Haven't heard of the 30 Days of Kindness?  Click here to find out more.  Just starting?  That's okay!  Feel free to start this challenge right in the middle.  You can make up the days you missed through November, if you like.

Give food to a homeless person.  This challenge may be very difficult for you.  My city has many, many homeless people walking the streets and staying at shelters and asking for food.  You may have very few or no homeless people in your small town.  If that is the case, I'm going to count your participation in the challenge if you honestly try to find a homeless person or you simply give some food to a person who needs it.  For example, a lady just had a baby.  You could give her food and that would count.

Before you go parading the streets, looking for a homeless person, I want you to be very careful.  Get at least one buddy to go with you, preferably an adult.  If possible, be inside of your car and roll down a window to give the homeless person the food.  You want to be safe at all times.  Also, I would very much recommend you to serve the homeless from a shelter or a soup kitchen.  This can ensure that you are safe and secure.

There are many people in the United States who are living without proper food and nutrition.  You may hand out cookies, an apple, or a hamburger... or a meal from a soup kitchen.  It may not seem like much to you, but it means the world to this person. 

Always remember to say, "God bless you!"

I want to hear your stories!  Leave me a comment and share what you did during today's challenge.  If you have a picture or two, feel free to send them to me.  If you're blogging about today, send me the link and I'll feature it on this blog.

Stay tuned until later today to see what my friends and I did for today's act of kindness.

TOMORROW: Offer to help out around the house!

Haven't heard of the 30 Days of Kindness?  Click here to find out more.  Just starting?  That's okay!  Feel free to start this challenge right in the middle.  You can make up the days you missed through November, if you like.

Do an odd job for an elderly person.  I know quite a few seniors who have a difficult time doing things that we may find simple, such as taking the groceries from their car to their pantry, vacuuming their living room, or mowing their lawn.  I'm sure you can think of an elderly person who could use your help with an odd job or two today.

It's your challenge to make an old person's day by helping them out.  What a kind gesture.  You're giving someone the dignity of not having to ask for assistance.  You're also showing respect by offering to help out an older person. 

You can perform an odd job for your grandparents, a neighbor, or for some people at a nursing home.  If you see an old lady crossing the street, go ahead and help her across.  It's up to you! 

I want to hear your stories!  Leave me a comment and share what you did during today's challenge.  If you have a picture or two, feel free to send them to me.  If you're blogging about today, send me the link and I'll feature it on this blog.

Stay tuned until later today to see what my friends and I did for today's act of kindness.

TOMORROW: Give food to a homeless person!

Today we broke the rules a little.  Ali and I were both busy with jobs, cleaning, and homework, so we stretched the rules and had a friend over instead.  We had dinner together.  It was delicious.  Hamburgers, chips, ice cream, and pumpkin bread.  My parents had some guests over as well and we spent much of the evening talking and laughing together.  I love having fellowship with other people and spending time with them.  I had a great time with my friend.  After dinner, we rented a movie and watched it together.  I know my friend felt special hanging out with me, and I definitely felt special hanging out with her!

Ali: When I spent time with my friend over dinner and a movie, we had tons of fun, and it makes me so happy because we can bond, all three of us and just, um, grow closer.  It's just so nice because throughout our days, we don't have much time to just sit down and talk or spend time with each other. 

What did you do with a friend today?

It was fairly easy to personally encourage someone today because it was my birthday.  I thanked a few different friends for their friendship.  They were so sweet to me today, surprising me over and over again.  This has been a great day.  Seeing the look of gratitude and excitement on my friends' faces when I encouraged them brought yet another smile to my face.  I love being encouraged as well, and my friends definitely encouraged me today.

Ali: Oh, goodness.  Well, I encouraged one of my friends before she took a quiz that she was going to do good.  Unfortunately, the quiz was really hard and so even though I really did believe that she was going to do good and really did mean the encouragement, the quiz did not turn out so good, but then the teacher changed the quiz.  So in the end, she didn't get the bad grade!

Me: How did she respond to your encouragement?

Ali: She was nervous, but grateful, I guess.

Me: Did it make you feel good to encourage her?

Ali: Well, I was hoping, you know, that by encouraging her, it would give her something, and then she'd be like, "Yeah, I can do this!" and then she'd do good, but... Well, she did try her hardest.  The quiz was just hard.

How did you encourage a friend today?

