You just never know how you will impact someone through your gift

Sharing brings us closer

Day 45 in 100 Days of Giving - and...give again...
100 Days of Giving is about hope, healing and simple gifts in times of difficulty and creating opportunities for each of us to have fun with unique ways of giving.

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 enjoy...

To read: Day 45 in 100 Days of Giving

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 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: "And...give again..."
 Day 45- For your daily giving journal:

• What did you give today?
• How did you decide what to give?

To write your comments on 100 Days of Giving on Facebook click here

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."

LIKE 100 Days of Giving on Facebook

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 46 click on this link: How can you bring people closer through your gifts?

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

Bring People Closer Through Giving

Sharing brings us closer

Day 46 in 100 Days of Giving - Bring others closer by sharing...

100 Days of Giving is about hope, healing and simple gifts in times of difficulty and creating opportunities for each of us to have fun with unique ways of giving.

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 enjoy...

To read: Day 46 in 100 Days of Giving - Giving brings people closer

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 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: "Bring others closer by sharing gifts and memories"
Day 46 - For your daily giving journal:

• What did you give today?
• How did you decide who to give the gift to?

To write your comments on 100 Days of Giving on Facebook click here

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."

LIKE 100 Days of Giving on Facebook

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 46 click on this link: How can you bring people closer through your gifts?

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

Share your heart and let the conflicting emotions begin

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. I began the exercise of giving every day at a time when I could have used a little push to get underway; we often need that little extra encouragement, accountability, support...whatever you want to call it, so this time around I am giving to all of you a few questions to respond to, journal about or contemplate related to your individual daily giving experience. If the questions stir something in you - great, if they do not - great, write about that. The most important part is to do something...and as one of my favorite mentors Yoda said, "There is no try, only do." Each day in 100 Days of Giving offers you an opportunity to read about alternative giving options as well as some questions to consider...

Today's Giving Thought: "Share your heart."

Day 30 - For your daily giving journal:

• What did you give today?
• How did you share your heart?

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 and get all of the daily experiences, journaling exercises and stories.

To read Day 30 click on this link:Day 30

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 backstory 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 14 - Ease an Aching Heart

100 Days of Giving e-book now
available at Smashwords

Today, I am going to give you an example of putting the words into action for you. I began the exercise of giving every day at a time when I could have used a little push to get underway; we often need that little extra encouragement, accountability, support...whatever you want to call it, so this time around I am giving to all of you a few questions to respond to, journal about or contemplate related to your individual daily giving experience. If the questions stir something in you - great, if they do not - great, write about that. The most important part is to do something...and as one of my favorite mentors Yoda said, "There is no try, only do."

Today's Giving Thought: "A simple gift can ease an aching heart."


Day 14 - For your daily giving journal:

• What did you give today?
• Whose heart did you ease 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 http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/324772 and get all of the daily experiences, journaling exercises and stories.

To read Day 14 click on this link: http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2440410872275813627#editor/target=post;postID=3253956456461296585;onPublishedMenu=template;onClosedMenu=template;postNum=116;src=postname

To read about today's giving experience you can download the e-book in a variety of formats at:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/324772
or through Amazon for your Kindle:
http://www.amazon.com/100-Days-of-Giving-ebook/dp/B00DD1HWUO/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1371567320&sr=1-1&keywords=100+Days+of+Giving

Day 70 ❦ Give and Provide Comfort

Day 70 ❦ Give and Provide Comfort

The Gift: Dinner

Over the course of the past seventy days, I have often talked about the gifts and giving opportunities presented by youth exchange students. Everything about youth exchange is a giving opportunity, the students giving of themselves, the community giving a place for a student to land for a year, the student’s parents - both in their native country, who have giving their student wings for a year...and their host parents who not only have given their homes...but their hearts. I have been on both sides of that giving.

Our oldest daughter was a youth exchange student in France for a year and although the house

Day 68 ❦ Continue to Support a Courageous Person

Day 68  ❦ Continue to Support a Courageous Person

The Gift: A Sumner Cookbook

The great thing about new exchange students is that they typically present many giving opportunities and today is no exception. It is not that they are so needy, but instead I think it is our desire to ensure that they feel cared about.

Sisselin’s host family is holding an open house for the community, Rotarians and school mates to meet her. Having a Norwegian student has garnered a lot of attention, perhaps because of the strong Scandinavian roots here in the mid-west - and people are really excited to meet her. Not surprisingly, most of the conversations with her are related to weather (COLD) and food (plentiful and traditional) and during one of those conversations Sisselin tells me that she loves to cook and is excited about learning how to cook meals that are typical here.

Well, I don’t have to be told twice! I love to cook and I love to learn about cooking so I strike a deal with her that we will have some time to share cooking strategies, she agrees and I get her started with a cookbook produced by my daughter’s elementary school as a fund-raiser for playground equipment. Bam giving opportunity complete - and perfect for the occasion. I love it!

