good deeds ~ martin luther king jr. day of service!

happy martin luther king day!  for those of you living in other countries and don't know, today is the day we celebrate one of the greatest men in the history of our country - martin luther king jr.
in addition to celebrating the man and his life, our country stops it's regular business to honor him through a day of community service.  one of mr. king's more famous quotes is:

"life's most persistent and urgent question is, 
'what are you doing for others?'"

living in the developed world means that we're probably experiencing a life that flies by at what feels like a million miles an hour.  we're busy, stressed, and loaded with responsibility.  but being blessed enough to live where we do, to have access to the internet and the simple ability to read these blogs, means that we are also in exactly the right position to help someone in need.

{at home with his family, photo from time magazine.}

i know a lot of people take the three day weekend to do fun things, relaxing things, and catching-up-on-life things.  i'm supportive of people using a free day to meet their needs of recharging, if that's what is necessary for you today.  however, i would like to encourage you to spend at least a short amount of time doing something for the good of others, whether it be visiting the elderly, cleaning up your parks, walking dogs at a rescue shelter, or bringing supplies to organizations that help those in need.  

for those of you who are currently in school, there are probably a variety of projects that are being completed in the community by your college or university.  check with your school's community service, ministry, or student support departments for ways you can get involved.  

for those of us not in school, head on over to the MLK Day website to see a list of projects near you.  just enter your zip code to find some great community service options.  and of course, there's nothing like doing some simple acts of service, like giving baked goods to a neighbor, contacting a friend who needs support, or handing out flowers to strangers on the sidewalk.  any little thing you can do to make someone else's day counts!

happy service day everyone!!