Haven't heard of the 30 Days of Kindness?  Click here to find out more.  Just starting?  That's okay!  Feel free to start this challenge right in the middle.  You can make up the days you missed through November, if you like.

Today is my birthday, so share another kind gesture and wish me happy birthday!  I turn eighteen years old today, so it's a big'un.

Another big day for us challenge-accepters.  We've been going at this for two weeks now!  We're halfway through!  How has your experience been so far? 

Personally encourage a friend.  You may feel a little intimidated by this challenge, but don't let it get you down.  I want you to go to a friend who may be struggling or who needs an encouragement, and encourage them.  You don't need to carry on for an hour, but I want you to give more than a little compliment.

Perhaps you should pull aside your friend and say something to the affect of, "Hey, I know you've been struggling lately.  I just wanted to let you know that I've been praying for you to have courage lately.  I hope life has been getting better for you."  Speak sincerely.  Imagine how much your words will encourage your friend.  This will truly let him or her know that you care and that you've been thinking about them.

I want to hear your stories!  Leave me a comment and share what you did during today's challenge.  If you have a picture or two, feel free to send them to me.  If you're blogging about today, send me the link and I'll feature it on this blog.

Stay tuned until later today to see what my friends and I did for today's act of kindness.

TOMORROW: Take someone out for coffee/ice cream!

Haven't heard of the 30 Days of Kindness?  Click here to find out more.  Just starting?  That's okay!  Feel free to start this challenge right in the middle.  You can make up the days you missed through November, if you like.

Compliment 10 people!  I hope that you will find this challenge fun rather than any kind of a burden.  When you compliment someone on their skills, talents, or outward appearance, you can see the visible lift on their faces.  It feels good to be complimented.  When someone walks up to you and says something nice, you feel so much better about yourself, right? 

What if someone has gotten no compliments all week and your few words of encouragement alters their perspective of themselves? 

Compliments mean so much to everyone. 

You may compliment your friends, casual friends, acquaintances, and strangers.  It will probably be best to get a good mixture of all of those groups.

I want to hear your stories!  Leave me a comment and share what you did during today's challenge.  If you have a picture or two, feel free to send them to me.  If you're blogging about today, send me the link and I'll feature it on this blog.

Stay tuned until later today to see what my friends and I did for today's act of kindness.

TOMORROW: Personally encourage a friend!

I enjoyed complimenting people today.  There's just something about a compliment that makes someone's face light up.  You can literally see a rising of confidence after you compliment someone.  I complimented clothes, hair, smarts at school... really, just whatever popped into my head.  It felt good making somebody else feel good.  I enjoyed the experience. 

Ali: Oh, goodness!  I was out selling poinsettias and pies for my senior trip to the neighbors.  I used this opportunity to give out compliments.  I commented on their houses, pets, the smell of their house on one occasion, and various things like that.  They were really nice and sweet people.  I think when you compliment someone, it makes them more prone to being friendly and nice to you.

Me: Were they sincere compliments or were you just trying to get through the challenge?

Ali: No, they really were sincere!  I liked their doggies, so I would compliment that.  They were really sincere.  I wasn't just trying to sell poinsettias!  Compliments or giving out compliments comes pretty easy to me because I just like giving out compliments. 

What did you do for today?

Today's kindness challenge was to write an encouraging note to a friend.  I chose to write a card and send it through the mail to the lady I got to know at the nursing home, Ms. Bea.  I enjoyed picking out the perfect card and filling it with encouragements and Bible verses.  I honestly hope I made her day.  I just wish I could be there when she receives the letter.

Elderly people in nursing homes love getting mail, we learned when we visited them.  Imagine the disappointment for those who don't have a family to visit them.  They never get mail.  So I hope to truly make Bea's day by allowing her to get an encouraging letter in the mail from someone who cares.

Me: Ali, who did you give your letter?

Ali: I'm going to send my letter to Goldie, the lady I met at the nursing home.  I'm super excited to hear of her reaction.  I can't wait to see her next time and talk to her about it.  Maybe it might become a routine.

Me: Do you think giving encouraging notes is important?

Ali: Oh yes.  Sometimes we don't realize the difference it can make in someone's day or week.  She loves getting mail... actually, that's the only thing she looks forward to every day, so I know it will brighten her day, and I'm excited.

I loooooooooove writing encouraging letters.

To whom did you write your letter?

Haven't heard of the 30 Days of Kindness?  Click here to find out more.  Just starting?  That's okay!  Feel free to start this challenge right in the middle.  You can make up the days you missed through November, if you like.

