Small Giving Can Make a Big Impact!

 I met the Love Drop team at the Blissdom blogging conference recently, and have spent the last several weeks getting to know Lauren, J. Money, and Nate through twitter conversation, email, and reading just about everything I can get my hands on related to Love Drop. I like to do my research :)

J. Money, Nate, and Lauren

photo courtesy of Rachel at Southern Fairytale

Simply put, they are my kind of people. Authentic is really important to me, and there is no pretense to any of them. What you see is what you get. And they don't make much secret to the fact that what they have been through in life has fueled their compassion for others. They know we're all the same inside, and we all need support and community sometimes. It has inspired them to find simple, reachable ways to change the world.

The basic idea behind Love Drop is called micro-giving. You can go here to sign up to contribute as little as $1 a month, more if you want to. The big idea is that if hundreds or thousands of people do it at the same time, the $1, $5, $10 per month add up in a really impressive way. People from more than 100 countries are already part of the team.

The Process

Each month they take suggestions from Love Drop team members who know an individual or a family struggling to cover some expense, and the team comes together to cover it for them. Examples of the expenses are things like their mortgage, medical bills, or groceries, things you might expect.

However, for the Love Drop team, it’s about much, much more than money. They also want to help the recipients of the Love Drop mission get back on their feet in tangible ways: by offering love and support, by strengthening their local support system of friends and family, and sometimes getting business local to them involved in helping as well. Love Drop tends to focus on people in particular who are working to give back to others, even though they are struggling at the moment.

The story of every month's Love Drop gets told in increments each week, through videos, pictures, blog posts, and interviews posted on http://LoveDrop.us. The team reaches out to people who have expressed interest in helping through social networks and via email to find more resources and generate buzz, if you will, and at the same time, they are building an active, engaged community around the Drop recipient. At the end of each month, founding team members Nate and J. Money spend several days promoting and making the Love Drop in person, shooting video and posting on social networks to keep the rest of the team all over the world involved in what they are supporting.

February's Mission

This month, Love Drop is trying to raise $13,000 to place and train a highly skilled service dog with a family touched by autism through 4 Paws for Ability . More information about this months mission can be found here.

They are just under $9000 toward the goal, it's down to the wire, and I have posted here hoping that you will be inspired to join me in giving. The February mission is THIS WEEKEND! If you can, please sign up to be a part of the team. If that's not in your finances right now, then help me spread the word on twitter, facebook, and any other social network you are a part of.

Would you post this for Love Drop?

The Love Drop for Ethan and Alex is this Saturday! Small giving can make a big impact: http://bit.ly/gwwqby #autism @LoveDropTeam

Thank you for listening. This is really important to me, and I was compelled to share.

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Additional links for you:

Become a member of the Love Drop Blogger Network

http://www.lovedrop.us/blogger-network

More information about Love Drop

http://www.lovedrop.us/faqs

A Question and Answer Session with Nate St. Pierre of Love Drop:

http://www.spinsucks.com/entrepreneur/love-drop-making-money-by-giving-it-away/

An Interview with J. Money of Love Drop:

http://finance.feedables.com/story/7433776/Interview-With-Love-Drop-Co-Founder-J-Money

Pray for Allie's Heart

I first remember meeting Allie when I told her I was going to marry her son.  I walked right up to her after a concert at the park when I was about 11 years old and I said,  "I just want you to know, I'm going to be your daughter in law someday".

I was so sure of it, too.

I think the fact that my brain-to-mouth filter had not yet developed, and the fact that I was so doe-eyed over her beloved youngest son, endeared me to her.  From as far back as I can remember, she was happy to talk to me, she spoke to me as a friend or a peer rather than as an adult to a child.  I was in band once a week with her son through the 8th grade, and in choir and band with him all through high school. There were concerts, competitions, trips, and all sorts of opportunties for me to visit with her. 

She always welcomed me with a warm and enthusiastic hug. As I grew older, she wanted to know what classes I was taking, how I was doing in school; she would congratulate me when I did well at district competition in band, and rejoiced with me when I made All State Choir.  She was always very curious, animated, engaged, and genuinely interested in what I had to say.

