Aloha,
My sincere thanks to everyone who helped promote and/or participates in 50 States of Pray today.
I'm representing the great state of Hawaii and wish everyone reading this a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
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They say to give peace a chance, but I'm just one guy - and that seems like a lot
to ask in this crazy world of ours.
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| Courtesy: thefw.com |
But, imagine our planet, this
pint-sized world that could, and how it would change - for the better - if we shared a little more
love and respect with family, friends and community.
Here’s my sincere wish for anyone needing a spiritual boost this Christmas: Don’t look back – it won’t change the past.
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| Courtesy: MotivationalTwist.com |
Instead, pay it forward.
Some will say I’m naïve, but I truly believe in the power of giving.
It doesn’t take a lot, we all know that. All that's needed is an open
heart and a willingness to share of our time, talents and/or treasures.
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| Courtesy: thefw.com |
Share a positive moment with someone.
Help comfort a crying baby on a busy airplane, buy a Sailor a sandwich or simply hold open a heavy door.
These random acts of kindness
happened recently to our family, and I’ll always appreciate the generosity of those
strangers who expected no reward.
There was, however, a return of investment :)
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| Courtesy: Melissa Maygrove |
50 States of Pray was my idea – but you’ve embraced the concept. Who knows the lives that may be touched by today's posts as they ripple out like a stone dropped in a calm lake.
Why not pray for a friend? Forgive a wrong-doing?
Thank a teacher, cop, firefighter or anyone who does the
work you could never do.
The list is endless, and I believe each “share” will leave a
piece of you behind.
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| Courtesy: Sharelifeny.org |
Robert Louis Stephenson once wrote: Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.
So, perhaps… after all... all we need do is take a chance and give
a piece...
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| Courtesy: pif1day.com |
Thanks again, and may God bless you all.
65 comments:
Thank you. This is a beautiful post and concept. Long may it flow through the world.
Great idea Mark. Merry Christmas!
Thanks for the Joy and Peaceful Aloha! lift for Christmas, Mark. Have a merry one.
"Pay it forward" is a very positive outlook, and perhaps my post (which I messed up without the badge - didn't know how to do it!) was too gloomy for this time of the year.
It's time for raising the spirits.
Leave some peace and joy behind in our wake...
Thanks for organizing this and being such an example to follow, Mark.
You and your family have a blessed Christmas.
Hi, Mark! Beautiful post. THANK YOU for organizing 50 States of Pray. I hope this will become an annual event.
I hope you and your family enjoy this wonderful holiday season. I'm a huge advocate for paying it forward.
We can't give expecting to get, but we usually do get in the end.
Merry Christmas!
Paying it forward should be our way of life.
Hi Mark - wonderful to read and see ... I am now off to write mine ... but your 50 States of Prayer and those of us overseas have embraced your concept ..
Happy Christmas and a very blessed 2014 ... Hilary
Beautiful post Mark! I hope you and yours have a very Merry Christmas~
I look forward to all 50 States of Prayer~
Off to getting mine finished... ;D
Such a great way to polish off the year, Mark! Thanks for helping us all to put our minds and spirits in the right place. Mele Kalikimaka to you and yours!
Wonderful post and thank you for letting us all be involved with this great idea. Merry Christmas!
I like that last picture with the pull off pieces being words of encouragement. Wouldn't it be fun to post that somewhere! I am just now sitting down to write my post. Aloha from our cold, cold state of Minnesota! Wish I was coming to your house for Christmas! The cold doesn't matter so much when you're surrounded by the warmth of love and family.
I am a huge fan of paying it forward and doing random acts of kindness. I truly believe that's how we keep the Spirit alive in our daily lives. Merry Christmas!! And, thanks for making 50 States of Pray happen!!
Paying it forward is a great idea to make the world a better place! It helps the person who's paying it forward and the recipient of the good deed so that definitely makes the world a happier place!
Merry Christmas!
Howdy from Texas! A beautiful sentiment concept, one that can easily be followed throughout the year. May you and your family have a very Merry Christmas and a most fabulous New Year!
