I knew the movie The Blind Side was special when my husband and I both woke up the morning after seeing it and immediately began talking about it. That makes it a "MUST SEE" movie in my book!
Besides making me laugh while crying, I couldn’t help but marvel at the creative writing, consistent humor, and phenomenal casting in The Blind Side.
Disclaimer: If you haven’t seen The Blind Side and you don’t want the plot revealed, stop reading this blog…but please go see the movie. (Click here for show times in your area.)
The Blind Side delivers more than great, family entertainment. It issues a challenge. It motivates viewers of every age to consider making little changes in their lives that could have big results in someone else’s life.
For example…
If a janitor of a private school hadn’t taken teenager, Michael Oher, off the streets and given him a couch to sleep on in his home, there might not have a been a movie. If the janitor hadn’t begged the coach of that school to consider developing Michael’s athletic size and talent, there might not have been a movie.
If the coach hadn’t lobbied the Board of that private school to give this physically talented boy an opportunity to play sports at their school, there might not have a been a movie.
If a young privileged boy hadn’t befriended an older, less fortunate student from the “other side of town,” there might not have been a movie.
If a sensitive, alert, and caring mom hadn’t encouraged her family to take in (and eventually become legal guardians) of a boy who needed clean clothes, food, and parental nurturing, there might not have been a movie (which by the way, was first a book).
The best part of The Blind Side is that it is a true story that shows other boys and girls, moms and dads, classmates and coaches how to find a need and fill it. It reveals the journey of how one family can give love, pay for tutoring, and enlist the help of others to secure a second, third and fourth chance for someone who needs to overcome his or her fears, shortcomings, and past before he or she can succeed.
Most importantly, it actually makes you and I consider how we can make a difference in someone else’s life even if it means being sacrificial, gutsy, or politically incorrect. Amazing!
So if you haven’t seen The Blind Side, it's worth your $10 bill to go see it this week. And I’m confident you will be challenged to consider how to find a need and fill it—right where you live.
Be encouraged,
Becky
By the way, if you prefer a less gushy review of The Blind Side, click here to read the Washington Post’s “take” on the flick.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Are you a Grateful, Thankful American?
At church this weekend, our pastor listed numerous shocking statistics about world poverty, hunger, illiteracy, and the devastation of waterborne diseases on humanity. (For a comprehensive website, Global Issues, click here).
What was my pastor’s point? Americans live in abundance compared to most of the world. He suggested that we are a very fortunate and blessed nation that has a distorted view of ourselves! He reminded us, even if we are personally struggling financially and experiencing cutbacks or sacrifice, we still live above and beyond the lowest, basic standards of the rest of the world.
To highlight the disparity between what we want and need, he revealed that the price to end poverty, provide water, or medical aid to the malnourished, disease-stricken, and impoverished nations (especially for children) would cost under $10 billion dollars each, but Americans yearly spend…
$8 billion on cosmetics
$20 billion on ice cream, and
$475 billion on gifts (between Thanksgiving and Christmas)!
Wow! Doesn't this information make you want to be a grateful, thankful American by making little changes in the way you spend your time and money knowing with certainty that it will have big results in someone else's life?
This Thanksgiving and Christmas, share a meal or gifts with families who are in need or hurting. Visit the sick, imprisoned or shut-in or have a garage sale and send all the proceeds to the poorest children locally or globally. Spend 5 minutes searching the Internet for your local soup kitchen or homeless shelter and be linked immediately with those who need your time and money.
Make this your most grateful, thankful and Happy Thanksgiving!
Be encouraged,
Becky
What was my pastor’s point? Americans live in abundance compared to most of the world. He suggested that we are a very fortunate and blessed nation that has a distorted view of ourselves! He reminded us, even if we are personally struggling financially and experiencing cutbacks or sacrifice, we still live above and beyond the lowest, basic standards of the rest of the world.
To highlight the disparity between what we want and need, he revealed that the price to end poverty, provide water, or medical aid to the malnourished, disease-stricken, and impoverished nations (especially for children) would cost under $10 billion dollars each, but Americans yearly spend…
$8 billion on cosmetics
$20 billion on ice cream, and
$475 billion on gifts (between Thanksgiving and Christmas)!
Wow! Doesn't this information make you want to be a grateful, thankful American by making little changes in the way you spend your time and money knowing with certainty that it will have big results in someone else's life?
This Thanksgiving and Christmas, share a meal or gifts with families who are in need or hurting. Visit the sick, imprisoned or shut-in or have a garage sale and send all the proceeds to the poorest children locally or globally. Spend 5 minutes searching the Internet for your local soup kitchen or homeless shelter and be linked immediately with those who need your time and money.