I kept in touch with her after high school, visiting her at work when I was in town, and calling when I had news of a new baby or a move, or I just missed her.  We seemed to move past the child/adult barrier into woman to woman friendship very easily, without even noticing.  She celebrated with me as our family welcomed each of our four children, she would share her concern about that youngest son of hers (because he was a magnet for trouble and she knew I still wanted to know about him), about her older kids, her grandbabies, and what she was busy with.  We spoke during some difficult times for both of us, too, sharing heavy burdens, trusting each other with secrets and doubts, and rejoicing in the Providence of God to take care of the details.

We visited several times over Christmas this past year, and were immediately able to pick up where we had left off, even able to dive deep into family dynamic type subject matter in the middle of her workplace.  She has always made time for me.  She has always shared from her heart with me. In a lot of ways, she provides a strong link to home for me, even though she's not my mother. 

Allie's always had this very unique personality... often playful, very generous, worldly wise yet very optimistic, always expecting the best from people, with a soft heart but very strong shoulders.  She has been through an awful lot in her life, and you'd never know it by the openness and joy she gives off like a sunbeam.

I'm talking about Allie today, because she had a heart attack followed by immediate quintuple bypass surgery last week, and is not doing well in her recovery.  She has been moved to a larger hospital in a bigger city, in the hopes that some more knowledgable doctors will be able to set her on the path to healing.  She is responsive but well sedated, and her doctors don't really have a prognosis yet.  My heart is just aching for her and for her family.  She has 4 grown children, many grandchildren including a grandbaby that's 4 weeks old, and a grown grandaughter she hasn't seen in more than 15 years just waiting for her to wake up and love on them.


Please tak a few minutes to pray for her.  She is a wonderful, darling, sweet woman.  As much as I know that God would enjoy having her at His side, her family needs her desperately, and she has so many more people to touch with her goodness. 

Thank you.  Thank you for listening and getting to know Allie.  And for praying for her.

Initial Impressions of Blissdom 10

Blissfully Domestic is an online magazine and community of women.  For the last three years, there has been a blogging conference put on by Allison Worthington and Barbara Jones, this year also organized by Paula Bruno.  The magazine is very diverse, and the women who attend the conference are likewise all over the spectrum.  Women from 21-75, bloggers and non-bloggers, those active in social media, those involved in public relations for companies who want to reach out to women who are using blogging and social media... all ethnic and cultural backgrounds and from varying locations around (mostly) North America.

Freak Out!

 photo courtesy of Casey at MooshInIndy

After the Harry Connick concert Friday night, (which may get it's own post on my blog) there was a moment in the club during the Black Eyed Peas song "I Gotta Feeling" when about 50 of us, and several of them were women I'd really connected with, were jumping, hands in the air. Women who were diverse in every way just throwin the heck down in this moment with no self consciousness and loving who they were and where they were.  I knew I was going to remember that moment with absolute crystal clarity. I am so excited that it was captured on camera for me!  Bless you, my Caseymoosh!

photo courtesy of Casey  at MooshInIndy

Many of that same group were shutting the post-Blissdom movie and pajama party down with me, and having a fantastic time with karaoke!

1) @secretagentmama and @mooshinindy singing "I'm Too Sexy" 

2) @redneckmommy and @mooshinindy sing "Redneck Woman", 

3)  @birdonthestreet, @lovethatmax, and @momtriedit sing "Material Girl"

4)  @redneckmommy, @busydadblog, @secretagentmama singing "Love Shack"

photo 1 courtesy of Heather Durdil at Domestic Extraordinaire

photo 2 courtesy of Julie at Angry Julie Monday

photos 3 and 4 courtesy of Miranda at Keeper of the Cheerios

At the end of the karaoke performances, the DJ happened to put on "I Gotta Feeling" again, and many of us had remembered the electricity in the crowd from the night before.  Several others have identified the song as the unofficial theme song.  I don't know that it would have been a favorite of mine without the memory of my sisterfriends at Blissdom sharing in it.

photo courtesy of Heather at Just Heather

We didn't learn all weekend how to be better home managers or learn new skills about being domestic. At the Blissfully Domestic conference, the focus was way more on the bliss than on the domestic.   We heard a whole lot more about finding bliss and joy and centeredness by being real and authentic and meaningfully connecting with others...

