Service Month

I went to a fireside to kick off service month tonight. You didn't know that April is service month? Well good thing you read this blog or you would have been so out of the loop. Our stake is providing service activities throughout the month, culminating in a 5K race for the Utah Food Bank, a race in which I plan to participate.

The fireside was incredibly inspiring and I've included a few highlights in video form:

I've never really liked this song, but the speaker explained that the singer lost his father when he was 18 and really struggled with everyone telling him that his father was in a better place and that he would see him again. He became angry and resentful, but somehow came to terms with it by writing this song. The video features Rick and his father, Dick Hoyt, competing in various races. I'm sure that most of you are familiar with the story of Dick competing in big time triathlons with his severely handicapped son because his son felt free while they were racing. Dick was a smoker and in very poor health before they started competing. Doctors have told him that had he not given up smoking and started exercising he most likely would have died at a young age. Something you may not know...Rick chose to become a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The speaker at the fireside once spoke at another fireside in his singles ward in Boston.



Next we have another band that I don't really love, Nickelback. But the music video is pretty inspiring. The speaker encouraged us to determine what our loves (things we really enjoy/find happiness in), abilities (things that we are naturally good at), and I can't remember his word...but we'll say passions (things that we would go to the ends of the earth for, convictions) are and then focus on paths that take us to a combination of the three. This video demonstrates the power of one. We all have the ability to make a big difference. I know that small acts of service and kindness are extremely important and meaningful, but I think that I have personally used that idea as an excuse to avoid making a true effort to reach my full potential. While it is important to do the little things, we are all capable of big things.



And last but not least, we have TOMS Shoes. This guy figured out that he could sell a pair of awesome shoes to rich kids and use the profits to give a pair of shoes to poor kids. Brilliant. Go buy a pair. As soon as I get me a job, I'm going to buy some. http://www.tomsshoes.com/
They are also doing a "day without shoes" on April 16th. So go to the sight, get edumacated on why it is important for people to have shoes (Podoconiosis) and learn about how many people in the world are without shoes (40%), then take your shoes off on April 16th and tell other people what you've learned. I know...kind of hippie. But you can do it. If you are feeling supper adventurous, you could attend one of the events in your area. Since I don't have a job, I'll be outside at the U of U student center at noon. We all know how I feel about stepping foot (get it...foot as in bare foot as in no shoes) on that campus...that's how awesome I think this is. If you aren't sold yet, here's a video:



In conclusion, I'd like to encourage all of you to make this your own personal service month and spread the word. If nothing else, I think this world could use a few extra smiles right now.