40 days of giving.

 {artwork by Chrissie Grace; available for purchase here}

Part of Lent, for me, includes giving back, being a blessing to those around me. I tried this same experiment last year for 29 days, and these 40 days should look pretty similar. A blog friend asked for some ideas on what and how to give, so I thought I'd leave you this Friday with a list of ways you can start giving back: to your neighbors, to your friends, to someone random on the street.

1. Mail off surprises to a friend who's far away.
2. Do some spring cleaning and make your trash someone else's treasure.
3. Introduce a friend to a favorite movie or song.
4. Pay for someone's dinner.
5. Go to your favorite store and instead of buying something for yourself (like you know you would), pick out a "just because" gift for a friend or loved one.
6. Hang out with someone who could use the company.
7. Sacrifice time out of your day to call a long-distance friend.
8. Buy $5 McDonald's gift cards to keep in your glove compartment. Next time you're at a stoplight, use one to help someone in need.
9. Share a recent read with someone you know would enjoy it too (I just did this with One Thousand Gifts).
10. Purchase the meal or drink of the person behind you in the drive-thru line.
11. Make a care package for someone who is sick or shut in.
12. Create a playlist for someone you know would appreciate it.
13. Bring home a small surprise for your spouse or roommate.
14. Send flowers to a friend on a random day.
15. Bake a sweet treat or pot a pretty plant and leave it on your neighbor's doorstep.
16.Buy flowers for your mom.
17. Cook dinner for a few friends, maybe invite someone you might not normally.
18. Offer to help babysit for couple friends in need of a date.
19. Plan a date for your significant other.
20. Say "thank you" to a teacher, coworker, or volunteer who normally gets ignored.

These don't have to be grand, over-the-top gestures, just moments of grace to the people you come in contact with on a daily basis. So these are my ideas. Now I'm curious. What do you wish others would give to you. Time? Coffee visits? Surprise flowers on your doorstep? A phone call? Let me know in the comments!

update: 29 days.

If you're here looking for my "finding our purpose" post, it's been removed. I wrote it several days ago, and for some reason, it published today. Remember, the decision has been made, and we're moving on; no need to post old feelings that have since passed. Instead, read about my 29-days journey, and join me in the next round!

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"When I am in service to another person, I am moving from a place of self-centeredness to selflessness." - Mbali Creazzo

My 29 days of giving have come to a close. Here's a little recap of what I gave each day:

1. Anonymous notes to neighbors.

2. Outdoor movie with Jordan.

3. Cards to young men at our church.

4. Email to a loved one. One of the hardest gifts, but it helped me grow.

5. Clean bedroom for Jordan.

6. Birthday gift to our minister's wife. Loved the look on her face!

7. Anonymous gift to a girl in our youth group. This was one of the most fun gifts-- I felt so top secret!

8. Baseball game for a kid in our youth group. Again, the look on this guy's face... Giving is so worth it!

9. Dinner with a friend who was hurting.

10. Design for our church's VBS brochure.

11. Email to a dear friend letting her know she's loved.

12. Dinner for a visiting cousin.

13. Note for a kid at our church.

14. Passover dinner for family.

15. Easter baskets for Jordan's mom and sister.

16. Easter basket for Jordan's grandmother.

17. Candy for my cousin.

18. Blog help and Gilmore Girls DVDs for a friend.

19. Scarves to my mother.

20. Blog redesign.

21. "Passing the Bar" board game (yes, there is such a thing!) to Jordan.

22. Downtown Getdown (including funnel cake and barbecue) with cousins.

23. Disc golf with cousins.

24. Flip-flops to the fuzzin.

25. Dinner to a friend and her family.

26. Shopping with my mother for a new outfit.

27. Fun packages to two fellow bloggers and friends.

28. Teaching.

29. Groceries for pancake breakfast for friends.

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This journey of giving started when our book club began reading this book by Cami Walker. The book opened my eyes to purposeful, intentional giving (my first recap can be seen here). My own 29 days were challenging, especially as I realized that all giving doesn't have to be monetary. It was actually Jordan who would remind me of the giving I'd done some days-- giving that maybe wasn't monetary in nature but was giving nonetheless.

I'm going to keep giving. My first 29 days have come to a close, but I don't want to stop. I think giving something specific and intentional each day takes the focus off of me. I stop worrying about me, my life, and my concerns and instead dwell on others and what I can do to make others happy.

The books I've been reading lately are all about making a difference, about being the best version of yourself, because that's what people need.

So, on Saturday, April 17, I'm going to begin round 2 of my 29 days. I'd love some of you to join in this journey.