Make this your most grateful, thankful and Happy Thanksgiving!
Be encouraged,
Becky
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Women are good for the economy!
This week on Good Morning America the findings of a recently released 132-page study titled, “Benchmarking Women’s Leadership” compiled by The White House Project was discussed. Detailing the statistics from ten sectors—business, education, religion, non-profit, law, military, politics, journalism, sports, and the media—the study revealed what percentage of leadership positions are held by women, the income comparisons between men and women holding the same positions, and the enormous impact these statistics have on our economy.
For example, did you know that 51% of the American workforces are women but a woman holds only 16% of the leadership positions in business, or that the religious and military sectors have the fewest women in leadership, and no sector exceeds 23% of women in leadership?
I personally found many of the paper’s findings surprising, including the following comments:
"Business: When women are present in significant numbers, the bottom line improves—from financial profits to the quality and scope of decision-making.
Education: Nationally, women are 57 percent of all college students but only 26 percent of full professors, 23 percent of university presidents and 14 percent of presidents at the doctoral degree-granting institutions.
Religion: Gauging the current status and progress of women in religious leadership is more difficult than in any other business and professional sector studied in this report.
Non-profit: Research has shown that nonprofits with women in leadership positions are more successful at carrying out their service mission – and that their employees, from CEOs to staff, are more satisfied with the organizations’ performance. The democratic and participative style of leadership favored by women seems especially well-suited to the ethos of the nonprofit world, which depends so heavily upon the contributions of volunteers.
Politics: Women constitute a powerful force in politics. They have voted at higher rates than men in every presidential election since 1980, and the gender gap has grown slightly larger with each successive election. In the 2004 elections, 8.8 million more women than men turned out to vote. In the 2008 elections, 10 million more women voted than men, according to the Census Bureau. However, the overwhelming majority of political office holders are still male."
In each category, specific and practical recommendations were given to encourage more women to step into leadership positions. For example, within the nonprofit sector, suggestions included:
*Develop appropriate mentoring and staff development opportunities.
*Teach women improved negotiation skills.
*Recruit, train and retain people of color across all levels of the organization.
*Widen the search criteria for top leadership positions—inside and outside of the organization.
This paper's findings advise men and women who are parents, educators, and business professionals to invite and encourage women to go after more leadership roles, to mentor them in all aspects of an organization, and help them overcome any barriers.
Think about what little change you could initiate in your workplace, educational institution, community, or church that could increase the number of women in leadership and ultimately have a big, positive result on our economy and culture.
Be encouraged,
Becky
For example, did you know that 51% of the American workforces are women but a woman holds only 16% of the leadership positions in business, or that the religious and military sectors have the fewest women in leadership, and no sector exceeds 23% of women in leadership?
I personally found many of the paper’s findings surprising, including the following comments:
"Business: When women are present in significant numbers, the bottom line improves—from financial profits to the quality and scope of decision-making.
Education: Nationally, women are 57 percent of all college students but only 26 percent of full professors, 23 percent of university presidents and 14 percent of presidents at the doctoral degree-granting institutions.
Religion: Gauging the current status and progress of women in religious leadership is more difficult than in any other business and professional sector studied in this report.
Non-profit: Research has shown that nonprofits with women in leadership positions are more successful at carrying out their service mission – and that their employees, from CEOs to staff, are more satisfied with the organizations’ performance. The democratic and participative style of leadership favored by women seems especially well-suited to the ethos of the nonprofit world, which depends so heavily upon the contributions of volunteers.
Politics: Women constitute a powerful force in politics. They have voted at higher rates than men in every presidential election since 1980, and the gender gap has grown slightly larger with each successive election. In the 2004 elections, 8.8 million more women than men turned out to vote. In the 2008 elections, 10 million more women voted than men, according to the Census Bureau. However, the overwhelming majority of political office holders are still male."
In each category, specific and practical recommendations were given to encourage more women to step into leadership positions. For example, within the nonprofit sector, suggestions included:
*Develop appropriate mentoring and staff development opportunities.
*Teach women improved negotiation skills.
*Recruit, train and retain people of color across all levels of the organization.
*Widen the search criteria for top leadership positions—inside and outside of the organization.
This paper's findings advise men and women who are parents, educators, and business professionals to invite and encourage women to go after more leadership roles, to mentor them in all aspects of an organization, and help them overcome any barriers.
Think about what little change you could initiate in your workplace, educational institution, community, or church that could increase the number of women in leadership and ultimately have a big, positive result on our economy and culture.
