The Power of One. YOU.

Perfect Stocking Stuffers from My Funny Buddy!

If you are looking for a fun, quick and perfect gift to help stuff those stockings, the Reindeer Stuffie from My Funny Buddy is perfect!

 These little guys go together in a snap and are so cute! Perfect gift for boys and girls!

This bundle was made for some really special kids in our community. 3 of them are going to a set of brothers that along with their amazing Mama each year, they perform RACKs. That is Random Acts of Christmas Kindness. I am loving following along with their fun this year! They do the simplest yet most thoughtful things like "plug" soda machines so the next person doesn't have to pay, leave microwave popcorn taped to a movie rental box and candy canes taped to ATMs, each with a note that says "You've been RACKed!" with an explanation of what that is. Well, they inspired me! And, these little guys will be showing up in their mailbox with a message saying they too have been RACKed! :)

The 4th one is headed to a very special girl that has been going above and beyond in her family. I hope each of them likes their new holiday friend!

Find this sweet pattern in the My Funny Buddy shop here!

Maybe you can perform your own RACKs in your neighborhood! :)

**BONUS**
Use Code "HOPE25" to receive 25% OFF Anything in the My Funny Buddy Shop from now until 12/21/13! Check out all that's available here. 

Merry Christmas!

For Good or For Bad....the Power of 1

I didn't know anything about this story when my daughter asked to go see the movie. She gave me a briefing as we headed to the theater this past weekend and it sounded like something we would definitely enjoy. It was.
The movie is The Book Thief.

Movie Poster

I don't want to give anything specific away, because it is very worthwhile seeing, but it did provide a perfect image of the powerful impact 1 person can have....for good or for bad.

Being set in Germany during World War II, you can image the dire circumstances surrounding the characters. The main character being Liesel, a young girl that faces more loss and heartbreak.....more reasons to loose all hope than can hardly be imagined. More opportunities, as a child, to be courageous than many face in a lifetime.

I had never really considered the devastating impact of Hitler's corrupt leadership on everyday life for his own people. The negative reach of his inhumanity was consuming of victims expanding far and wide that weren't even his direct targets. Obviously those that were his targets receiving the greatest measure of his relentless and unjust punishments. One of which finds refuge with Liesel and her family, offering her an opportunity to learn and to love and to embody all that is humanity.

Oh it's a beautiful story!!! A sad, difficult story, but one full of genuine hope.

Obviously you know how the War ends, so it's not a spoiler to share that HUMANITY WINS! The Good...while broken, scarred and forever changed, rises up. Overcomes. Blooms from the ashes. It's not a glorious image of victory, but a bold and true life, changed yet again...stronger. More beautiful and relate-able. One that says simply with it's presence
"I will not give in. I will give more."
And so leaves me wanting to know more of this young girl and the woman she grew to become.

Here's the trailer if you'd like to watch.

The movie is based on the novel by the same title written by Australian author, Markus Zusak. We will definitely be adding it to our library very soon.

I'll leave you with one of the most thoughtful quotes from the narrator of the book, who is a most interesting character all his own....
"I'm always finding humans at their best and worst. I see their ugly and their beauty and I wonder how the same thing can be both..."

Make A Difference

December 2013 - The Power of 1

As is the tradition of Hopeful Threads, there will not be a "specific" Monthly Project for December. This is an extra busy time of year that is full of family and plans for the New Year, I think it's a perfectly appropriate time for us to have a little R&R....

Rest & Reflection. 

That said.....

There will still be PLENTY of opportunities throughout the month to help others. 

Pause. Take a moment in the whirlwind that life can become and look for them. 

Share. Give. Encourage. Love. Support. 

Look for 1 way....whether each day or simply once this month, to lift someone else up.

Throughout the month I will be sharing different ways I have learned of individuals doing their part to make a difference in the lives of others. There is such a powerful impact that occurs when a single person passionately pursues their opportunity to love and give.....an impact definitely in the lives of those they are caring for, but perhaps even greater in their own lives. 

I hope you will share your encouraging stories throughout the month as well!

1.

One Small Thing.

Focus on 1 thing and watch it GROW!

The Significance of ONE

I need this reminder myself every now and again, and so I thought some of you might as well.

I often say that EVERY STITCH MATTERS, and I truly believe it does.

I wouldn't be doing what I do if I didn't. 

The significant impact that 1 kind deed can have is immeasurable. 

Consider with me......

For the little girl that has the very first new dress of her own....

Dress A Girl Around the World

For the sick child given the comfort a soft and special blanket can provide....

Binkeez For Comfort

For the cheer & encouragement a pair of personalized, hand-painted shoes can bring....