Write an encouraging note to a friend.  This challenge may seem nerve-wracking to some and incredibly easy to others.  I want you to choose a good friend of yours who is going through a difficult time or could use an encouragement, and I would like you to write them a little note of encouragement.

Your note could be a sentence long.  It could be "I've just been thinking about you" or "I'm praying for you."  It could be a few paragraphs long.  You could share verses or talk about memories between the two of you.  Whatever you decide to include in the note is up to you.

After you write the note, I want you to stick it in your friend's locker at school, in their mailbox, on their car windshield, under their bedroom door.  You can even hand it to them personally.  You don't have to sign your name, but I would prefer if you did, because in many cases, a friend is most encouraged by another friend.  However, if you believe an anonymous note would be the most encouraging thing in your friend's situation, you do not have to sign your name.

I want to hear your stories!  Leave me a comment and share what you did during today's challenge.  If you have a picture or two, feel free to send them to me.  If you're blogging about today, send me the link and I'll feature it on this blog.

Stay tuned until later today to see what my friends and I did for today's act of kindness.

TOMORROW: Compliment 10 people!

Today, Ali and I broke the rules a little bit.  Instead of making a snack for someone, we only had time to buy a snack.  My grandma was feeling sick with a bad case of bronchitis, so Ali and I went to Walgreens to buy some cough drops and a huge bucket of peppermints.  If you've never had a pepper mint with a sore throat, try it.  An excellent remedy, in my opinion.

We left a little Post-It note inside the peppermint bucket, basically telling my Nawnie to feel better soon and that we loved her.  We dropped the gift off at her house.  I know our little "snack" completely and totally made my grandma's day.  She lives alone, and I know that being sick is a miserable feeling, especially when your throat hurts and you just can't stop coughing.  I enjoyed helping out my grandma and making her feel special.

What did you do for today's challenge?

Haven't heard of the 30 Days of Kindness?  Click here to find out more.  Just starting?  That's okay!  Feel free to start this challenge right in the middle.  You can make up the days you missed through November, if you like.

Make a snack for your friends.  Tell me that this wouldn't brighten your day if a friend baked a lovely batch of cookies and brought them to share with you for lunch.  It would be an exciting feeling, right?  Sharing a delicious snack is a kind gesture that anyone would appreciate. 

I will not limit this gesture, however.  If you would like to make a snack and take it to a nursing home, children's hospital, fire department, or preschool, that will count.  If you want to make a snack for two or more groups, that will also count.  I would love to hear about who you gave your snack, so please comment your story and potential pictures below. 

I have a feeling that this may be a favorite kind gesture so far.

I want to hear your stories!  Leave me a comment and share what you did during today's challenge.  If you have a picture or two, feel free to send them to me.  If you're blogging about today, send me the link and I'll feature it on this blog.

Stay tuned until later today to see what my friends and I did for today's act of kindness.

TOMORROW: Leave an encouraging note for a friend

I love old people.

For today's challenge, Ali and I hugged a few people at church and at a restaurant, but we decided to visit a nursing home and hug some lonely people.  We went to the nurse and asked her if she would point out some ladies who didn't get many visitors, so she guided Ali to a lady named Goldie and me to a lady named Bea.  Both ladies were adorable and super sweet.  I haven't had such a fun, relaxed afternoon in such a long time.

I had a great experience with Bea.  I brought my nine-week-old Yorkie, Jack, and she held him the entire time.  I loved that Bea told me stories.  She kept thanking me that I came and visited her in her room.  She was so, so, so sweet.  I definitely want to start visiting her more often.  I'd also like to send her a letter to let her know I haven't forgotten her. 

Nursing homes can be such sad places, basically where people drop off their elderly family members so they'll die out of sight.  These old people are adorable and wise and loving.  All they want is someone to talk to an for  someone to care about them.  And they deserve it.  I loved today.

Me: Ali, how was your time with Goldie?

Ali: Oh, it was absolutely wonderful.  It was probably the best way I've spent my time in a long time.  Not only do I know that I made her day, but it encouraged me.  Today was definitely not a day wasted. 

Me: Any specific stories?

Ali: There are quite a few.  Let's see.  She kept asking me where I wanted to go to college, and I kept telling her A&M- if it accepts me- and then she would go on and on about how in today's world you need to go to college and have a college education, and she would just encourage me so much about college and life.