Be encouraged,
Becky
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Classmates. Really?
On October 27th, a Richmond, California high school girl was raped by at least four boys near her campus after leaving her Homecoming dance. Almost two dozen students watched. And no student stopped or reported the crime to authorities for over two hours.
The initial account of the incident was reported on MSNBC.com:
“Police said the girl left the dance and was walking to meet her father for a ride home when a classmate invited her to join a group drinking in the courtyard. The victim had drunk a large amount of alcohol by the time the assault began, police said.”
Two days later, The Digital Journal revealed additional information:
“More details have emerged as to what transpired Saturday night. The victim left the dance around 9:30 p.m. and planned to call her father to get a ride home. Before making that call, a classmate called to her from behind a chain-linked fence.
The victim and her friend then joined a group of teens in a poorly lit campus courtyard. The teens were drinking and, according to the San Jose Mercury News, police said "The victim drank a large amount of brandy in a short amount of time while socializing then collapsed. Someone dragged her to a bench, where several people stripped her, beat her, stole her jewelry and other belongings, and raped her."
Are you kidding me? A young high school girl was enticed to drink, violently raped, beaten and robbed until unconscious by students who were her classmates? Really? And her fellow classmates watched? Really?
I might be sounding like a broken record, but I don’t apologize. This story is becoming way too common, too often repeated, and too much of the fabric of our culture not to speak oft and long about the subject of teenage drinking.
If you ever thought drinking was a harmless pastime of teenagers and their classmates, this story is a wake-up call to all adults.
Drinking is not a harmless pastime with classmates. And this is not just someone else's problem.
(1) Alcohol is the reason more and more students are dying from overdoses (alcohol poisoning), dropping out of college, killing themselves (and others) while driving under its influence, or is the mysterious companion that hides illicit “date rape” drugs.
(2) Classmates (or friends) and alcohol are involved in a majority of the rapes of teenagers and young adults (See October 11th Little Changes Big Results post for more studies and statistics).
Maybe we just don’t want to believe such terrible statistics? Or maybe we don’t have teenagers, so we don’t feel the need to be concerned with the issue right now or any longer?
Whether we have teenagers or not, you and I can make a difference in our communities by having candid conversations regarding alcohol abuse with any and all the students or parents we know and care about—our neighbors, siblings, coworkers, family members, or church friends.
What can we say? First we have to educate ourselves. (If you need or want some practical advice, click here to check out Kansas State’s website regarding the prevalence of date rape drugs and alcohol.)
Then we can be informative, rather than judgmental. We can ask questions and be concerned listeners. We can be surrogate or spiritual parents who are shamelessly cautionary. And by all means, we should not hesitate to talk about this story with the parents, teenagers, or young adults who cross our paths.
One brief discussion (or even having the umpteenth conversation) regarding this issue has the potential to powerfully impact and potentially save someone's life. Isn't that worth any embarrassment or discomfort?
Be encouraged to make a difference,
Becky
The initial account of the incident was reported on MSNBC.com:
“Police said the girl left the dance and was walking to meet her father for a ride home when a classmate invited her to join a group drinking in the courtyard. The victim had drunk a large amount of alcohol by the time the assault began, police said.”
Two days later, The Digital Journal revealed additional information:
“More details have emerged as to what transpired Saturday night. The victim left the dance around 9:30 p.m. and planned to call her father to get a ride home. Before making that call, a classmate called to her from behind a chain-linked fence.
The victim and her friend then joined a group of teens in a poorly lit campus courtyard. The teens were drinking and, according to the San Jose Mercury News, police said "The victim drank a large amount of brandy in a short amount of time while socializing then collapsed. Someone dragged her to a bench, where several people stripped her, beat her, stole her jewelry and other belongings, and raped her."
Are you kidding me? A young high school girl was enticed to drink, violently raped, beaten and robbed until unconscious by students who were her classmates? Really? And her fellow classmates watched? Really?
I might be sounding like a broken record, but I don’t apologize. This story is becoming way too common, too often repeated, and too much of the fabric of our culture not to speak oft and long about the subject of teenage drinking.
If you ever thought drinking was a harmless pastime of teenagers and their classmates, this story is a wake-up call to all adults.
Drinking is not a harmless pastime with classmates. And this is not just someone else's problem.
(1) Alcohol is the reason more and more students are dying from overdoses (alcohol poisoning), dropping out of college, killing themselves (and others) while driving under its influence, or is the mysterious companion that hides illicit “date rape” drugs.
(2) Classmates (or friends) and alcohol are involved in a majority of the rapes of teenagers and young adults (See October 11th Little Changes Big Results post for more studies and statistics).
