Join the Social Media Blitz to Find Susan Powell

Our friend, Susan Powell, a beautiful 28 year old Utah mother has been missing since December 7th, 2009. We’re asking you to help us find her.

Want to help? Here’s what you can do:

If you have a twitter account, follow @FindSusan (http://twitter.com/FindSusan) and then tweet about her with a link to this blog post, using the hashtag of #findsusan – please also ask your followers to retweet your message.

Go to the official YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/susanpowellcase Watch the videos, memorize Susan’s face and features. Look around – do you see her? If you do, note her location and condition and call 9-1-1 right now.

Here is the link to Susan’s missing posters: http://picasaweb.google.com/dancingfrostie/MissingPersonSusanPowellRewardPoster# Again, please memorize Susan’s face and look around right where you are. If you see her, please note her location and condition and call 9-1-1 immediately. There is a $10,000 reward for finding her. Please also consider printing out a few and posting them at your local supermarket and other places nearby.

Email findsusanpowell@gmail.com with “I want to help” in the subject line. If there’s a specific service you can provide for us, if and when the time comes that we can use that help, we’ll email you and let you know.

Email 5 of your email contacts with the contents of this message and “Find Susan Powell – Please forward to 5 people” in the subject line. We’re not asking you to spam your friends, family and co-workers. Just email 5 people and if you choose to add more than 5, that’s great.

Join us on the Friends and Family of Susan Powell Facebook Page here: http://bit.ly/findsusan

You can also pray for Susan and her friends and family.

Thank you for anything you can do. We appreciate you!

The Friends and Family of Susan Powell

Follow Friday

Welcome to Service – The Action Form of Love

If you tweet – that is – if you are a member of the phenomenally popular social media community, Twitter, you probably know today is something called “Follow Friday”.

If you’re not a member of Twitter, Follow Friday is where you recommend one of your followers to the rest of your followers. This is part of the incredible networking aspect of Twitter and can really help people of similar interests find each other.

A typical Follow Friday introduces the person you want to shout out by saying something like, “@username is worth following because she posts great news articles” and then is followed with the hashtag #followfriday.

So, today’s challenge is, as always, small and simple.

While many of us recommend the people with hundreds or thousands of followers, find one or two of your followers who have less – and then recommend them. By doing this, you’re creating a stronger bond and helping out the little guy.

Thanks for reading today’s challenge! Feel free to retweet, stumble, dig and pass on the challenge.

And remember, Service is the Action Form of Love.

James

Reconnecting Live

I read an eye opening article in USA Today, today.

The article, found here: http://bit.ly/75p4P talked about the impact that social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) is having on real live, face-to-face relationships.

One jolting pullout from the article really got me thinking and spawned the idea for today’s challenge.

Here’s the pullout:

For some highly connected people, especially young adults who have grown up with cellphones, their superficial online connections increasingly are their only connections.

And here’s today’s challenge:

Today, find ways to connect with your loved ones. I mean, really connect with them. As in facing them, looking them in the eye. As in turning off twitter, logging off Facebook and Myspace and YouTube.

Talk to them. Embrace them. Interact with them. Listen to them.

Love them.

Relate to them.

Spend time with them. Quality time as well as length of time is really important, especially in this day of short text messages and twitter updates.

Ask them questions. Answer their questions. Break bread with them and shower them with your real personality.

And then, avoid the temptation to run to your favorite site and tell us all about it.

Thanks so much for being willing to read and accept today’s challenge. I appreciate you! I’d love your feedback, but I may not reply for some time.

I’m going to focus on my in-person relationships today.

In the meantime, remember – Service is the Action Form of Love

James

Opening Doors

Welcome to Tuesday!

Today's challenge is surprisingly small and simple:

Open a door for someone - anyone, and find a reason to give them a sincere compliment.

Remember to make the compliment sincere. Nobody likes to be patronized.

Maybe they dressed nice today. Maybe they have a new hairdo. Maybe their smile makes your heart feel warm.

Don't expect to be thanked. If someone thanks you, smile and say, "You're welcome", but remember you're not doing it to get a thank you.

You're doing it because you want to do something nice. That's all.

See?

It's easy!

You can do it!

Thank you for taking the challenge today. I appreciate you!

Please try to stumble, Digg, fixx, retweet and otherwise pass it on.

Remember, Service is the Action Form of Love!

James

Service Letter

It's Sunday.

To many, it's a day of rest from weekly labors. But it can also be a day to do something good.

Something positive.

Here is today's service challenge:

Spend a few minutes thinking and praying. Think of someone who you secretly admire. Someone who may be an unsung hero in your life.

When you know who it is, pick up a pen and get some paper.

Write them a letter. Tell them you notice the good they do. Be specific if you can.