If you'd like to travel these 29 days together, send me a quick email (link to the right), or comment on this post. We can encourage each other through the giving process and share insights into what it means to be a generous, thoughtful people.

Let the 29 days start again!

29 days.

{the book can be found here}

I've embarked on a journey to give one item a day for 29 days, and let me tell you -- apparently I don't give enough.

To be honest, I kind of thought this would be easy. I feel like I'm a generous person; I give of my time and yes, even my money (giving is in the budget!) pretty freeily. But I am discovering that giving with purpose is an entirely different beast.

Friday was day one. The Spring girls provided the perfect inspiration: these affirmation cards. I quickly printed out my favorites and decided to do a little anonymous giving. (Gifts don't have to be anonymous, and probably won't usually be, but what can I say? Sometimes a girl likes to do things a little differently.)  I took two of the cards and posted them on my neighbors' doors and mailboxes with a little tape, then placed two on the community bulletin board. I know this may seem like a small gift, but I remembered the feeling I get when I see mail in my mailbox, and I pressed on. I felt a little silly, sneaking around our townhome complex armed with tape, but in the end, I think it was the perfect start to my project.

Saturday's gift was for Jordan. He'd been wanting to see Back to the Future at the drive-in movie in town, and Saturday night, that's exactly what we did. We didn't plan ahead, and we went armed with just enough money, but we had a blast.

Sunday night, several young men at our church were brave enough to conduct the worship service. We love these guys and spend a lot time mentoring and hanging out with them, so my gift was simple: thank you notes for their courage and for sharing their talents with us. I put them in the mail Monday with crossed fingers for happy recipients!

Monday might have been the hardest gift. I had in mind what I wanted to do by mid-afternoon, but circumstances changed, and I realized my gift would better be put to use elsewhere. I sat down at the computer to write an email I knew needed to be written to someone I love but have felt distanced from. It was a hard email to write, but I knew the encouragement was needed, even if it might never be acknowledged. It was a gift to the girl I love, but it was also a gift to me, allowing freedom from the cycle of poor communication and the hurt of broken relationships.

And that's just the beginning. Part of the process of this 29-day journey includes keeping track of what you receive. On day one, as I was racing from mailbox to mailbox, I spotted a patio chair in the complex dumpster. FREE FURNITURE. I couldn't believe it. It was karma defined. Then Sunday, I received a gift from a friend also participating in the project. The more you give, the more you truly do receive.

I've got a long road of giving ahead, so I'll again pose the question: Can you remember a gift — of time, thought, or money — that meant a lot to you? As I try to give a gift a day for the next 29 days, I’d like to know what it is people love to receive. Is it a phone call? An anonymous word of encouragement? A monetary gift? Food? Flowers? Mail? Leave a comment with your ideas, and find out more about the 29 Gifts project here.

down to business.

A few “important” things of note after this spring weekend…

First of all, I’ve joined the Twitter nation. I’m not really sure how long this will last (since I never intended on doing it in the first place), but for now, you can follow me by clicking the link in my right-hand sidebar. I have a feeling this last Facebook hiatus may be semi-permanent (it’s so refreshing NOT to know other people’s business), so Twitter and the blog — along with old-fashioned email and snail mail — will probably be the best ways to keep in touch.

Second, in the name of shameless promotion, I’ve added links to the blog where you can find information about my graphic design and editing services. I currently do a lot of freelance work for non-profits, but I’d love to expand my horizons by partnering with some of you! I can help you with announcements, invitations, business cards, blog headers and basic HTML, brochures, and more. Click to the left for more information!

Our third chew* chat is scheduled for tomorrow, and we couldn’t be more excited. We’ll be discussing Donald Miller’s A Million Miles in a Thousand Years (a book about the importance of living a story worth reading) and we’d love your thoughts! Leave a comment here or on the chew* blog if you’d like to see us cover something specific in our conversation. Your opinion would be a great addition to our conversation!

Lastly, I just finished the book 29 Gifts for our April book club meeting. (My friend blogged about it here), and I’ve embarked on my own 29 gifts journey. I started last Friday, and so far, it’s been a lot more challenging than I thought! So I’m curious: Can you remember a gift — of time, thought, or money — that meant a lot to you? As I try to give a gift a day for the next 29 days, I’d like to know what it is people love to receive. Is it a phone call? An anonymous word of encouragement? A monetary gift? Food? Flowers? Mail? Leave a comment with your ideas, and find out more about the 29 Gifts project here. I’ll be blogging my progress throughout my own project, so stay tuned!

{On another note, my bracket has bombed. Cross your fingers that Jordan’s disintegrates too. Currently, my only hope for a win is that my Cornell gamble paid off and that West Virginia keeps winning.}