Peach's Neet Feet
(Yes! That is my Lil' Buddy Eli rockin' his kicks with his awesome mommy & big sis!)

For the young lady that is getting a chance at an education....

Days for Girls

For the calm and reassurance of having a friend by your side...

the FLUFF Project

This is just a glimpse of the ways you can be a part of using your unique gifts and talents of handmade to bless, encourage and care for another. There are SO many incredible organizations out there doing this kind of giving, and YOU can be a part!

It matters.

Every. Single. ONE!

Click on the images above to learn more about each of these beautiful organizations....you'll be glad you did!

SHINE ON!

The idea that Hopeful Threads could be a springboard for something more, a new outreach or ongoing care for a specific need, is one of the most touching and inspiring things about being a part of this community! I find myself overwhelmed with excitement and humility when you share how you have taken ONE SMALL THING from Hopeful Threads and turned it into something very personal and much bigger. Today, I've asked Stacy from Stacy Sews and Schools to share how she has done just that in her own community. Disclaimer....she has some super kind things to say about us too and I promise I didn't bribe her! ;)

Take it away Stacy...

First off I would like to say how in AWE I am of you, Kristy and Hopeful Threads! It is just amazing to me to see how many different charities and people you and your readers reach. I think you, the blog and the readers are AWESOME!!!!!!!

When I saw the project for  August - "Give Hope" US Foster Care it connected with me right away. You see, I went to foster care once. It was only for a day but it made a HUGE impact on me. I was lucky in that I had other options and called my Dad to come get me from a few states away. Most kids do NOT have another option.... Most kids go into the system and stay there.... And when they go into foster care the majority of them go with NOTHING. That was me. When I was picked up at school all I had were the clothes on my back and whatever was in my purse. I was 16 and scared out of my mind. Who were these people they were taking me to? Were they nice? What did they expect of me? Where was I going to end up? To say I had trust issues would be putting it mildly. I believe that most kids in that kind of situation are going to have trust issues.... They should have been safe at home but for whatever reason, their home lives were such that they had to be removed from them and put into the care of strangers. 

THAT is why this project spoke to me so much. These kids need so much love. They need so much HOPE! Hope is a big word. What if we can give them a little hope and a little love? 

What if I could do this ALL the time and not just one month. How many kids in my own back yard could I reach? CAN I do something like this?? The answer was yes, I COULD do it, with lots of help..... LOL 

I called the lady that was in charge of foster care in my area and asked her a few questions. Is this something that would be needed in our area? What would she like to see in the bags? What was the age range that she was seeing the most? 

I started off thinking that I might be able to do it all on my own and quickly found out that no... I could do a little on my own but to really make an impact I needed to get more people behind it. So, I called my pastor and ran it by him. That's when I started calling it Bags of Hope and Love. My pastor thought it was an excellent idea and invited me to speak to my church about it. Let me just say that my church family was realllllly amazing. They embraced the idea fully and firmly. I had so many donations coming in that I had to dedicate a closet to JUST Bags of Hope and Love!!! And my friends were amazing, too. I had a ton of donations coming in from all over the country. People were donating fabric to make the bags as well as the items to go in the bags. Something like that can really help you see just how many good people are still in this world. One of my friends even took this idea before her church in Indiana!! Now they are doing Bags of Hope and Love, too!!! 

When we decided to move I was a little heartbroken. One, I didn't want to leave my church family and two, would anyone take over for me there? Would Bags of Hope and Love still be there for those kids? Yes and yes! I made an announcement before church that we were moving and that I was looking for someone to take over me there. After church a sweet lady came up to me and said that she wanted to take it over! WOOO HOOO!! It would still be there for those kids! :) AND after I am settled here I hope to get another "chapter" started in this area! SO many more kids to reach!!!!!!  So many more needing a little hope and love!

So, you see, YOU can do it. YOU can get out there and make a difference! If I can, anyone can! Just take that first step and see what happens! ;) 

I want to give more props to Kristy. If I had never seen this project on Hopeful Threads it would have never occurred to me. THANK YOU, Kristy, for ALL that you do!!!!!! 

Here's a link on my site that explains a lot, too.

http://stacysewsandschools.wordpress.com/2012/08/26/my-new-page-for-bags-of-hope-and-love-3/

Thank you Stacy. Thank you for all you are doing for children in Foster Care. Thank you for sharing your story so personally. What a perfect and beautiful reminder of the difference One Small Thing can make!

"When you let your own light shine, you unconsciously give others permission to do the same." ~Nelson Mandela

SHINE ON STACY!!!!!