Get an envelope and stamp.

Tomorrow, mail the letter.

That's all there is to it.

A small and simple service project.

Thank you for being willing to do something nice. That makes you an unsung hero, too.

As always, please pass it on.

I appreciate you!

James

Taking Care

Do you know someone who takes care of someone else?

Most of us do.

There are single moms and dads who have to play both parental roles all the time. There are adult children who give up much of their “outside” life to take care of their parents. Spouses become disabled and debilitated and need round the clock care.

It seems at some point in life, we all get the opportunity and blessings of service by taking care of someone we love.
.

But this weekend’s challenge isn’t about caretaking of children, parents or spouses. It’s about taking care of the caretakers.

What can you, as an individual or family do to help ease the burden of a caretaker you know of?

Can you find a few hours this weekend to give them some time to regain their sense of individuality? Can you take over watching their loved ones for an hour, a day or the weekend?

Maybe you can send them to a movie.

Maybe you can send them to a spa.

Maybe you can just give them the free time to do whatever it is they’ve been longing to do but haven’t been able to.

Could be they want to just go pick up a book at the library.

Could be they just want to get out for a drive.

Could be you don’t know what they want to do, and that’s okay.

You know they don’t need your permission to go relax and recoup. But they may need your help giving themselves permission.

Caretakers are very loyal to the one they watch over. It’s so hard for them to want to let go, even for an hour. I know. I’ve both been a caretaker to my mother, and I’ve watched my father and siblings. It’s a tough thing to allow yourself to relax when a loved one needs constant care or supervision. When you step away from that situation, you worry, no matter how long you’re gone.

It’s tough to let go, even for an hour or two.

You worry about the one you’re watching over. You worry that the person taking over for you won’t know how to do things “just right”. You worry that something will happen.

Still, it’s critical that we allow them time to get away from the situation for even a short time. They need the mental rest. They need to know that others are there to care for them, as well as for their loved one.

You can be that person.

You can help them understand you are competent and capable of taking over for a time. You can make sure they know you’ll contact them if something comes up that you aren’t sure you can handle.

You can even lend them your cellphone and tell them you’ll call them if there’s an urgent matter they need to address.

They may not want to take the time off. They may feel guilty for wanting to take some time alone.

The best you can do is to offer, and to help them in whatever way they need you.

You can at least ask.

And you can certainly listen.

Even if they don’t want to go anywhere, you can stay with them and their loved one and listen.

Listen with your ears, and with your heart.

Ask what they want you to do, as well as what they need you to do.

And then do it.

That is your weekend challenge. Please do what you can, and as always, please pass it on.

Thank you for all you do. Your willingness to serve amazes me. Truly.

James

No Glamor

It’s Service Thursday again.

Today let’s talk about glamorous service – a topic a friend suggested we discuss.

You know what I’m talking about – the kind of service that takes you far away, to other places. Feeding orphans in third-world countries. Building schools. Joining the Peace Corps.

These things are wonderful ways to serve others. Such service is fulfilling and very self-rewarding, not to mention what the beneficiaries of such service get out of it.

Why am I talking about glamorous service?

Am I going to challenge you to book a trip to Kenya?

No. Not at all.

I bring it up because sometimes when we think we want to have an impact on the world, we think about doing something really big and important.

But, you know what?

You can do something big. You can do something important. You can even do it close to home and still make a very positive impact on the world.

You can even do something small and important. Small and simple service is – well – small and simple.

Stop and think for a moment. Who is in your neighborhood? Who lives across the street? Who works down the block? Who moved in around the corner from you? Who is a single mom that needs some down time?

Could they use your help?

Would they appreciate someone coming over to just say hello? Could you take some fresh-baked bread? How about a plate of store-bought cookies? While you’re there, could you maybe offer to help rake their leaves?

Could they use a hand with a broken fence? Would they appreciate an invitation to Sunday dinner with you and your family? How about just sending over your favorite dish for their Sunday dinner?

Can you find someone to serve this week who lives near you? Can you encourage your family or close friends to help you? Can you do it without making the served feel like they are a service project?

Is there a woman’s shelter or homeless shelter in your vicinity? Can you and your friends or family gather used clothing, books and kitchenware to donate?

Remember, service doesn’t need to be glamorous. In fact, when it is, it often draws attention to the one serving.

Can you serve without glamour?

Can you serve without fanfare?

Can you think of some other small and simple way to serve your neighbors?

I bet you can.

I know you can.

How do I know?

Because the people who read this are good people. You like taking care of each other. You know that you don’t need recognition or awards or fanfare to do something nice.

You just do it.

Because it’s the right thing to do.

And for that, I thank you – sincerely.

As always, please pass it on.

James