27Nov/12Off

DARE TO DREAM BIG!: The Power of Two!

November 27th, 2012

It is with great sadness that we write to let you know that our mother Sandra McLeod Humphrey was killed Friday along with our father Brian in a house fire. I know how much she loved writing these encouraging posts each week and how much she enjoyed interacting with so many of you. Our father had the same heart.  We were unsure how to let everyone know so we thought we could write her post this week in the same style she wrote each week.  Here goes…

Imagine This: You are a retired couple living in Minnesota with a heart for helping kids, animals and all people.  You want to inspire, guide, and help others.

Who: Brian and Sandra Humphrey

What: On a mission to help encourage and make a difference wherever they could.

Where: Minnesota

When: A lifetime of selfless service.

This is the inspiring story of a special couple named Brian and Sandra Humphrey.  They met in college at the University of Minnesota and married.  They raised three kids and adopted a multitude of dogs, cats, turtles, hamsters and other animals.  Throughout their lives they found ways to share what they had, whether it was money, time, their talents or their home.  They made sure everyone felt welcome and that everyone knew they were important.  It was a beautiful gift they gave to those who were around them.

Upon retiring, when most people slow down, Brian and Sandy revved it up several more notches. Now they had even more time to invest in other people.  Sandra wrote books to encourage kids and teens and Brian used his business skills to help organize bigger fundraising for the needy.  They jumped in wherever they could –  supplying gifts to those in need, soup kitchens, driving around those who couldn’t drive themselves, teaching kids and more.  People who came in contact with them, walked away feeling a little bit taller, a little more confident and with a little bigger smile on their face.

They continued their full life until the day they were taken to heaven together and even though they could no longer be physically present, they started a legacy of impacting others that will continue on through those they touched.

Thank you, Mom and Dad, for caring enough to make a difference not only for us but for others as well!

Something to Think about: How can each of us carry on this same beautiful legacy of giving and service?

From our family to yours – Remember, DARE TO DREAM BIG!!!

 

“The time is always right to do what is right.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

 

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21Nov/12Off

DARE TO DREAM BIG!: The Power of One!

November 21st, 2012

Imagine This: You’re a 15-year-old Pakistani girl who wants to go to school, but the Taliban opposes the education of girls and they have already destroyed many schools. So what do you do?

Who: You’re Malala Yousafzai, a 15-year-old Pakistani girl

What: You’re shot three times in the head and neck by a Taliban gunman.

Where: Pakistan

When: October 9, 2012

This is the inspiring story of 15-year-old Malala Yousafzai who headed a campaign in Pakistan to help girls gain access to education.

You have already been an activist for several years. At age 11, you worked as an anonymous blogger for the BBC to advocate freedom of education and expose information about your Taliban-ruled area of Pakistan.

And since then, you have headed a campaign in Pakistan to help girls gain access to education.

On October 9 you’re shot in the head three times by a Taliban gunman on your school bus on your way home from school. You’re in critical condition and are airlifted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, England.

In response to your extraordinary courage, people all over the world are calling for you to be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.

Today there is both good news and bad news. The good news is that the assassination attempt by the Taliban did not scare young girls away from going to school. Instead, the shooting has galvanized support for the rights of women and girls in regions where the Taliban is established, and new schools are being planned for poor children in sixteen areas. Thanks to Malala, thousands more children, girls as well as boys, will receive the education they deserve.

The bad news is that even as Malala recovers from her injuries at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, there are new attacks being planned against her. One of these retaliatory groups is a new British-based Islamist group which will be issuing a religious decree against Malala

Thank you, Malala, for caring enough to make a difference!

Postscript: Bonnie Lloyd, a professor of sociology in Rochester, New York, has started a petition on Change.org asking Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice to nominate Malala for the Nobel Peace Prize. Stop by http://www.change.org/petitions/take-a-stand-for-the-girl-who-stood-up-nominate-malala-for-the-nobel-peace-prize to see Bonnie’s petition.

For More about Malala:

Something to Think about: How do you think Malala had the courage to take on such a powerful group as the Taliban?

 

“The time is always right to do what is right.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

Willoughby and I hope you enjoyed this week’s true story and will be back next week for another story to inspire you to DARE TO DREAM BIG!

 Reminder: To be eligible for the weekly drawing for an autographed copy of one of my books (your choice of book), please leave a comment.

(Two Restrictions)

1) There must be a minimum of 10 visitor comments

2) Only U.S. residents please to save on mailing costs.


THIS WEEK’S WINNER IS SANDY NACHLINGER

CONGRATULATIONS, SANDY!

 

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Posted in Character | 13 Comments »

14Nov/12Off

DARE TO DREAM BIG!: The Power of One!

November 14th, 2012

Imagine This: You’re a 12-year-old Canadian boy who is inspired by the life and death of a 12-year-old Pakistani boy named Igbal Masih who spoke out against child slavery. You want to carry on Igbal’s mission to end child slavery, but what can you do?

 Who: You’re Craig Kielburger, a 12-year-old Canadian boy

What: Free the Children

Where: Canada

When: You begin your campaign in 1995 at age 12.

This is the inspiring story of 12-year-old Craig Kielburger who was inspired by the life and death of 10-year-old Igbal Masih who was killed at age 12 as a result of his speaking out against child slavery.

At age 12 you read about Igbal Masih and his story changes your life forever. You see Iqbal as a hero for speaking out against child labor and child slavery, and you understand that a young person can indeed make a difference.

You set out to educate yourself about human rights and become so passionate about the issue that you end up traveling through South Asia to see the horrors for yourself. When you return home to Canada, you and a group of your friends found Kids Can Free The Children.

Believing that education is one of the best ways to fight child labor, your program links schools in developing countries with schools in North America, Europe, and industrialized countries around the world.

It’s the students themselves at these schools who work to find solutions which include collecting and distributing supplies for over 100,000 school and health kits (an additional 9000 kits, blankets, and warm clothes were recently shipped to help war-affected children in Afghanistan) and raising money and helping to build more than 300 rural schools (2000 school kits, desks and chairs, and 3000 text books were recently sent to Sierra Leone to help locals open their new school in Freetown).

As FTC grows, you travel the world, meeting with heads of state and Nobel Prize winners, receiving international awards, sharing your convictions with global leaders, and appearing on television shows like 60 Minutes and Oprah, which brings FTC recognition and support.

Today Free the Children has grown into the largest international network of children helping children, with more than 100,000 youth involved in 35 countries. The campaigns focus on child-labor issues, children and poverty, war-affected children, education, and children’s rights.

Thank you, Craig, for caring enough to make a difference!

Postscript: For more about Kids Can Free The Children

For More about: Craig Kielburger

 Something to Think about: What do you think about kids helping kids?

“The time is always right to do what is right.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Willoughby and I hope you enjoyed this week’s true story and will be back next week for another story to inspire you to DARE TO DREAM BIG!

 

 Reminder: To be eligible for the weekly drawing for an autographed copy of one of my books (your choice of book), please leave a comment.

(Two Restrictions)

1) There must be a minimum of 10 visitor comments

2) Only U.S. residents please to save on mailing costs.



 

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Posted in Character | 23 Comments »

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