“This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Project 7 but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #chewforchange http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO”
One of the statements that was made by my pastor this past weekend
at church talked about the value of giving. "We are put on this Earth to
impact it, to change a life, and to serve those in need." He went on to
talk about how important it is for us to give back, as much as we can,
and to do so whole-heartedly. That we need not be rich, successful, or
efluential to make an impact. You don't have to be rich, successful, or
efluential. Those words really impacted me.
I had to think about this.
You see, you don't have to be religious, go to church, or even
believe in a higher power to be impacted by such words. You just have to
believe that there is a need for good, that there is a need for help
and healing, and there is a need for giving. Yes, I believe that, but
often times I find myself wondering what exactly I could do to give
back. How I could impact someone's life or change a little piece of the
world. I'm quick to judge myself. Criticize. And bring down. Will this
little amount do anything? What do I have that I can give? What areas
are more important than others? Do I really make a difference?
Yes the little things count. You have more than you think to
give. All areas are important, and there is never a surplus of giving.
And every act of giving makes a difference.
I found that I was the person that would take the easy road
of giving. Yes, I will donate a dollar at every cash register that
requests it. Yes, I will donate money when a life is dramatically
changed and a fundraiser has been brought to my attention. Yes, if you
want me to write a check, I'll do it. Those things are easy to me. Click
of a button. Writing of a check. Done. That should make me feel good...right?
Except, it doesn't.
Sometimes, it's not about the amount of money or money at all that
is of importance. Sometimes, it's giving more of our heart and our hands
that will make the bigger impact and difference. And it takes a little
reminder at times that we need to do a little more. Donate our time, our
skills, and our resources in order to help others.
Project 7 is one that has a great message behind it. I love the
simplicity of their message. Yet, it speaks volumes. "Projects of Good.
We exist to do good around the globe. For every purchase of a Project 7
product, good is done in seven areas of need Feed the Hungry, Heal the Sick, Hope for Peace, House the Homeless, Quench the Thirsty, Teach them Well and Save the Earth."
Feed, Heal, Hope, House, Quench, Teach, and Save. Seven words that
define the meaning of giving. Giving back our lives to our community.
One of the components of Project 7 is making products for the
greater good. Some of these products include water, coffee, mints, and
gum. When I went to pick up my ingredients for my giving back recipe at Meijer, I
picked up my first {of 10} packs of Project 7 gum, specifically the FEED
the hungry and SAVE the Earth packs. I made sure to leave one for the
cashier, one for myself, and one for the librarians. The others we plan to disperse throughout the week with a little message attached to them. Although these acts may be small, and although they may not initially hold
meaning to the recipients, there is a much bigger picture behind the
message. To give what we can, when we can. It's a message that I needed
to hear for myself, and I believe others are in need of hearing. A
little reminder.
Giving back does not have to be an overwhelming cloud over my head.
It should never be forced, and it should always come from the heart. It
is neither about the amount of money or size of your giving. Even the
smallest moments of giving can have some of the largest of impacts. Even as simple as gong to buy Project 7 products at places you regularly shop {click here to find out where products sold}.
I decided that I wanted to make something for our local library. It's a place that we visit at least once a week. A place where we get to experience story time, crafts, and interaction with other little kids. A place that my daughter has attended since she was 18 months old, and one where we have seen the biggest amount of growth in. I am thankful for our library and all that it does for our youth. They always welcome us with the biggest smiles on their faces, stimulate the brains' of our little ones, and make each and every activity inviting and fun for all. Their hard work is much appreciated, and I feel as though our "thank yous" alone just don't truly express our gratitude. And because my daughter enjoys it so much, I thought it would be a great learning opportunity. For me to show her the importance of giving back and showing our appreciation toward others.
We have our toddler time tomorrow, goodie bags are packed, and little messages are waiting to be written. I have a feeling that my daughter may want to share a couple with her favorite librarians.
I mean, I do myself.
Strawberry Cheesecake Bites {recipe adapted from allrecipes.com}
Ingredients
1 block of cream cheese
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 package of strawberries {I bought 2}
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Graham crackers crushed
Semisweet chocolate chips {optional}
1 teaspoon canola oil {optional}
Directions
1. Knife out the center of the strawberries in a cone shape.
2. Mix the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract together until smooth. Crush the graham crackers in a bag until very fine crumbs develop.
3. Fill the center of the strawberries with the cream cheese mixture so that it overflows. Then sprinkle the graham crackers on top.
4. {optional} melt the chocolate and canola oil and either drizzle on top, or dip on the bottom of the strawberries.
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They turned out amazing. So easy to do. All ingredients purchased at my local Meijer, and it is a recipe that has made it in the books. And my belly.
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