New Year Resolutions AND Syrian Refugees

Perhaps you have been asked the usual New Year Question, What is your resolution?

Perhaps you asked yourself before anyone else did.

Usually, I play the game and answer with one of the standards that everyone else says then find myself failing by February.

This year I chose to make annual goals. That way I have the whole year to complete the tasks instead of expecting to fulfill one resolution every day.

How about you? What is your resolution for this year?

I'm one of those who enjoys sending snail mail Christmas cards. I do it because I want to receive Christmas cards. There is a doorway in my home where I tape the cards. When the tree comes down, I take down the cards.

Some of the cards include Christmas letters.

Traditionally, Christmas letters serve as a year in focus. A friend tells what happened in their family's life over the course of the previous year.

One friend had an interesting closing paragraph. She described for me what she chose to do with her free time in 2018. She said,

A lot of my time was spent with Syrian refugees that were settled in our area. It is overwhelming to hear their stories of death and destruction in their homeland. The women especially miss their mothers and sisters. I fill some of that void, helping them with English, the kids with homework, driving to doctor appointments, and figuring out our American culture.

I thought, this is a wonderful volunteer activity. It is an opportunity that could be done with any group anywhere in the U.S. In my local area there is a reading for adults program. These adults are very intelligent people who somehow didn't understand the concept and process of learning to read when they were younger. The methods for teaching adults are different than for children. As a result, many men and women are grasping the concepts and finding their way in a world of words.

You may find your schedule overwhelming at this time. I have had several years in my life when that was such the case. But when you do find a time when you might say, I have every Tuesday evening open, and you'd like to help someone, consider volunteering.

Here are some ideas:

Local VA
Community Reading Outreach
Community Senior Outreach
Moms Outreach
Teen programs
Refugee Outreach
Child Advocate Programs

I'm sure there are thousands more, these are just the few that spilled off the top of my head.

You might be surprised how fulfilling volunteering can be.

This post has been brought to you by the one-word FulfillingNewYear

Photo credit: Pixabay.com

Comments

Suzanne Woods Fisher - Overcoming the Fear of Failure

We've all had something fail. Maybe a school assignment, baking a cake, changing a car tire. Well that was my shortlist confession. There really is a mile long list that you don't want to hear. Talk about a quick drive to the blues. Even one negative comment in a barrel full of praises can take us down. Sigh. Why oh why do we remember the one negative one and forget the positives. You are not alone. We all do this. But there is a way of escape. Today, Suzanne Woods Fisher is going to share her story. The Fear of Failure “For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you. Do not fear; I will help you” (Isaiah 41:13, niv). Years ago, before I received my first book contract, an editor returned a manuscript to me with the comment that the writing wasn’t up to her publishing house’s “caliber.” Ouch! That was a tough remark to swal...

A Memory Device For You

Photo Courtesy Recently I added a memory game to my week's activities. It all started when I listened to one of those fabulous sermons in church and actually took notes. Later in the week, I recalled liking the sermon and searched for the notes, but lamented when I couldn't find the piece of paper. I quizzed myself: What was the general topic? I racked my brain…good grief this was Thursday and a thousand other things had happened when I asked the question. After a cup of tea, visualizing where I sat in the sanctuary, and using every other means possible to remember the general topic I finally answered the question. The process to recall the rest of the good things said was an epic fail. Although I have since started using a notebook I have created a memory game. On Monday, at any point during the day, I try to say the following without the use of my notes: General topic of the sermon Main book of the Bible used Application p...

Laughter and Singing at the Homeless Shelter

It was a night to remember. A night to tell friends about. So I am... Fifty men, women, and teens rode in busses on icy expressways into the inner city. They poured out of the bus at a homeless shelter unsure where to go, what to do, or what to say. One led the pack through the main doors, pass security checkpoints, and on through winding hallways to a large room. At night, this room is filled, wall to wall, with cots, blankets, and at this time of year, cold homeless men, women, and children. On this evening before the night, hundreds of chairs formed straight rows and faced a platform. The fifty set up sound and instrument equipment. Singers cozied in the limited platform space. Instrumentalists tuned their instruments. A few residents poked their heads in the door. Intrigued, they came in and watched the first measures of several songs start, stop, start again. Microphone levels adjusted. The singers laughed. Chattered. The group stepped off to the side and...

The Storyteller | Mary Vee

Search This Blog