❦ Continue to Support a Courageous Person

Day 67 ❦ Support a Courageous Person

Day 67 ❦ Support a Courageous Person

The Gift: A Senior T-Shirt

The Austin Rotary Club has become very active in hosting International Exchange Students through Rotary International. This exchange program differs from so many of the other ones because it is run completely on volunteer efforts and with the support of the local Rotary Clubs, so the students get a great value and both the students and their host families get a lot of support. I love youth exchange and my family has supported the exchange program by hosting nine students in our home, sending our daughter outbound to live in France for a year and, by supporting our nephew as a Rotary Exchange Student in Argentina for a year. Rotary Youth Exchange has changed our lives, and I know the lives of so many people around us.

Each August (typically, although sometimes the Southern Hemisphere students arrive in December...brrrrr), a new student arrives; tired, nervous, yet filled with that eager anticipation that is characteristic of children willing to leave their home, family and friends for a year and venture out into the world alone. Such brave individuals. I am filled with admiration every time I meet a new student, and that admiration grows daily as I watch them spread their own wings and fly.

Today I am taking the new student to Austin High School to enroll. Sisselin is from Norway and while her English skills are pretty good, the process of school enrollment is pretty mind-boggling for a local, so I am clearing the path for her to have a successful year. It is also a good reminder for me of all that our community has to offer because after we are done with the school enrollment, we will go get her a library card, a YMCA membership, etc.... This is one of my favorite days with youth exchange students.

As we are enrolling her in the gym, going from one of the many stations to the next; and ten tables later we arrive at the senior t-shirt signing booth. The seniors at Austin High School traditionally produce a t-shirt with everyone’s signature on it along with a class slogan - which is usually determined during the year. The shirt is worn at Home-coming and various other senior celebrated events throughout the year and it is definitely something that we want Sisselin to be part of. Unfortunately, the cost is $10 and her monthly allowance is only $80, so that will eat up a substantial percentage of her allowance and today is only her second day in Austin. So I realize that my giving opportunity for today has revealed itself. Done, Sisselin is now an official member of the senior class. It’s the least I can do to support her bravery and courage.

 ❦ Support a Courageous Person

Day 46 ❦ Bring others closer by sharing gifts and memories

Day 46 ❦ Bring others closer by sharing gifts and memories

The Gift: Leather coasters from Argentina

I have had the opportunity to travel to some pretty fantastic places because of people that I have met through Rotary. I have already shared a little about the huge impact that youth exchange students have had on my family...their courage, optimism and openness to share themselves with the world...is humbling and awesome at the same time.

If you can imagine, a 15 - 18 year old child travels to another country, leaving behind their friends, family and everything that is familiar to themselves. They live with host families on whom they have to rely for their basic needs...but most importantly, they have to learn to rely and trust themselves in a way that most teenagers do not. The changes in youth exchange students are incredible to watch. We have had the chance to both host students and send our family members out-bound on exchange. Our oldest daughter went to France as a youth exchange student and was there during the attacks on the United States on September 11th . Our nephew went to Argentina as a 15 year old and that decision changed not only his life, but ours as well.

Toward the end of his year in Argentina our nephew Les and his host family invited me to come visit and I jumped on the invitation. There is nothing like visiting a country where you know the locals, where people are willing to show you their country from their own eyes and invite you into their lives...and the Vera Family did just that. I spent 3 weeks in Argentina and the Vera Family treated my like royalty, and probably more importantly, like family. We laughed, shared stories, cried, ate, celebrated and grew close despite the language challenges. My family grew as a result of my stay there and to my delight, they chose to send one of their sons, Facundo to the United States, to Minnesota as an exchange student.

Facundo fit right into our family and we loved hosting him, however, the Rotary exchange program requires students to move to several host families during their year. Although it is always hard to say goodbye to a student with whom you have bonded, the concept of rotating host families gives students an opportunity to interact with a variety of families which is really important to develop international understanding. But say goodbye we did and many tears were shed when we had to move Facundo to his next host family the Dalagers. Even though he was still in our town, actually, only one mile away, he was now going to be hanging out with a different family and immediately our house grew quiet.

Those first few days after a move are really hard on everyone, but we know from experience that we will all survive - that does not make things easier, it just prepares us for the time in the near future when our student leaves permanently to return to their native country...and oh, the tears that are shed then are awful.

Tonight we have been invited to a welcome party at the home of one of Facundo’s host families for the new Rotary exchange student who is from Norway. Facundo is gone...back to his home, his family in Argentina and we still miss him very much, he was very special and now he is back with his other family. I decide to bring a set of leather coasters I picked up while in Argentina and give them to the Dalagers so that we can commiserate, share our sadness, share our stories and in that remembrance become a little closer and warm our hearts with memories. And, as we warm our hearts we create space to begin to make new memories, share new experiences and open our hearts for our newest student who we welcome tonight.

❦ Bring others closer by sharing gifts and memories