This blog hop was a wonderful idea, Mark. And I totally agree Paying it Forward is a wonderful thing. You never know when someone might really need that extra little help. :)
Merry Christmas, Mark!
Love it, Mark. Merry Christmas
Hey Mark! My mom taught us to always give - one day, we may be in need. She lived by that creed, giving even when she didn't have. There were times after she got really sick that we did need. And people gave. The phrase 'Pay It Forward' hadn't been coined at that time, but she taught us to live by it. Wonderful post! Thanks for thinking of this. I hope you and your family have a safe, wonderful, and blessed Christmas :)
Merry Christmas to You!
Merry Christmas Mark and a Happy New Year! May you and your family all be blessed during this Christmas season!
Thank you, Mark.
I woke up and jumped onto to facebook this morning (it's an addiction, I admit it), and found a post from my niece about food banks, and then I came here, and I realized, you know, when I don't start my day with God's word first, He still gives me a message. Thanks for sharing the heart of Christmas, giving, and paying it forward!
Merry Christmas! I love doing random acts of kindness. :)
If you have ever experienced unexpected kindness than you know the RELIEF and JOY that comes with it. The DELIGHT of giving is something that elevates our spirit. Perhaps this is a message that we can all carry well into the New Year and beyond.
Thank you for hosting this special blogfest, Mark! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours! M. J.
May you see how contagious your giving spirit is, today and always, Mr. Roarke.
Blessings to you and yours. Thank you for this beautiful blogfest.
Merry Christmas.
xoRobyn
Hi Mark,
A well created idea of selecting a day for prayer, as i said in my take for the day, PRAYER is the need of the hour, ok, let us pay it forward, Thanks again for allowing other nation bloggers too to participate in this meaningful blogfest
Keep up the good work
Keep informed
Best Wishes for the day
Have a Blessed Day
Phil
Giving is the way to go. Paying it Forward is the way to live. Lovely post Mark and thank you for hosting such a happy memorable event.
It's so inspiring to see the way people choose to "pay it forward" :-) I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas!
Everyone needs to stop and give thanks. It redeems the soul.
And thank you, dear one for conducting this event. *heart to you*
Blessings to You and Yours.
We never know the long-reaching effects of one little good deed we do. As the Baal Shem Tov, the founder of the Hassidic movement, once said, sometimes we're put on this Earth for 70 or 80 years just to do one good deed for another person.
It's so true how simple random acts of kindness make such a huge difference. We all can learn so much from paying it forward each and every day. Thank you so much for hosting this wonderful blogfest, Mark! Merry Christmas, and happy New Year to you and your family!
Julie
I forgot to thank you for starting 50 States of Pray, Mark. It's a great idea. Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
An annual event is an awesome idea! Thanks for coordinating it - love reading the individual prayers and wishes!
Merry Christmas!
A wonderful call to action at any time of the year. Thank you, Mark. I'm having fun reading my fellow bloggers. Working my way around the country a few at a time. Some wonderful thoughts in the %0 States of Pray. A great idea. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
A wonderful call to action at any time of the year. Thank you, Mark. I'm having fun reading my fellow bloggers. Working my way around the country a few at a time. Some wonderful thoughts in the %0 States of Pray. A great idea. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
What a great, unselfish, blessing for everyone. This was a great idea, one I hope will become an annual thang.
It is easy to forget those simple niceties and focus on the wrongdoings of people. There are so many more niceties in our world... according to me. :)
Have a blessed merry Christmas!
Thank you, Mark, for thinking up this idea. I try to pay it forward whenever I have the chance which reminds me I'm going to give blood on Thursday. Merry Christmas. Currently watching the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl and looking for you in the empty stands.
Great post, Mark. I try to do this... don't always get it right, but sometimes I do. :)
Mark, thank you for visiting my "State of Pray." And yes, please call me Betsy! This was a wonderful project.
Pay it forward...
Yes...
This is wonderful!!!
Merry Christmas!!
~shoes~
Huge fan here of paying it forward :) Thanks for organising this lovely blog hop Mark!
