Wanted: Morale Boosters

Happy Aloha Friday! It’s nice to be back home in Hawai’i after approximately two years of being away. While it’s great seeing friends, family, and familiar faces and places again, there is one thing that cannot go unnoticed: their morale is down. 2008 has been a very emotional time for everyone, and we are either fearful or hopeful for 2009. President-elect Barack Obama surely has a lot on his shoulders, and he definitely needs our prayers - whether you voted for him or not.

A lot has changed while I’ve been away. My boss, her boss, more bosses, and all the way up to the two Presidents of two different entities within the same large organization have either gotten laid off or have since retired. Many of my friends, regardless of their years of service, have lost their jobs and are about to lose their homes and face foreclosure or bankruptcy. The ones who have retired have lost quite a great deal with their investments during this economic downturn. Then, I hear about many businesses closing down, loss of loved ones in the war going on in the Middle East, and families hurting as they repeatedly see their loved ones off to go to the war zone.

Dwelling on these thoughts long enough can quickly get you in a depressed state. This phenomenon has already increased the demand for psychiatrists and behavioral health institutions! At least, this is what I had heard (and seen) while I was living in Orlando, Florida.

This then brings me back to the time when I had the opportunity to be a part of the Planning Committee for the first Greater Orlando Scavenger Hunt (GOSH). The purpose of the event was not only to serve as a morale booster for the economy during stressful times, it also created added exposure for local businesses as well as raise funds for a non-profit organization of our choice: The National MS Society Mid-Florida Chapter. The all-day event commenced at Blue Jacket Park in Winter Park, Florida, on October 25, 2008, and ended at the Orlando International Airport. Participants proudly marched into the airport wearing their Burger King crowns, pink hair, glittery-pink toenails (for the guys), photos, paraphernalia, and what-not, in an effort to win the grand prize or simply, to have fun. The National MS Society was very impressed with the overall results that they asked Event Coordinator James Zimbardi, Senior Partner with Allgen Financial Services, Inc., that the event be held annually.

This is a great example of how the community can come together to help lift each others’ spirits during tough times while having fun and creating lasting memories. May it serve as an example for others to follow in their own communities.

If you have any great stories to share about how you or someone you know has helped your community, please post a comment. We need more community morale boosters!

Here are some related links about the 2008 Greater Orlando Scavenger Hunt:

Official Site of the Big Gosh
Major Success: Greater Orlando Scavenger Hunt
Great Idea Award
On Social Media: Ning Features GOSH Site

The World's Best Helpers

I believe children are the world's best helpers. Sure, household chores may bore them, but that applies to must of us adults, anyway. Children offer their help with beaming anticipation, typically without expecting anything in return but our genuine approval. Children like to be a part of big things beyond the four corners of their room, and the busy, working parent(s) often spend what's left of their family time "entertaining" the children, making sure they are "happy" whether through TV, buying them the newest toys and gadgets or the best clothes, taking them to the coolest theme parks, etc. While these measures aren't bad per se, it is no surprise that we as parents are unknowingly creating a generation that thinks of themselves first, before others.

The truth is, the world isn't all about you! It's not about what you can get, but what you can do to serve God and others. Many people go out on a limb to search for happiness with the wrong priorities only to find themselves depressed, ending up in the wrong places, with the wrong people. As a child, I could still remember the sign posted on our door: J-O-Y = Jesus First, Others Next, Yourself Last. Pretty simple, but very easy to forget! Usually it's because we're either too far from the need to help others (out of sight, out of mind), or we see too much of it (often getting desensitized and indifferent). Sadly, our children are watching. The good news is, it's never too late to get a fresh start and create a culture of giving and serving others in need. Opportunities abound. The world needs more helpers. Ask your child to help today, you'll see.

How Well Do You Know Me?

When you truly know someone personally, you'll know their "signature traits", styles (even their writing style), patterns, behaviors, etc. It makes it easy for you to quickly detect an impostor!

An important question then comes to mind: how well do you know God, personally? If we, as humans, are able to get to know individuals who change a lot (even those who change their mind and mood like the Florida weather - you know, the passive-aggressive ones? Okay, don't get me started...), how can we then not be able to get to know God Who is the same yesterday, today, and forever?

I'm guilty of this myself. There are still times when I would ask God, "Is that You, or am I just hearing things and/or making things up to suit my preferences?" Or even, "God, are You sure? Am I hearing You correctly?" How about, "You mean, NOW, LORD?" Better yet, "Did you just say, 'Wait'"? Like how much longer?" I've got a lot of self-centered reasoning in my back pocket.

Adversity is a great test to see how much you truly know God, personally. It's very easy to sink into the "Woe-Is-Me" mode. Looking back at 2008, I could easily say, "Boy, was 2008 a horrible year for me!" Failed "re-relationship (whatever you call it), my first speeding ticket, we almost lost my stepdad, my uncle suddenly passed away, too many friends and families with emergencies, ever-changing family and living situations, a very different financial and professional landscape, property issues...just to name a few!

Then I started looking at my photos taken in 2008. Those looking at my photos would never believe the hardships that I've been through, especially if they didn't really know me. These photos made me to think back to the times when I was also facing lots of adversity, yet the Lord remained faithful. The blessings far outweighed the hardships. And, they always have. God has never changed.

I now only have 3 days left until I depart Orlando, Florida. I can now truly sense God's hand in this big move (again). The "pattern" is so similar to the times when I was on my maternity leave (2005) and when I was leaving Honolulu (2007). There are still quite a few "unfamiliar roads" along the way, but God has given me a map, His Word, so that He can help me find the way.

Psalm 119:105 says, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

Allow God to let you get to know Him more today. God is always drawing us closer to Him. If you don't feel the tug, search your heart. Perhaps it's time for an "open heart surgery" with God.

Psalm 139:23-24 states, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."