Archive for the 'Sunday Inspiration' Category

hungary? These kids are!

February 7th, 2010 categories: Donna Johnston, Fun for Kids, Giving Back in Charlotte, Good stuff we find, Sunday Inspiration

Every year my kids amaze me on how enthusiastic they are about sleeping in a box and fasting for 30 hours. It is usually cold and raining yet that just energizes them. My kids have a huge heart and soul and Haiti has been especially on their minds. This event is so unique because it is planned and ran by the youth and volunteers.

This year, St. John Episcopal Church is building its box city for the 30 Hour Famine on Saturday, Feb. 27th, 2010. The youth have to raise at least $360 to participate and hundreds do. This is not just for St. Johns but any youth (grades 6-12) that want to help raise money for a good cause while having fun. The 30 hour famine raises awareness for hunger not just around the world but in our city as well. St. Johns youth set records every year on how much money they raise for the 30 hour famine.

World Vision is a well respected 5 star charity that has a mission to feed the hungry. In the aftermath of the devastation of Haiti, the need is there more than ever. Did you know that over 25,000 children die from hunger or hunger related illnesses every DAY? This year at St John’s 30 hour famine the theme is “Western” and yes, I have heard they are going to have a mechanical bull for the kids to ride, Woo Hoo. I am looking forward to the Famine Hoe Down square dance they are hosting. I haven’t done that since I was a kid myself.

All are welcome to join in the fun for $5 or $20 per family and you don’t have to wear the square dancing dress- unless you just happen to have one in your closet…. Want to help, see it in action, donate, spread the word- please do. Click here to see more 30 Hour Famine St. Johns. Do you know of any event going on to raise awareness for hunger? As I am preparing the food for my guests coming over for the super bowl, I realize how fortunate we are. Imagine being so hungry without a kitchen to go to. Click Here to donate directly to St Johns 30 hour famine.

Spoken by Donna Johnston | Discussion: No Comments »

Sunday Inspiration: Words pale.

June 28th, 2009 categories: Sunday Inspiration

Not much to say after that except ~ where you can…be the difference.

Spoken by Mike Gibbons | Discussion: No Comments »

TalkCharlotte Team “Chips In” at Charlotte Realtor Care Day 2009

April 28th, 2009 categories: About Our Realtors, Betsy Mayer, Blake Garvin, Donna Johnston, Giving Back in Charlotte, Jackie Stutts, Rhonda Gibbons, Sunday Inspiration

Chipped and scraped and scraped and cleaned and painted would be more like! All for a great cause, for some great people in a great City! On Friday 600 Charlotte Realtors teamed up and fanned out to work ~ fixing roofs, painting and doing general maintenance on  33 homes in Mecklenburg and Iredell counties. Helping those people who can not perform critical home maintenance and repairs due to financial or physical limitations.
Fridays are a busy day for Realtors so we are extra proud that the entire TalkCharlotte team was out early ~ Jackie, Blake and Besty the earliest birds ~ Starbucks delayed Michael, Rhonda and Donna ~ we worked the entire day. Our job (we thought) was to prop up and paint a porch on a traditional Charlotte home in the Plaza Midwood area ~ little did we know we’d be scraping and painting an entire home! It seemed a little daunting at first but we channeled “Extreme Makeover Home Edition” and got to work making sure we could “Move that Bus” at 4PM! The homeowners worked with us side by side and the day flew by ~ it was fun and satisfying for everyone! (please click on the picture titles for a special treat!)

Nice work if you can get it!

Up on the roof!

You know when you look around you see all kinds of people doing amazing things for others. If you are “being the change you wish to see in the world” then KUDOS and keep it up! If you’ve been on the sidelines please consider getting out there and doing some good for someone else – I guarantee in the end it will do more for you!

Move that Bus!!

Spoken by Mike Gibbons | Discussion: No Comments »

Just in case you have not seen Susan Boyle, the British songbird!

April 19th, 2009 categories: Good stuff we find, Sunday Inspiration

Even if you’ve seen this I hope you’ll give another listen here and you might enjoy this earlier recording I found of Susan’s magnificent  Cry Me a River.

Spoken by Mike Gibbons | Discussion: No Comments »

Happy Birthday Dr. Martin Luther King! Icing on your cake!

January 19th, 2009 categories: Good stuff we find, Sunday Inspiration

Anything I could write here would pale in comparison to the resonance of Dr. Martin Luther King’s own words as he extols his noble vision in his “I Have a Dream…” Listen and then act.

And I think as appropriate icing to Dr. King’s birthday cake is this stirring performance of Pride in the Name of Love by irish lads U2 I can only imagine too the feelings of U2 especially Bono as they played their homage to Dr. King on the very spot where he made his groundbreaking speech. Enjoy, there is always more we can do!

