Simple Acts of Love

Today is Valentine's Day so what else to share on, but love. I attended my first Valentine's school party today in a long time. It's been since when I was in elementary school.

And, what comes with a party? Candy!! Especially for kids who are in school, right? I'm sure the teachers loved me. LOL

I took goodie bags filled with candy for each child in the classroom. I wanted them to know that I love them. They are great kids and this was a little way that I could share with them.

Little did I know it would have such an impact! I know, I know - anytime you bring candy, you are the hit of the party, but I didn't realize how many hugs I would get (and yes, this included the boys). What seemed a small act of love turned to be big in the lives of these kids. In return, my own valentines cards and even a box of Apple Jacks.

Our simple acts of kindness and love may seem just that to us -- simple. But, they aren't. Don't lose sight of acting in kindness and love - it may just turn that frown into a smile.

Special Assignment

I walked into the classroom yesterday to spend my hour volunteering and was told that I had a special assignment. This gave me a thought:

We have all been given special assignments by God to minister to the lives around us. With one glimpse into the world, we see lost and hurting people. My special assignment -- the kids in our community. There are those kids who are loved, but there are also kids who feel there is no future for them. There are kids who get 3 meals a day, and others - their only meal is the lunch they get served at school. There are kids whose talents are visible, and others whose talents are untapped due to fear of messing up or being a disappointment.

I look forward each Wed and Thurs when I get the opportunity to spend an hour each day working on fractions and decimels. I'm learning but I also get the incredible opportunity to encourage my little group that I sit with. They teach me fractions and I get to tell them that I'm proud of them.

I received a note today that said I was their best friend. Oh, how it touched my heart! I wrote earlier that it only takes one hour - and let me tell you - it's true. After only 4 hours, I have become someone's best friend. It doesn't take long to have a child look up to you - simply invest in their life!

Model Behavior

It never ceases to amaze me how our behavior affects those around us. Let me share an example - this past Christmas, I was out and about doing some Christmas shopping at the mall. It was busy, lines were long and I could see how impatience became a way of shoppers that day. As I went into a store that I had never visited, I watched a dad and his three children (one in his arms and the other two toddlers) enter the store and my amazement (not in a good way) began. As his children became louder and louder, the dad's voice began to raise to tell them to not touch this, not touch that, stop touching each other, stop crying. Where I normally can go about my shopping, this scene made me stop and ponder that his children were simply modeling his behavior. You see, the dad would yell at his wife who literally was in the next store. When his wife made her way back, he continued to yell at her. We tend to blame the kids for being unruly, when, in all reality, they are modeling the behavior that is put in front of them.

As parents, teachers, and role models for the kids in our lives (whether they be our own or not), let's model for them Godly behavior.