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Tag Archives: giving back

Doing My Part

I think I’ve talked about this on my blog before, but because I’m such a fan of my own work I can’t remember.

I want to change the world.

When I was a kid I’d see those Sally Struthers commercials for the Christian Children Fund, and would cry. The idea that there were so many people suffering killed me, and even at a young age, I understood the magnitude of global hunger.

Children were starving to death, and there was nothing I could do about it.

My high school required all of its students to volunteer as part of their yearly academic requirements. They were trying to raise the future leaders of America, and believed that service to others makes you a better human being.

When I was a sophomore I volunteered at an armory which had been turned into a homeless shelter/soup kitchen. It was clear that the man who ran the program loved what he did, and that his enthusiasm was a bright spot in the day of the people he served. Continue reading →

Tags: activism, BlogHer, charity, giving back, helping other, NaBloPoMo, Nano Poblano, philanthropy, volunteer, Yeah Write

Comments 87 Comments
Categories Do Gooding, NaNoWriNo

12 Days of Christmas- Day 12

21 Dec

For those of you who have been reading my blog for awhile, you know I love giving back. I love charity. I love volunteering. I think acts of service towards our fellow (wo)man are the one thing we’re all capable of doing, and should be doing.

That was my inspiration behind the 12 Days of Christmas series. This year has been huge for me in terms of my writing, and by that I mean I’ve actually been doing it. I’ll elaborate on that in a yearly wrap up post I’ve been working on, but wanted to take this moment to say I’m incredibly thankful for the community here on Sips of Jen and Tonic.

This was my way of giving to you what I’ve been taking for the last year.

I must confess that, while I was excited for each day and what it would bring, I was most looking forward to today. I figured out that I wanted to do this on the second day of the series, and have been anxious to get to the end ever since. That may also be because I can finally take a break from assaulting your inboxes on a daily basis. Continue reading →

Tags: 12 days of christmas, blog series, charity, giveaway, giving back, the christmas spirit, these tags suck donkey balls

Comments 49 Comments
Categories 12 Days of Christmas, Do Gooding

Live Long and Prosper

19 Nov

NaNoWriNO Day 19

Topic: The meaning of life

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Credit: youthvoices.net

An anonymous person e-mailed me, and the only thing the e-mail said was, “For your blog challenge you need to figure out the meaning of life.” Oh, is that all? Sounds like a piece of cake.

I’m not sure what this person is looking for. Spiritual guidance? Answers for a research paper? Stuff that can be used to impress someone he/she is trying to woo. If so, this is the wrong place for that.

Still, I kind of like the challenge. This is like the time someone said I couldn’t drink a bottle of tequila and finish an entire large pizza by myself. I rocked the dare, and completed it in less than an hour. This will be just like that, but with a lot less vomiting afterwards.

So what is the meaning of life? I started thinking about how love is obviously at the center of life. No, it’s hope. Maybe happiness? Truth. Free will. Mindfulness. Morality.

Well, damn.

Then I started thinking about my life, and what gives it meaning. I realized it’s not one thing, it’s a multitude of things. It’s deeply personal. It’s about my values and desires. It’s about about living every day in a way that would make me proud of the life I’ve lived if I died tomorrow.

Here’s how I choose to live my life: Continue reading →