Me: Does this make you want to visit Goldie again?

Ali: Oh, it makes me want to go tomorrow! 

---

We plan to make our Sunday afternoon nursing home trips a tradition from now on, as often as possible.  That's how much we enjoyed ourselves today.
 

Haven't heard of the 30 Days of Kindness?  Click here to find out more.  Just starting?  That's okay!  Feel free to start this challenge right in the middle.  You can make up the days you missed through November, if you like.

Hug 10 people!  When you hug a person, you make their day.  Now imagine if you hug ten people!  You'll be making ten people's days.  What a great way to end your week. 

Preferably, you should be hugging strangers.  But you're allowed to hug people you casually know... and even friends too.  Ten people means a lot of hugging.  You can even beat this challenge if you like. 

I also challenge you to take a picture hugging at least one person.  When you're done, send me the picture and I'll feature it on this blog. 

I want to hear your stories!  Leave me a comment and share what you did during today's challenge.  If you have a picture already, feel free to send it to me.  If you're blogging about today, send me the link and I'll feature it on this blog.

Stay tuned until later today to see what my friends and I did for today's act of kindness.

TOMORROW: Make a snack for your friends!
Note: If you attend school you may want to go ahead and bake cookies or something today and then bring them to school to share with your friends tomorrow.  That is what I will be doing.

I spent most of the day cleaning out my closet and drawers.  I ended up gathering three bags of clothes to donate to a shelter.  Around seven o'clock in the evening, I picked up Ali from work and we went to a homeless shelter in my city called Faith City Ministries.  This homeless shelter has a drop off place where you can leave clothes and food and things like that.  They'll use it to help the poor people in my city.

It was a great feeling to donate so many clothes to the homeless and needy.  I love the good feeling that swells up in your chest.  I also felt incredibly blessed as I drove through the poor neighborhoods and saw several homeless people wandering around.  I have so many things.  Even the three bags of clothes that I gave away were more than most of those people had to their name, and those were my discard clothes!  God has blessed me with so much. 

Me: Ali, what did you learn from donating clothes today?

Ali: It's just reminded me and Emily about how blessed we are, and just throughout the day, remember to thank God for everything you have.

Haven't heard of the 30 Days of Kindness?  Click here to find out more.  Just starting?  That's okay!  Feel free to start this challenge right in the middle.  You can make up the days you missed through November, if you like.

Donate clothes to a shelter.  It's about time for you to sort through the summer's clothes and take out some shirts or shorts that you've outgrown or are going out of style.  Once you've picked out some clothes that you are willing to give up, put them in a bag and donate them to your local homeless shelter.  I'll give you some leniency on this as well.  If you know someone who wears approximately your size of clothing, you can give the hand-me-downs to them... you can even leave them on this person's doorstep and run away before they know it is you. 

This gesture is basically meant to help someone out who can't even afford clothing.  Sacrificing a few shirts is worth it if it means giving someone a shirt that they could not afford otherwise.

Best yet, if you have old coats or long-sleeved shirts from last year, donate them.  Many people are going to be cold this winter and you can help to prevent that.

I want to hear your stories!  Leave me a comment and share what you did during today's challenge.  If you have a picture already, feel free to send it to me.  If you're blogging about today, send me the link and I'll feature it on this blog.

Stay tuned until later today to see what my friends and I did for today's act of kindness.

TOMORROW: Hug ten people!

Haven't heard of the 30 Days of Kindness?  Click here to find out more.  Just starting?  That's okay!  Feel free to start this challenge right in the middle.  You can make up the days you missed through November, if you like.

Leave an encouraging Bible verse somewhere.  You have to be careful with this challenge.  I don't want you to go and give out Bible verses that will make Christians sound judgmental out of context, like "The wicked will perish."  You don't want to include Bible verses that talk about repenting or turning from sin.  Yes, those scriptures are important, but they will not encourage someone.  I'm looking for an encouraging Bible verse.  You may not even want to use something as common as John 3:16.  The thing about popular verses is that everyone knows them and they will turn people who hate religion off immediately.  But ultimately, it's up to you. 

Here are some example verses that you could use.
- John 16:33
- Psalm 46:1-3
- Isaiah 41:10
- Psalm 55:22
- 1 Peter 5:7
- Matthew 11:28

Leave your encouraging Bible verse on the windshield of someone's car, stuck to a bathroom mirror, on a park bench, in a hotel drawer...  God knows the purpose behind this verse, and He will help bring it to the right person.  Perhaps the verse will even be found by a fellow Christian who is having a difficult day and who simply needs a boost.

