365 Days of Service

An email sent to our families, explaining a goal Mike and I have and would love others to become involved in this coming year.  

Hey fam!

Our bishop recently encouraged all the members in our ward to make this year a year of service.  Every morning he asked us to pray to be open to finding ways in which we can serve someone that day.  

Mike and I were ecstatic about this goal as we made a personal resolution for our family to serve more in 2013.  

I am passing this resolution along to each of you because I had the idea one night, laying in bed, about how fantastic it would be if both of our immediate families would participate in a unified goal of committing to "365 days of service."  I feel it is something that would not only help us individually but help unify us as a family.  How neat it would be to have each other to support and motivate one another to complete such a resolution.

Whomever wants to come on board I thought it would be neat if we could all keep a daily or weekly log of ways in which we have served someone (remember it doesn't have to be a big, daunting task, even serving your kids or immediate family counts), and then I would love to compile it all in a book at the end of the year and send a copy to everyone.  I could even start a blog or facebook page where people can post their acts of service—something that would keep uplifting and motivating us throughout the year. 

This isn't meant to be a competition or to showcase who's doing more, rather to encourage and inspire each of us to continue making the world around us and the world at large a better place! Our #'s are many, think how vast our influence(s) can be on this world!

        

If anyone is interested let me know.

Love each of you so much!

Mike and I hope 2013 is a great year for each of you!

Love,

Amanda 

UPDATE: 

Praying to be of service every day has been a really neat experience thus far.  I created a FB page “365 Days of Service” where people can post their experiences.  Although most of the people I sent the email to are not participating, it has helped me remain accountable to my goal and it has helped me think of others every day.  

http://www.facebook.com/365DaysOfService?ref=hl

Mike and I decided to do one larger service project each month, on top of the daily small acts of service, and this month we decided to take some of our tithing money and buy some coats and blankets for the homeless in our area. Every night on the news they broadcast the need of blankets and warm clothes for the increasing # of homeless people in Lexington.  It felt so good to go out and buy some clothes and blankets and to be able to deliver them to those in need.  I can’t imagine living out in this cold weather with nothing to keep me warm, I pray these people will be assisted in this simple gesture of giving.  

I am also grateful I am able to teach Beckahm the importance of giving back and of serving those in need; it was an awesome experience to have him help me pick out blankets and coats.