Maybe we just don’t want to believe such terrible statistics? Or maybe we don’t have teenagers, so we don’t feel the need to be concerned with the issue right now or any longer?
Whether we have teenagers or not, you and I can make a difference in our communities by having candid conversations regarding alcohol abuse with any and all the students or parents we know and care about—our neighbors, siblings, coworkers, family members, or church friends.
What can we say? First we have to educate ourselves. (If you need or want some practical advice, click here to check out Kansas State’s website regarding the prevalence of date rape drugs and alcohol.)
Then we can be informative, rather than judgmental. We can ask questions and be concerned listeners. We can be surrogate or spiritual parents who are shamelessly cautionary. And by all means, we should not hesitate to talk about this story with the parents, teenagers, or young adults who cross our paths.
One brief discussion (or even having the umpteenth conversation) regarding this issue has the potential to powerfully impact and potentially save someone's life. Isn't that worth any embarrassment or discomfort?
Be encouraged to make a difference,
Becky
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Sleep--A "Must" for a long, healthy life!
JJ Virgin, President of the National Association of Nutrition Professionals, in a recent article posted on Yahoo.com, suggests 5 Habits to Break Before It’s Too Late.
Beside the other NO-NO’s such as skipping breakfast, blowing off exercise, eating at night, or not counting the calories you drink, one of the most important lifestyle choices you can make is to get enough sleep!
How much is enough sleep? JJ concludes that “studies show a minimum of seven to nine hours of uninterrupted sleep (at night) are essential for health.”
Do you get seven to nine hours of sleep?
Unless you fight for it, make it a priority, or are convinced that sleep is extremely important to your overall health and wellness, the average person will most likely allow sleep to be one of the habits that gets overlooked and underestimated.
Maybe you’ve never considered the significant benefits of sleep? First of all, when you sleep your body repairs and heals itself. Additionally, sleep impacts healthy weight management. (Sleep experts Michael Breus, Ph.D. and Steven Lamm, M.D suggest that you can lose weight in your sleep without even changing your diet.) And these are just two of the many reasons why it is important to jealously guard the amount of sleep you get each night.
Can you change your sleep habits immediately?
Even little changes can lead to big results:
Each morning, plan your bedtime when you awake. Take into consideration each day's work or travel schedule and personal activities, including workouts and meals, then set your bedtime—even set your alarm time for the next day. A few hours before your pre-determined bedtime, set the mood for sleeping by turning off your computer, television, and telephone. Wind down by reading enjoyable material (not business-related or anxiety-producing fiction), or take a hot bath and drink a cup of herbal tea. And as an extra precaution have no caffeine or alcohol within three hours of bedtime.
Try these suggestions for 30 days…keeping a sleep log by your bed to record how you are going to get seven to nine hours of sleep each night. I know you'll feel better and maybe even lose a little weight--in your sleep!
Be encouraged,
Becky
Beside the other NO-NO’s such as skipping breakfast, blowing off exercise, eating at night, or not counting the calories you drink, one of the most important lifestyle choices you can make is to get enough sleep!
How much is enough sleep? JJ concludes that “studies show a minimum of seven to nine hours of uninterrupted sleep (at night) are essential for health.”
Do you get seven to nine hours of sleep?
Unless you fight for it, make it a priority, or are convinced that sleep is extremely important to your overall health and wellness, the average person will most likely allow sleep to be one of the habits that gets overlooked and underestimated.
Maybe you’ve never considered the significant benefits of sleep? First of all, when you sleep your body repairs and heals itself. Additionally, sleep impacts healthy weight management. (Sleep experts Michael Breus, Ph.D. and Steven Lamm, M.D suggest that you can lose weight in your sleep without even changing your diet.) And these are just two of the many reasons why it is important to jealously guard the amount of sleep you get each night.
Can you change your sleep habits immediately?
Even little changes can lead to big results:
Each morning, plan your bedtime when you awake. Take into consideration each day's work or travel schedule and personal activities, including workouts and meals, then set your bedtime—even set your alarm time for the next day. A few hours before your pre-determined bedtime, set the mood for sleeping by turning off your computer, television, and telephone. Wind down by reading enjoyable material (not business-related or anxiety-producing fiction), or take a hot bath and drink a cup of herbal tea. And as an extra precaution have no caffeine or alcohol within three hours of bedtime.
Try these suggestions for 30 days…keeping a sleep log by your bed to record how you are going to get seven to nine hours of sleep each night. I know you'll feel better and maybe even lose a little weight--in your sleep!
Be encouraged,
Becky
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