A Season of Hope and Joy

Today I wanted to share some things that give me hope in this world. This is what has gotten me through life and has helped me through some of my darkest days. Also, it is very fitting to share this because it's about Jesus Christ, and the present day Christmas celebration is about the birth of Jesus Christ.

Christmas Day #4

I want to share with you The Book of Mormon. To request a copy of the Book of Mormon, you can click here.  In the introduction, Joseph Smith is quoted to say, "I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book." I have experienced that this book has gotten me closer to God than anything else. 

There are lots of questions about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And there are sometimes doubts that come up, but whenever I do doubt or have questions, The Book of Mormon helps me. I believe this book to be true, and all of the rest of the stuff rests upon that.

If you need more hope and joy in your life, this book is for you. Recently, I have talked to a few people that are so depressed about the state of the world. They just want peace. Or hope. Or love. And that all comes from Jesus. This book brings you closer to Jesus.

I know I mentioned a few places helping during natural disasters on the first day when I mentioned American Red Cross and The Salvation Army. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also has helped in so many ways. We have the helping hands, Bishop's storehouse, service missionaries, giving machines, and more. I have seen so many people helped from this church. People's lives have changed when they have read the Book of Mormon. I'm not joking. I've seen people who are so low and don't know how to get better to having a job and a clean home and a smile on their face. I've also participated in Bishop's storehouse which helps provide food for people in the congregation who might be struggling. Part of my mission was to do service. I helped at hospitals, assisted living centers, people's yards, and a few other places. The church encourages helping others. It's not just limited to this book.

A Christmas Feast

Who likes food? I do. I definitely do. So now we're gonna share some food. I have a few places that I want to share with you guys.

Christmas Day #3

The first place is a food packaging opportunity. Have you ever volunteered at Feed My Starving Children? It's a super fun volunteer project, especially for groups of people. I live in an area that has a permanent location, so they have multiple times you can sign up for each day. They make packing the food into a competition. I have gone with several friends, and we have tried to reach the all-time most packages per number of people. We have never reached it, but it's so fun to try and get the food packaged. We have often been the most boxes per table though during the session. 

The cool thing about Feed My Starving Children is that it feeds people around the globe. Most of the food packed is sent to other countries, but there are a few states in the USA that receive that food. Their food is meant to help people gain and keep weight.

If you're in Arizona, and want a more local way of giving food, I have worked with United Food Bank  (unitedfoodbank.org) several times. You can run a food drive for non-perishable food. I have also helped pack bags of the food, so they are easy to hand out to people in need. The location I have served at a few times is right next to a homeless/mental health shelter.

I also had the opportunity to hand out Thanksgiving dinner items at Valley View Community Food Bank with my then fiance last year. He worked there a ton during his mission. It was good to see the food going to people firsthand instead of just sending food off and never seeing it be placed in the hands of others.

On the Second Day of Christmas

 Hey guys! How is Christmas in July going for ya? If you want another easy way to give, I have a great idea for you. Also, if you like reading, this one's for you.

Christmas Day #2

This is Little Free Library. "Take a Book. Share a Book." I may have a problem where I love getting books. This year, I have gotten more e-books than before (most of them free). I love hard copy books. And I buy them pretty cheap at thriftbooks.com most often. I have a variety of ways of moving books around. I keep lots of books that I really love and may read again. Sometimes I give books to others (sister, stepsister, cousin, etc.) when it was a good book, but I probably won't read it again. I borrow books from my dad's house. I borrow books from my local library. And I also go to Little Free Library locations. Luckily for me, they are several in my area. I take books that I don't want anymore and leave them in the little library. If there is a book that I have been wanting to read or looks interesting to me, I will take it. It's a nice swap.

I had a book just this week that I took to the Little Free Library. I didn't want it anymore, and it is hardcover, so I couldn't donate it to my work. It was a book I would recommend to any of my close family or friends, so I put it in the library. There weren't a lot of books, so I didn't take any this time.