I want to hear your stories!  Leave me a comment and share what you did during today's challenge.  If you have a picture already, feel free to send it to me.  If you're blogging about today, send me the link and I'll feature it on this blog.

Stay tuned until later today to see what my friends and I did for today's act of kindness.

TOMORROW: Donate clothes to a shelter 

 

To be honest, I didn't think that anyone but me would participate in today's challenge since it involved sacrificing money, which is a valuable resource for teens like me, perhaps even more valuable than kindness at times.  However, most of my friends did end up donating five dollars to a charity, which totally made my day. 

I donated my five dollars to a mosquito net fund I started after I returned home from Kenya, Africa.  Another friend of mine donated five dollars to that fund as well, so together, we gave enough money to purchase a mosquito net for someone in Africa.  Exciting! 

Some people donated to our school's Invisible Children Schools for Schools fund.  I loved seeing my peers step up and sacrifice their own money to help somebody else.  It brings a smile to my face. :)

What charity did you give your $5 to?

Haven't heard of the 30 Days of Kindness?  Click here to find out more.  Just starting?  That's okay!  Feel free to start this challenge right in the middle.  You can make up the days you missed through November, if you like.

You've officially been participating in the 30 Days of Kindness Challenge for an entire week!  Great job!  Keep up the stamina, because we still have three weeks left to go.  I hope that you've been able to encourage others, and your kind gestures have ended up encouraging you as well. 
Donate $5 to a charity or to someone who needs the money.  This challenge might hurt a little bit, considering that you'll be sacrificing some of your own cash here.  However, sharing with the needy is one of the kindest gestures you can possibly make.  Just think: you're sacrificing a frappuccino from Starbucks to make someone's day, if not their entire week.

I want to leave it up to you when it comes to what you do with the five dollars.  Donate it to a homeless shelter, give it to a friend who ran out of money for their school lunch, donate the money to World Vision.  Do what you think is best with the $5.  The only rule is that it must be given selflessly to someone who truly needs it, organization or not. 

I want to hear your stories!  Leave me a comment and share what you did during today's challenge.  If you have a picture already, feel free to send it to me.  If you're blogging about today, send me the link and I'll feature it on this blog.

Stay tuned until later today to see what my friends and I did for today's act of kindness.

TOMORROW: Leave an encouraging Bible verse somewhere

I loved today's challenge.  I made my encouraging note during Study Hall while I was at school.  It wasn't super creative- I'm not very good at art, art- but I enjoyed thinking of something encouraging to say.  You can see my note below.
I put my note right beside our bathroom mirror at my high school so that the girls could read it when they looked in the mirror and possibly felt bad about themselves.  I like encouraging people.  It makes me feel good too, to be honest.

Me: Ali, what did you do today?

Ali: I wrote an encouraging note for a younger girl that I know, and I just, I hope that she likes it- I don't know yet!  But, you know, I always love receiving encouraging notes, so it always hopes me and I hope it kinda helps her, and it at least brings a smile to her!

Today's challenge has been one of the most fun so far, in my opinion.

Haven't heard of the 30 Days of Kindness?  Click here to find out more.  Just starting?  That's okay!  Feel free to start this challenge right in the middle.  You can make up the days you missed through November, if you like.

Leave an encouraging note on a mirror.  Have you ever looked into the mirror and thought, "I am so ugly and worthless.  How could anyone like me?"  Chances are, you have.  Self-confidence is a huge issue among young people, so that's what inspired today's challenge.

Write an encouraging note.  It could be simple, like, "You are beautiful," or it could be a poem about beauty or a letter to your inner self.  Use your creativity and writing skills here.  After you've written your note, stick it on the mirror of a public bathroom, at your school, or on a mirror at a cosmetics store.  You could even stick the note on your sister's mirror or a mirror of your friend with low self esteem.  Stick the note wherever you feel that it is needed.

Someone may go up to the mirror today, thinking, "I'm worthless!"  When they see your note, perhaps their confidence will rise.

I want to hear your stories!  Leave me a comment and share what you did during today's challenge.  If you have a picture already, feel free to send it to me.  If you're blogging about today, send me the link and I'll feature it on this blog.

Stay tuned until later today to see what my friends and I did for today's act of kindness.

TOMORROW: Donate five dollars to a charity