Spoken by Mike Gibbons | Discussion: No Comments »

You paid for parking for me? A Thanksgiving Gift from TalkCharlotte

November 26th, 2008 categories: Good stuff we find, Sunday Inspiration

Do yourself a BIG favor on Thanksgiving — I guarantee the family, the malls, the traffic, the food and most of all the parking will look very different for this uplifting story by Kurt Kuenne.  Click here to watch the short video (it’s 15 minutes so please make sure you have time to watch it uninterrupted — grab a cup of coffee or glass of wine and….smile!Thanks to the Go-Giver Blog and fantastic book for pointing us to this gem!

Spoken by Mike Gibbons | Discussion: No Comments »

“I should be gone in a week or so.”

November 16th, 2008 categories: Good stuff we find, Sunday Inspiration

The very fact that those are the words of an eleven year old young man should cut us to the bone and inspire each of us to do something to end the scourge of cancer. Brenden Foster age eleven is dying of leukemia and yet you’d be amazed to hear what is on HIS mind.

It will be very hard to watch this video and not cry ~ so it’s OK ~ but Brenden would want that to be the end of the tears. Brenden is spending his last days doing some good for others — what will we do with our days?

Spoken by Mike Gibbons | Discussion: 1 Comment »

Charlotte’s “Race Playce” is no place for disabilities!

October 19th, 2008 categories: Fun for Kids, Sunday Inspiration

That’s right disabilities have no place at Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation’ new Race Playce because this new playground was designed so that no child has to be left out! Children of all “abilities” now have place to play and have FUN together!

Karen Sullivan reports today A “Playce” for kids with disabilities in the Charlotte Observer that…

3,700 volunteers with varying abilities…turned towering piles of lumber into an 11,780-square-foot NASCAR-themed adventure called Race Playce. Park and Recreation’s goal was to take $400,000 approved by the county and create a playground where a disability would not be a barrier. Planners studied similar projects in other communities.

Then the planners brought together about 170 children with varied abilities in November 2007 to ask how they would build a playground….(read more)

Spoken by Mike Gibbons | Discussion: 1 Comment »

“Look in their eyes Mom you’ll see me”

October 15th, 2008 categories: Giving Back in Charlotte, Sunday Inspiration

Today is October 15, 2008 and if you’re like most Americans you are full up with political nonsense, scared to death about your finances and worried about your children’s future. Fair enough, it’s been a heck of a few weeks!

But I’d like you to take a few minutes to think bigger, to give some thought to people just miles maybe even steps away from you who are worried too, worried about where they will sleep tonight, if they will have enough to eat and worried if their kids will even have a future.

Today thousands of bloggers are writing about poverty and millions of readers (like you) are reading… together we can make a difference, we can make a start to finish poverty.

Rather than ramble on and on I am going to hand this off to none other than Bruce Springsteen ~ I’ll let his music and words speak for me. All I am asking is that you listen (turn it up, WAY UP!) to Bruce’s Ghost of Tom Joad his homage to John Steinback’s Grapes of Wrath a poignant duet with Tom Morello (it is a stunning performance). (there is a more beautiful video version on iTunes if you like)

If you would please watch the video and read the lyrics ~ I hope it moves you like it moved me ~ please let me know what you think by leaving me a comment below. End poverty, now.

The Lyrics: The Ghost Of Tom Joad

Men walkin’ ‘long the railroad tracks
Goin’ someplace there’s no goin’ back
Highway patrol choppers comin’ up over the ridge
Hot soup on a campfire under the bridge
Shelter line stretchin’ round the corner
Welcome to the new world order
Families sleepin’ in their cars in the southwest
No home no job no peace no rest

(Chorus)
The highway is alive tonight
But nobody’s kiddin’ nobody about where it goes
I’m sittin’ down here in the campfire light
Searchin’ for the ghost of Tom Joad

He pulls prayer book out of his sleeping bag
Preacher lights up a butt and takes a drag
Waitin’ for when the last shall be first and the first shall be last
In a cardboard box ‘neath the underpass
Got a one-way ticket to the promised land
You got a hole in your belly and gun in your hand
Sleeping on a pillow of solid rock
Bathin’ in the city aqueduct
(Chorus)

Now Tom said “Mom, wherever there’s a cop beatin’ a guy
Wherever a hungry newborn baby cries
Where there’s a fight ‘gainst the blood and hatred in the air
Look for me Mom I’ll be there
Wherever there’s somebody fightin’ for a place to stand
Or decent job or a helpin’ hand
Wherever somebody’s strugglin’ to be free
Look in their eyes Mom you’ll see me.”
(Chorus)

Original Blog Action Day post at Behind the Button

Spoken by Mike Gibbons | Discussion: No Comments »

Makes you think twice. Doesn’t it?

September 28th, 2008 categories: Sunday Inspiration

I am not going to give this way except to say that you owe it to yourself take 5:55 minutes out of your day and watch this poignant beautiful short story.

Financial meltdowns, hurricanes, gas lines…this will make you think small — we can all make be a difference even in small way which is HUGE!

and you may prefer the original larger version click here

Spoken by Mike Gibbons | Discussion: No Comments »