Suzanne @ Suzannes Tribe
x
Mazza dude,
And here it is, Merry Christmas...
Yes sir, apologies for my late arrival.
Wise words, oh wise one. Random acts of kindness, showing care and compassion for humanity, must be the way forward.
Within in your profound posting and within those who also were involved, you know we can make that little difference. See the eyes of the children light up with a new hope in that new reality.
Merry Christmas, brother.
Gary :)
Dude, if you're naive, we need more naive people! One of my favorite movies is Man of La Mancha. The last line in a soliloquy by Cervantes (he wrote Don Quixote) given after he's told that he doesn't see "life as it is":
Maddest of all is to see life as it is and not as it should be.
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas, Mark. Best to you and yours.
And here I am, back again. I've visited each and every one who posted, and even some who didn't.
Merry Christmas.
Hey, Mark,
Hope you and the family have/had a fantastic Christmas. Three boys is certainly a handful and Santa must've had a great time leaving their gifts.
This hop was a wonderful way to pay it forward. Words of kindness, inspiration, love, caring, advice, and friendship is what this holiday season is all about!
An open and kind heart is a quality that is you possess ten fold!
I agree. The little things we do can make a huge difference to someone. :-)
I really loved this idea Mark. I just hate I came across it too late to promote it enough on my blog. I think we all need to take more time to realize how we can boost others. I try every day to live the J.O.Y. Principle and teach it not only to my children, but the ones in my church. For the benefit of any who read your comments and are unfamiliar, it is Jesus first, Others second, Yourself last.
Aloha! For as long as I can remember, people in our area will randomly (and anonymously) pay for someone else's meal. Recipients will often write a letter to the newspaper thanking the person(s) and vowing to pay it forward themselves. Today it is snowing, and I know that neighbors will be out helping neighbors to shovel and plow. It doesn't take much, really, to give someone a helping hand and brighten their day. Your post has brightened mine! :-) Merry Christmas and a happy, peaceful New Year to you.
Hi Mark. I'm traveling and didn't participate but have made time to read some posts. A great idea and I have been blessed and encouraged by the posts i've read. Thank you and Merry Christmas.
Denise
Aloha and peace and love to you, Mark. Thanks for starting 50 States of Pray. I think it should be an annual event.
Hello, Mark! Sorry I wasn't "live" for this event, but it was absolutely fabulous, and I'm happy and honored to have been a part of it. It may take me a while, I still plan on visiting every one of the other posters.
But on the plus side, I and my family had a wonderful Christmas, and I hope you and yours did also!
And I loved your "pay it forward" thoughts in this post -- beautiful message!
(Belated) Merry Christmas, and have a wonderful New Year filled with many blessings!
Love this sentiment, Mark! Hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas!
This is a wonderful post, Mark. Paying it Forward is the new charity, and it makes a profound difference to the giver and the givee. Have a fantastic holidays, my friend! :)
So many entered this wonderful bloghog. Was glad to find it last minute. We can pay it forward whereever we are, with a single act, a single word even. Thanks for the reminder!
This is a really neat idea! I really loved this post.
www.modernworld4.blogspot.com
Love this!! I hope 2014 brings you lots of happiness, and lots of paying it forward :)
Merci for hosting Mark. Wonderful post and great idea to pay it forward. Have a good one and Happy New year! (:
Thanks so much for hosting us all! I hadn't seen that RLS quote before, it's a good one.
Happy new year to you and your family!
I try to pay it forward whenever I can but it's always discouraging when the person you help isn't appreciative or even worse is ungrateful.
Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and have an awesome New Year.
Just catching up on all my blogging, and I'm loving all of these 50 States of Pray posts!
Thanks for spearheading this positive and profound bloghop.
Awesome! Next year I'm totally going to have to come play. This year I got busy with my family and church responsibilities, but I love your attitude: pay if forward. I'm going to make that my 2014 mantra.
Here's to an amazing one, and thank you for putting together such an inspirational event!
Great post, Mark! It's not naive at all. Giving makes me feel much better than when I get something.
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