@sarasophia and @janawarnke

photo courtesy of Casey at MooshInIndy

@ericamueller and @jessicanow

photo courtesy of Erica Mueller at Erica Says

photo courtsey of Dawn at MyHomeSweetHomeOnline

We were encouraged to be authentic in connecting with businesses to partner with, other bloggers, other women where we live and online. We were encouraged to step out of comfort zones, we learned how to express ourselves better in writing, learned more about what companies want to hear from bloggers who advertise for them and work on campaigns..

photos courtesy of Mishelle Lane at Mishelle Lane Photography

We also learned more about owning your voice ... That what you write from your genuine passion for it is what others will be the most impacted by. 

 This conference was exactly what I needed, for so many reasons.  Time to get my own groove back as a woman and a separate entity from my family, time to remember how much I enjoy connecting deeply with others, networking for myself as well as helping others connect with one another, being reassured that my innate desire to be authentic and genuine and real is exactly what resonates with others, and so very many more things that my "words of affirmation" love language needing self needed to hear.  And I'm pretty sure the other 499 women at Blissdom needed it too.

Friend Makin Monday

TeriLynne blogs at Pleasing To You .  She is a passionate follower of Christ, and has been married to her husband, Scott for 13 years. She and Scott have a daughter, Casiday, who is in fourth grade. TeriLynne writes and teaches women to live empowered, confident lives in Christ and HIS strength, and it is a dream come true for her.  She is working on her first book inbetween teaching Bible studies, volunteering at a crisis pregnancy center, helping with homework, and trying to conquer laundry mountain. And she's a pastor's wife too! She is learning to blend the sacred with the secular in daily life in her writing style ... from sharing how she studies and prays to helping others laugh as they learn to see the spiritual in moldy shower curtains. TeriLynne prays that others will find the great joy and peace that she has found in Jesus Christ.  Her goal is to encourage, challenge and inspire others to pursue lives that are pleasing to God.  I have recently started talking to her on a daily basis on Twitter, and am so glad to be getting to know her.  She is a strong and encouraging woman, full of wisdom and integrity.  I hope you will stop by her blog and/or follow her on twitter!


 

What Encourages Me and the debut of in(courage)!

What encourages you?

I would have to say that what encourages me is community. Intimate community. Knowing and being known. Because I seek to be genuine, lacking pretense, in my life and in my relationships, I value the intimate community of kindred spirits.

A guest pastor at our church this past weekend preached about community. He had some wonderful insights that I will try to paraphrase.

He said:
“Intimacy is a language of commitment, where we move toward each other willing to risk our own hearts. There is no guarantee of acceptance or of being loved well in return.
The security and ability we have to move toward others is founded on the gospel truth found in Christ. God does not relent in his pursuit, he is slow to anger and abounding in love.”


Very many people, very many women that I know, are unwilling to move toward other people and be vulnerable because they have been deeply hurt before, harbor deep shame, have low self worth, and have a huge fear of rejection. I have to admit that I felt that way for a very, very long time. I kept searching for intimacy with men, and had few women I could share deeply with. Through a long and winding journey, I discovered the power and strength and comfort found in having an intimate communion with God. I also discovered that the community I could have with women who would be reciprocal in their sharing was so much sweeter and more encouraging that I ever could have imagined.

C. S. Lewis wrote:
“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.”


In my everyday life, I am blessed to have friends with whom I can be transparent. They accept me in any mood: I can rant, I can be snarky, I can cry, I can scream, I can laugh at and laugh with. The ones with whom I can be the most transparent, who will also build me up, share wisdom, help me discern God’s will in a situation..they are the core of my support system, and the source of my encouragement.

I am enjoying Twitter as well as my first foray into the blogosphere for the variety of women I find, and am developing a support network there as well. Women are willing to be real, to share their struggles honestly and are searching for that same deep connection with other women that I am. I am thrilled to be finding kindred spirits that without the assistance of technology, I might never have found.



What encourages you? Who are your encouragers?

I want to share with you a place where you might just find some new encouragers!

A brand new website, (in)courage, just went live on August 10th. I have been eagerly anticipating its debut, because some of my favorite bloggers and MomTV.com hosts are a part the writing team! They debuted themselves as contributors one by one in a series of blog posts, and it was so fun to follow the journey! Its primary purpose seems to provide a place for Christian women to come together and encourage and be encouraged in a myriad of ways. I am thrilled to become a part of it from the beginning, and I hope you’ll come and join us!