LIFE IN ALL ITS FULLNESS can be CHALLENGING, aye? As I took our puppy to the vet this morning for surgery, I passed a school with a long line of cars waiting to drop off their kiddos, people biking to work, and students sitting on benches waiting for the bus.
I was struck by imagining and thinking about each person’s day ahead – perhaps with exciting or difficult things in store. As I drove, I had my own thoughts pinging me … worries about our puppy’s surgery, happenings in my kids’ lives, and my day of work ahead.
Which brings me to you: I have no idea what’s going on with you and those you love … but I hope that this note sparks a little bit of JOY and HOPE and ENERGY in the midst of your daily life today. My heart, prayers, and thoughts are with and for you.
This note from my heart to yours includes 3 ideas for EASY ways to make a feel-good difference, a Place of Pause, and a link to an interview on CNN with a dear soul sister of ours who was evacuated from Afghanistan just weeks ago.
I believe, with all my heart, that these ways of caring for each other is how we FEEL GOOD about life and how we LIGHT UP THE WORLD … ❤️
No doubt time is short, so I’ll dive right in.
3 ideas for EASY ways to make a feel-good difference … 💥
1> DONATE to Afghan Evacuee Assistance with Seeds of Exchange
Last week, we LAUNCHED a brand-new and EASY way to give and make a MIGHTY difference with Seeds. (THIS is something we’ve been dreaming about for a long time!) We are ecstatic to report that over the past week, 13 people JOINED and set up monthly donations ranging from $8 to $1,000.
[ JOIN & DONATE to the Seeds Monthly Giving Fund TODAY. ]
Our fundraising focus at this time is to provide Afghan Evacuee Assistance to one family arriving to the US.
It’s simple to set up ONCE and your donation will be automatically directed toward our fundraisers around the globe throughout the year. Whatever you decide to give will be PLENTY and cause for a happy dance for our team and for people around the globe who will be recipients of your ongoing generosity. Think about how, if a bunch of us committed to give $10 a month – the cost of two lattes – how powerFULL our movement of everyday philanthropists would be be!
All donations are 100% tax-deductible. If you prefer to give a one-time donation to our fundraiser for Afghan Evacuee Assistance, you can do so by clicking on “Join Now” and then “Give Once” on this link: JOIN & DONATE
There’s SO MUCH MORE about the WHY of the Seeds Giving Fund and our commitment to provide an Afghan Evacuee Assistance to one family. If you want more info, including answers to some FAQ’s, an interview with our refugee and resettlement partner, and ways you can join us as we directly care for the Afghan Evacuee family once they arrive, head here.
2> GIVE your old cell phone to an asylum seeker through Casa de Paz
Our trusted soul sistah, Sarah Jackson, and her organization, Casa de Paz is collecting used cell phones to give to asylum seekers released from the ICE immigrant detention center in Colorado. Oftentimes immigrants released from ICE have a long journey home to reunite with their families, friends, or sponsors in the USA.
These cell phones are critical so they have a way to communicate along their way home. She tells us that since they opened their doors in 2012, they have welcomed over 4,100 guests from 80 countries and cell phones are one of the most requested items. More info, including the mailing address for your phone here.)
3> GATHER your friends to shop fair trade artisan jewelry via a fun (!) 3-day text thread
Life is FULL as ever … and in a blink, the holidays will be HERE! But, don’t worry … we’ve got your back and have the BEST idea ever for an EASY and FUN way to SHOP with your friends (and make a mighty difference as you do!) … all while getting an early start on your holiday gift list!
Let’s collaborate! If you pull together some of your favorite peeps (from anywhere in the country … and world!), then I will set up a 3-day text shopping experience so you and your friends can shop Threads Worldwide artisan jewelry, TOGETHER, with me.
You start the text chain and I will take it from there and keep everyone engaged with inspiring stories and holiday shopping ideas. This is an easy way to connect your friends to the difference they can make when they shop fair trade. (More about the easy-peasy steps to get this going and about my soul sistahs at Threads Worldwide here … or start shopping with heart right now here …)
Take a PoP (Place of Pause) so you are FUELED for your day … 🙏🏻
I invite you to take a breath.
Another one … deeper still.
Now, my friend, pause.
Before you consider anything:
actions or ideas that inspire,
needs or worries that burden,
here and now, take another deep breath.
Idle here for a moment longer.
Hold off on the to-dos, the what-ifs.
And linger in the exquisiteness of BEing.
Sit for ten seconds or ten minutes. Just BE.
For the full guided Place of Pause (PoP), check out this post on our website, this PDF reading from Soulfully Ablaze, a video of today’s PoP, or the complete video series (all are free) of 10-minute PoPs.
CNN Interview with a Beloved Soul Sistah, Shaqaiq … ❤️
I have known Shaqaiq since we were in college together nearly two decades ago. In fact, her aunt catered my graduation party with an Afghan FEAST that my friends and family still talk about! This soul sistah has poured her life and served others with great love, tenacity, and courage, since the day we met.
Shaqaiq was in Afghanistan, the country of her birth, when the US troops withdrew; as a US citizen, she was contacted and evacuated by the US government. When CNN heard about her “harrowing” story, they asked to interview her. Listen to and learn from our extraordinary sister on CNN’s website or Twitter feed.
OK, my friend – I’ll leave it here for now. If you have any questions or if there are any ways I can support, enCOURAGE, or send a prayer or two your way, reach out to me. How I’d love to hear from you.
What a JOY it is to go through life, T O G E T H E R , with you!
You are loved. You belong.
We belong to each other.
Let’s standTALL, together, and light up the world!
xo, -Sarah DT ❤️🙏🏻🌏
