Category Archives: Making a Difference

Service opportunities

Gratitude, Making a Difference, The World

Birthday Giving

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So, a while back I heard of a guy who decided to put a twist on his birthday, instead of getting, he gave. The first year he asked everyone to give $30 for his 30th and he took the money and provided clean drinking water for a village in a country that didn’t have it. Brilliant!

So, this year, I’m doing the same. I originally thought I’d give books to kids with the donations, but I teamed up with the water guy cuz they’re more organized and I totally love the cause. Check out here what it’s all about, watch the video and donate below.

I’ll be fund raising from now until June 30th. So, help spread the word by sharing this post on facebook, emailing the link to your friends or whatever works! PS I’ve decided to match all gifts in by June 30th.

The story of charity: water – The 2009 September Campaign Trailer from charity: water on Vimeo.

Click here to give children clean water!

Also, if you feel the giving bug, share your birthday, wedding or do something else to raise money and awareness for something YOU believe in.

This is just the beginning of what i hope is a lifelong journey of giving. Thanks for giving!

Attention & Focus, Gratitude, Making a Difference, The World

So Easy to Forget

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Today I was banging my head against the wall trying to figure out how to get a buzz out of the audio of a video I was making to show a group of friends how to help our company achieve one of my outrageous goals. In turn we’re letting them take part in the passive income it will generate.

Well, in a moment of frustration and ADD I was surfing around my cluttered Facebook account. When you check your account 20 times a day it’s exciting to see the little red notification light at the bottom…I pounced. And for once, what I saw wasn’t clutter. It was a link from a friend to a little video, the one you’ll see below and it changed my frame of mind. Whereas I was just barely experiencing frustration, I felt hope. Whereas I felt anger, I felt love. Whereas I had lost focus, I once again regained it.

Along this road of life I’ve learned that action helps to solidify belief. So, I’m going to take our first $3,300 from our Sprouts project and donate it to Charity: Water, where 100% of the donations will be used to build clear water wells in Ethiopia. Please join me in some way to bring an ease that we so often take for granted to some of our brothers and sisters the world over!


The September Campaign Trailer from charity: water on Vimeo.

Making a Difference, Walk The Talk

My Words Never Cease

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I’d like to dedicate this post to my friend Charles.

It’s been a little while since I took some time to get out of myself. The other week I stepped out of my usual self-absorbed role to wear the hat of a missionary again. Our ward mission leader had asked for several ward members to go to the Missionary Training Center to spend some time in the referral center. This is where those who see or hear one of the Church’s ads can call in and request a free Bible, Book of Mormon or church video.

I opted that evening to help with the Mormon.org chat feature and was lucky enough to get a 26 old man from FL. He was kind in his questioning and I talked with him the entire hour that I was there. I appeared to answer his questions to his satisfaction as he would say “I believe that too” after I answered.

As Charles and I chatted with one another this talk by Elder Holland came to my mind. We talked about prophets and the necessity of revelation in our day. I felt a strong spirit of goodness as I testified to him that I know that God loves us as much as his children in any age of time.

Elder Holland speaks powerfully about the misconceptions behind LDS not being Christian. A definite MUST watch for anyone looking to get to the bottom of this topic.

I believe that God speaks to us and that he wants to speak to anyone willing to seek him out. Truly the invitation, “Seek and ye shall find” is real. This is how I will Walk the Talk…I will show that I know my Father’s words never cease by recommitting to study them daily. I often come to this point and I’ll keep doing it until it becomes part of my daily habit and until I crave the word of the Lord and it is part of me in every way.

Making a Difference, The World

MySpace Sued for Failing to Protect Minors

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MySpace Sued for Failing to Protect Minors

Wow! I don’t think I’ve read a thread like this in a long time. This has gotten me so riled up and as I read each comment on the trial I couldn’t help but think of Jack Johnson‘s song entitled “Cookie Jar“. The bottom line is that every is blaming everyone else for the ills that exist in society and in the very process of doing so they all are shirking their own responsibilities.

If there’s a problem it’s ALL our faults. It’s not the website owner alone, it’s not the little girl that gets online and reveals her personal information alone, it’s not merely a parental breakdown.; Every person is involved and is responsible. If you hear about it and go about your way without committing to make things better for someone else in some other way…it’s YOUR fault, YOU’RE TO BLAME.

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Jack Johnson
Cookie Jar

I would turn on the TV but it’s so embarrasing
To see all the other people I don’t know that they mean
It was magic at first when they spoke without sound
And now this world is gonna hurt you better turn that thing down
Turn it around

“It wasn’t me”, says the boy with the gun
“Sure I pulled the trigger but it needed to be done
Cause life’s been killing me and the censor begun
You cant blame me cause I’m too young”

“You can’t blame me sure the killer was my son
But I didn’t teach him to pull the trigger of the gun
It’s the killer on this TV screen
You cant blame me its those images he seen”

Well “You can’t blame me”, says the media man
Well “I wasn’t the one who came up with the plan
I just filled my camera with what the people want to see
Man it’s a two way mirror and you cant blame me”

“You can’t blame me”, says the singer of the song
Or the maker of the movie which he based his life on
“It’s only entertainment and as anyone can see
The smoke machines and makeup
Hey you cant fool me”

It was you it was me it was every man
We’ve all got the blood on our hands
We only receive what we demand
And if we want hell then hells what well have

And I would turn on the TV
But its so embarrassing
To see all the other people
I don’t even know that they mean
And it was magic at first
But it let everyone down
And now this world is gonna hurt
You better turn it around
Turn it around

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There are so many ways to make a difference. Go out and find them!

Making a Difference, Relationships, Words

Luf

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Back by popular request…well, alright, I just wanted to put it up here, but anyhow…it’s an oldie, but a goodie, one that definitely has withstood the test of time…in fact, I think it may be the only one. :o)

Luf, my friend, is all you need
to calm that raging sea.
For it’s luf, with the ‘uf
that makes us you and me.
Now I know it’s hard to ‘uf the luf,
but practice & you will
And when you get that ‘uf in luf
ohhh ~~~ so much better will you feel.
That’s all I have to say for now;
remember, luf is true!
So live each day with ‘uf in luf
and luf will you get too.

Ask me sometime to read it to you…the accent is much of the effect on this one.