Your Gift of Hope is a Powerful Gift

Each day, I make a decision about when to post which day from the book 100 Days of Giving, and I could not have ever anticipated that years later I would be writing and posting about the impact of devastating flooding in my community while flooding was ravaging another one of the communities I love. The trauma left behind after flooding is significant and indescribable. A perpetrator-less crime of the heart. While 100 Days of Giving is about hope, healing and simple gifts in times of difficulty, the story that I had planned to post today is about the flooding in Austin, Minnesota and with the flooding in Boulder, Colorado still ever-present...I am going to re-post this beautiful story of hope of a young woman who still shines the light of hope today.

Hope...is a beautiful thing...today's story is an uplifting story about the power of hope...

Each day of the 100 Days of Giving includes a daily reflection for you to consider. Today, I am going to give you another example of putting the words into action for you. Each day in 100 Days of Giving offers you an opportunity to read about alternative giving options as well as some questions to consider...enjoy...

To read: Day 39 - The Power of Hope

Now that 100 Days of Giving is available as an e-book you can purchase it for $3.99 at Smashwords: 100 Days of Giving e-book at Smashwords (see sidebar for limited time coupon code for 25% off) or for your Kindle at 100 Days of Giving e-book at Amazon and get all of the daily experiences, journaling exercises and stories.

Today's Giving Thought: "Give hope with your gift today"

Day 39 - For your daily giving journal:

• What did you give today?
• Can you think of someone who would benefit from your gift of hope today?

Please feel free to write about your experience in the comments section, share with someone else, or keep to yourself...whatever works for you, just keep in mind that one of the most important part of giving is being open to receiving and the more you share with others, the more you will receive in return. As difficult as receiving may be for you, it is an essential part of giving, so challenge yourself and give receiving a try, or a "do...there is no try, only do."

Now that 100 Days of Giving is available as an e-book you can purchase it for $3.99 at Smashwords: 100 Days of Giving e-book at Smashwords  see coupon in sidebar for Smashwords and get all of the daily experiences, journaling exercises and stories.

To read Day 39 click on this link: Day 39 - The Power of Hope

To read about all 100 days's giving experiences you can download the e-book in a variety of formats at: 100 Days of Giving at Smashwords
or through Amazon for your Kindle: 100 Days of Giving e-book at Amazon

And now available "From The Eye of The Hurricane" eBook a collection of short stories and poems that sets the stage for, and provides the back-story for "100 Days of Giving"

From The Eye of The Hurricane available at Smashwords

From The Eye of the Hurricane eBook for Kindle at Amazon

Day 39 ❦ Give hope with your gift today

Day 39 ❦ Give hope with your gift today

The Gift: A donation to the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life

One more day until all hell breaks loose here...literally. It has been raining off and on and there is talk about the rains up north, but we continue to go about our day, still on edge but, because it is raining up North, actually thinking that perhaps the worst has passed us by...again. Austin resides in a big bowl like depression where 4 rivers converge. Those rivers are a big part of our history, George A. Hormel started the Hormel Foods Company in Austin because there was a very good source of ice to use to keep his meat products refrigerated...for those of you who have always known a refrigerator, ice boxes preceded those and the ice was actually harvested from the rivers and stored in large ice houses. The Cedar River produces the water, the northern climate of Minnesota produces the cold and the shallow out-cropping of Mill Pond creates a perfect place for ice to be made, harvested easily and stored locally.

Despite the rain, the American Cancer Society is going to hold its 24 hour Relay for Life down by Mill Pond which is getting really soggy. Campers and tents are sprouting up along with umbrellas, tarps and the big mobile bandshell all preparing for an overnight endurance event. The Relay for Life is a major fund-raiser for cancer research in this community. The organizer, Linda, is passionate, persistent and is the epitome of a leader. Linda is so quiet but moves mountains and really ends up creating a spectacular and moving event. This year’s event will raise over $42,000 for the American Cancer Society and I am a part of that.

I have given one of my sister’s-in-law a donation for her family team which is walking in the relay for the next 24 hours because her niece Hannah is battling her second round of cancer at 14 years of age. The family has a team and is walking in the relay as a means of supporting Hannah who is also the spokesperson for this year’s event. Just writing this tears me up. Hannah is such a beautiful and caring girl and her family is dead set on fighting right along-side her in her battles with her cancer. My sister-in-law comes from a large caring family and I can’t imagine any other group of people better suited to rally and fight together to beat cancer in such a wonderful little girl. I am proud to be supporting their team today.

❦ Give hope with your gift today.

Author’s note: (8 years later) Hannah just got married a few weekends ago surrounded by the love and care of her family that continues to sustain her.