunteer to do work during normal business hours and that cuts down on a huge chunk of volunteers. If companies continued to adapt this concept to fit their own personal schedules, it could really benefit the company, non-profits, employees, and employee relations. I would definitely consider it a plus if a company I was applying for allowed me to do my volunteer work when it was the best time for everyone.
First and foremost, I found it extremely encouraging that employees are feeling more willing to volunteer during the tough times we are having. With unemployment on the rise and the economy still suffering, it seems more likely that people with jobs would want to spend their time making money rather than not. However, this survey has shown otherwise.
I personally find great satisfaction in giving of my time and energy to those in need. I cannot always give money as I do support myself and volunteering is a great way to give back some of the blessings I have received.
The fact that the survey polled larger companies leads me to believe that the findings are pretty accurate, since employees of All State and The Gap tend to be, what I believe, "typical" Americans. Obviously, with all surveys, there will be outliers and the results cannot be guaranteed for every single person, but the 71% findings is astounding.
The idea of companies donating to charities that its employees is really cool. It might be interesting if larger retail companies also created the option for customers to choose where the company donated funds. Of course, there would need to be a list of options for customers to choose from because otherwise it would be much to chaotic.
I had never heard of companies allowing employees to volunteer during the workday, but this is a really cool concept. Often non-profits need people to volunteer to do work during normal business hours and that cuts down on a huge chunk of volunteers. If companies continued to adapt this concept to fit their own personal schedules, it could really benefit the company, non-profits, employees, and employee relations. I would definitely consider it a plus if a company I was applying for allowed me to do my volunteer work when it was the best time for everyone.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
http://philanthropy.com/news/updates/index.php?id=10035
Generosity is a difficult value to maintain in the current economic crisis. As more and more nonprofits seek different methods of keeping donors active and even attempting to gain new, untapped resources in new donors, two people have made a more than generous donation to a well-known American university.
Amherst College is a small liberal arts university located in Amherst, Massachusetts. The school only enrolls 1,600 students which allows for more in-depth learning in the classroom.
It was founded in 1821 and is one of the Five Colleges. It is an honor to be accepted to this institution and a great reward to attend classes there. Students work hard to maintain good grades under a heavy course load.
The strong standards that educational institutions such as Amherst require are what causes such strong loyalties for alumni.
What other schools have received such large, anonymous donations? The fact that two alumni were willing to donate $125 million total is simply astounding. This kind of generosity is what will allow schools and nonprofits in general to continue to thrive. A strong passion for whatever you believe in must lead to such an astronomical gift and these alumni must love their alma mater.
This passion is a resource that needs to be tapped on a national level. It does not necessarily need to be huge monetary gifts, although those are needed to keep any philanthropic organization running, but also gifts of time and energy. Few people actively volunteer any part of their lives to volunteer. We are so selfish with our time, spending it watching four hours of television as opposed to helping someone in need. If everyone could learn to donate an hour out of their week, great things could be accomplished in the United States and worldwide.
Generosity is a difficult value to maintain in the current economic crisis. As more and more nonprofits seek different methods of keeping donors active and even attempting to gain new, untapped resources in new donors, two people have made a more than generous donation to a well-known American university.
Amherst College is a small liberal arts university located in Amherst, Massachusetts. The school only enrolls 1,600 students which allows for more in-depth learning in the classroom.
It was founded in 1821 and is one of the Five Colleges. It is an honor to be accepted to this institution and a great reward to attend classes there. Students work hard to maintain good grades under a heavy course load.
The strong standards that educational institutions such as Amherst require are what causes such strong loyalties for alumni.
What other schools have received such large, anonymous donations? The fact that two alumni were willing to donate $125 million total is simply astounding. This kind of generosity is what will allow schools and nonprofits in general to continue to thrive. A strong passion for whatever you believe in must lead to such an astronomical gift and these alumni must love their alma mater.
This passion is a resource that needs to be tapped on a national level. It does not necessarily need to be huge monetary gifts, although those are needed to keep any philanthropic organization running, but also gifts of time and energy. Few people actively volunteer any part of their lives to volunteer. We are so selfish with our time, spending it watching four hours of television as opposed to helping someone in need. If everyone could learn to donate an hour out of their week, great things could be accomplished in the United States and worldwide.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
http://philanthropy.com/giveandtake/index.php?id=1402
The idea of giving back to your community is taking on a whole new side. This Canadian family, in the true spirit of philanthropy, pledged to give 10% of their annual income in 2009 to strangers. The decision to willing give away hard-earned money to people this family most likely does not know is so cool. Seriously, in America, it seems that all we care about is paychecks and making money. If you can't make money, you steal it. It's depressing how little emphasis is placed on thinking of others before yourself these days.
This family's simple work to make someone's life a little better is an example to everyone. Who knows how much someone might need twenty bucks and then they find it in an unexpected place.