The goal of Little Free Library is to increase access to books and help decrease illiteracy. The reason I like this option is because there isn't a time restraint like a public library. At the public library, I can only check out a book for 3 weeks plus a few renews, and I am such a slow reader. And this gives me a way to get rid of books without having to talk to anyone as well. It's a simple book swap idea. They have an app, so you can find locations near you.

Christmas in July

I'll probably get a lot of flack for this. Actually, I don't know, since I don't have that many people who follow the stuff that I post or care about it if it happens to come across their feed. I missed halfway to Christmas on June 25, so I guess we'll have to celebrate Christmas in July instead. This is also prompted by so much hate that I see on my Instagram feed. I have a variety of people on my Instagram feed: different walks of life, religious beliefs, values, political views, physical and mental abilities, etc. There has been a big stir among my friends. Again. It happens more often than I would like. The people on my feed disagree. But it's not just a disagreement; it's a battle. At least one side, usually both, tries to tear the other side apart and show how stupid the other side is and how immoral the other side is. However, each conflict that emerges is so much more complex than only one side being dumb. But why does it have to be so hateful? Why do we have to be so mean?

Sometimes that arguments (especially the latest) are about how to help people. I've seen so many people get up in arms about how an organization is not perfect. So to be transparent, none of these organizations is perfect, but they are doing more than I could do on my own. In the spirit of giving, since it's Christmas in July, here are some organizations, items, ideas, (or people?) that have brought me hope or joy and help me share the gifts of life and joy to others. 

Without further ado, let's get the party started.

Christmas Day #1

I'm gonna start somewhere easy. At least it's someplace that I give often. Every few months (meaning 8+ weeks between times), I donate blood. I donate through the American Red Cross. If you would like to join me in donating, you can go to redcrossblood.org. I just donated this week and got the shark week t-shirt. For all my Gilbert and Mesa peeps, they just opened a new location in Gilbert, so it's easier to make an appointment without finding a drive. They're open on my days off, so it's super easy.

image from redcrossblood.org

The reason I give blood is because I have had a few family members who have needed transfusions during their stays in hospitals. There is a critical shortage of blood the last few years. I also think that if I can help save life, I will do what I can. This is an easy way for me to continually give the possible gift of life throughout the year. I don't know who gets my blood, but I believe in human life has value. There are many ways to donate. American Red Cross also helps in natural disasters. If you go to smile.amazon.com, you can set an organization for Amazon to donate to when you buy applicable purchases. I have mine set to American Red Cross. Maybe my few cents will help pay for some of the supplies used to collect blood or other supplies used in natural disaster situations. My Basic Life Skills certification also happens to be through American Red Cross. I usually just get that certification through my work, so that happens to be my work's current certification provider.

Obviously there are several ways that they have helped people in need. I am thankful for organizations who help others and myself provide care to other human beings. Like I said before, none of these organizations are perfect, but they do more than I could on my own. If you are thinking of donating blood, I know there is also Vitalant. I just have had a better track record with American Red Cross.  And another organization/church that helps in natural disasters is The Salvation Army. There are several resources that you can do research about to find where you would like to give aid.

The Dole Whips of Marriage

Sorry I've been gone for so long (as if anybody stays up-to-date on my blog). If you have actually stayed in the know, I wrote about The Dole Whips of Singlehood a while ago. (It's been two years.) I said that I would get myself 7 dole whips if I was single during my family's Disneyland trip. The old blog post explains how that did and didn't happen. But my sister tried to convince me to get 8 if I was married on that trip. Well, I finally had my "8th" Dole Whip.

My "8th" Dole Whip

I got married in March, and my reception was held at my aunt's sister's backyard. I had an idea of what I wanted to have as food for the reception, and it became a "potluck" of sorts for my aunt's family. I did not know that there would be Dole whips. I guess it was a last minute thing that happened. But it was perfect! So many guests loved the treat. And my older sister was so happy that I finally got to have my marriage Dole whip.

Also take a look at these cuties who had some with me.

Here's my new family member

Yes, that's a Team Cami shirt