I do not particularly care for the idea of giving clues as to where the money might be. I think in the spirit of giving, the money should be found unexpectedly, as that can vastly improve someone's outlook on life. Yet, without providing these key details, the family would not be able to offer the option for people to post about finding the hidden money and thank the family. I think that it's great that people would turn around and give this free gift back to a charity, because during the troubling current economic times, charities need more money and receive even less than usual.
The ability to give 10% of your income may not be an option for everyone, but we can all give something, right? Anyone can volunteer or simply drop your change into a donation bucket. The ability to give 10% of your time or energy might be more valuable than you really even know.
So, Kudos to this amazing family in Canada who are teaching the rest of the world what it truly means to "love your neighbor as yourself."
The idea of giving back to your community is taking on a whole new side. This Canadian family, in the true spirit of philanthropy, pledged to give 10% of their annual income in 2009 to strangers. The decision to willing give away hard-earned money to people this family most likely does not know is so cool. Seriously, in America, it seems that all we care about is paychecks and making money. If you can't make money, you steal it. It's depressing how little emphasis is placed on thinking of others before yourself these days.
This family's simple work to make someone's life a little better is an example to everyone. Who knows how much someone might need twenty bucks and then they find it in an unexpected place.
I do not particularly care for the idea of giving clues as to where the money might be. I think in the spirit of giving, the money should be found unexpectedly, as that can vastly improve someone's outlook on life. Yet, without providing these key details, the family would not be able to offer the option for people to post about finding the hidden money and thank the family. I think that it's great that people would turn around and give this free gift back to a charity, because during the troubling current economic times, charities need more money and receive even less than usual.
The ability to give 10% of your income may not be an option for everyone, but we can all give something, right? Anyone can volunteer or simply drop your change into a donation bucket. The ability to give 10% of your time or energy might be more valuable than you really even know.
So, Kudos to this amazing family in Canada who are teaching the rest of the world what it truly means to "love your neighbor as yourself."
Thursday, October 22, 2009
http://philanthropy.com/news/updates/index.php?id=9903
This article described a report released by some of the major philanthropic organizations that included ways to mobilize volunteers. Often, non-profit organizations need more volunteers than they have, but it seems like they focus too much time speaking purely on what the organization does, rather than how volunteers can be involved. As someone who volunteers with a couple of organizations, I know how I was recruited. For Girl Scouts, I am a lifetime member and alumna of the organization so I am strongly motivated to help carry on this organization's legacy. I want to help the next generation of girls to know how awesome working with their sister scouts can be and the pure thrill of knowing that you are a member of an organization created to purely help young women learn and grow, an organization that has been around for almost an entire century.
However, there are plenty of organizations out there that have a huge need for volunteers, but people who are interested in volunteering do not always know how to get involved. I have seen advertisements on television or even on billboards for groups such as Big Brothers, Big Sisters that do not even list a website to visit in order to gain information. If I wanted to get involved, I would have to remember the name of the group, go home, use a search engine and attempt to find some information. However, most volunteer audiences have such a short attention span that they simply will not remember to go searching for information.
I think President Obama's push for more money to be spent helping non-profit organizations sets him apart as a new(er) president. Focus needs to be put on the great organizations that are trying to make the world a little bit better and if the president of the United States is so gung-ho, then what can the world do but follow?
However, this potential for new campaigns to gain volunteers could hurt organizations that do not have a plan in place to handle a large number of new volunteers. This needs to be addressed by someone higher up and funds should be adequately portioned for volunteer orientation, because if you do not have volunteers, how will the work get done? It just won't.
This article described a report released by some of the major philanthropic organizations that included ways to mobilize volunteers. Often, non-profit organizations need more volunteers than they have, but it seems like they focus too much time speaking purely on what the organization does, rather than how volunteers can be involved. As someone who volunteers with a couple of organizations, I know how I was recruited. For Girl Scouts, I am a lifetime member and alumna of the organization so I am strongly motivated to help carry on this organization's legacy. I want to help the next generation of girls to know how awesome working with their sister scouts can be and the pure thrill of knowing that you are a member of an organization created to purely help young women learn and grow, an organization that has been around for almost an entire century.
However, there are plenty of organizations out there that have a huge need for volunteers, but people who are interested in volunteering do not always know how to get involved. I have seen advertisements on television or even on billboards for groups such as Big Brothers, Big Sisters that do not even list a website to visit in order to gain information. If I wanted to get involved, I would have to remember the name of the group, go home, use a search engine and attempt to find some information. However, most volunteer audiences have such a short attention span that they simply will not remember to go searching for information.
I think President Obama's push for more money to be spent helping non-profit organizations sets him apart as a new(er) president. Focus needs to be put on the great organizations that are trying to make the world a little bit better and if the president of the United States is so gung-ho, then what can the world do but follow?
However, this potential for new campaigns to gain volunteers could hurt organizations that do not have a plan in place to handle a large number of new volunteers. This needs to be addressed by someone higher up and funds should be adequately portioned for volunteer orientation, because if you do not have volunteers, how will the work get done? It just won't.
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