The Salt & Light Spotlight Presents “Be The Change You Want To See in the World”
If you read my blog (or listen to my podcasts), then you know that Community Outreach is a topic that is very near and dear to my heart. As a homeschool family of Believers, serving others is as much a part of our values as it is a segue for fulfilling our home state’s (Texas) requirements for teaching a course in good citizenship.
This belief system led to the creation of our Salt & Light Spotlight segment. In this series, we feature a different community outreach program each month. Our hope is to bring awareness to the good works of these amazing organizations and encourage support.
Why Salt & Light? As Believers, we are instructed to be “salt and light.” In ancient times, salt was a valuable commodity. Greeks considered salt to be divine. Roman soldiers were paid in salt. Salt was used to preserve meat before refrigeration. Salt adds flavor and stops decay. It can also sting if rubbed into a wound. As Christians, we are to be the “salt of the earth,” seasoning our words, thoughts, and deeds in a manner that will make others thirst for knowledge of our Savior.
Light illuminates, chasing away the darkness. Christ was the ultimate Light of the World. As Christians, we are to bear testimony to the presence of Christ in our lives. Paul said, “Believers, you are to shine as light in the world” (Philippians 215).
With the Salt & Light Spotlight series, it is our goal here at It’s Only Homeschooling to encourage other families, homeschoolers, public schoolers, and private schoolers alike, to make consistent service a healthy habit. Encouraging others also holds us accountable for the service efforts of our home.
Cultivating Stewardship
Thus far, we have featured some amazing community outreach organizations as part of our Salt & Light SERVE Spotlight series. In September, we stressed the importance of Sowing the Seeds of Stewardship in your home by leading by example and modeling service efforts to your children. We also featured Phillip’s Wish, a program that has been warming homeless hearts in the DFW area for nearly twenty years. We chatted with Ms. Cyndi Bunch, one of the founding members of Phillip’s Wish, and learned that sometimes kids’ dreams could be bigger than they are but that doesn’t mean they are too little to make a difference.
In October, we celebrated appreciating neurodiversity and highlighted Dyspraxia Awareness/Developmental Coordination Awareness Month. We stepped outside of our comfort zones and embraced our roles as parent advocates. We chatted with Sue Hille of DCD Kids and learned how this “mom on a mission” launched a grassroots campaign dedicated to raising awareness of Developmental Coordination Disorder through the pillars of Awareness, Advocacy, Action, and Achievement. Sue started her website after her son was diagnosed with DCD, as a way to raise awareness of DCD in schools and the wider community, and to provide resources to support other families.
In November, we honored Adoption Awareness Month and broadened our minds by expanding our understanding of the word “adoption.” In “Adopted to Adopt,” we internalized Pastor Josh Morris’s message to heed the call of stewardship and service by accepting an invitation to pay forward the generous gift our Heavenly Father bestowed on each and every one of us as Believers and Children of God.
The Bible calls us to see those that are vulnerable and in need and to adopt their problems as our own.
Pastor Josh Morris, Gateway Church
We also featured Christ’s Haven as our November Salt & Light Spotlight, a wonderful organization that has been restoring the lives of children in the DFW Area through Normalcy, Dignity, and Hope for nearly seventy years. We chatted with Maddie Churchman, the VP of Programs who shared both her personal and professional insights about adoption and her work with Christ’s Haven.
An Embarrassment of Riches
In researching outreach programs to feature for our December Salt & Light Spotlight, I found myself wonderfully overwhelmed with entirely too many choices. As far as “problems” go, I will take this one all day. With each interview I conducted for this series, I received multiple nominations for other programs to consider in the upcoming months. It is my sincerest hope to get to each one in good time.
As I pondered and agonized over how to select only one program to highlight during this time of thanksgiving and generosity, I realized the decision was bigger than me. So, I did what I do with any decision in my life, big or small.
I laid it at the foot of the Father.
In spending quiet quality time in God’s word, I heard the Lord saying to me, “think bigger and broader.” Piggybacking on broadening my mind in our November feature regarding adoption, it occurred to me that there is one way, to highlight not one but multiple organizations.
How?
By shifting the focus from the organization to the benefactor.
The Person in the Mirror
“Be the change you want to see in the world.”
Mahtma Gandhi
Dear Reader, in this season of giving, I humbly submit that each and every one of us has the opportunity to participate in the Salt & Light Spotlight.
Where would community outreach organizations be without patrons?
For December, our Salt & Light Spotlight feature is YOU!
In honor of National Giving Month this December, we challenge YOU to step into the role of steward and let your love light shine.
Service does not have to look like the grand gestures you have seen us highlight in our Salt & Light Spotlight series. Outreach can come in many forms. The smallest gesture of kindness can carry the greatest weight.
A Servant’s Heart
Not quite sure where to begin?
In our blog post series, “Teaching Character Education in Your Homeschool Without a Curriculum,” we explored ways you can cultivate a Servant’s Heart in your home. In Part 1, we discussed the importance of laying a firm foundation of faith. In Part 2, we shared some great teaching tools, such as book lists to foster an appreciation for diversity and good citizenship. We also highlighted ways to involve your family in extracurricular activities that promote good character. Finally, we explored how your family can find places to serve.
Are you looking for ways to serve?
Below are a few ideas to help get you started:
Pin It. Pinterest is a virtual treasure trove of ideas to help you get a jump start on your creative care efforts. This database is brimming with novel suggestions to help you get your generosity groove on.
Begin At Home. The teaching of kindness and generosity to others begins at home. Model a servant’s heart for your child by being helpful to each other as spouses. Perform simple acts of service, without being asked, and with a happy heart. What better way to demonstrate your love for others than by beginning with those closest to you? Kernels of kindness like putting your partner’s plate in the dishwasher or filling your spouse’s car up with fuel when you notice the glaring orange “E” blinking back at you can go a long way.
Embody Grace. Oftentimes, the excitement of the holiday season can be overwhelming. In the hustle and bustle of “all the things,” it is easy to lose sight of the real “reason for the season.” Nerves fray and tempers flare with the scrambling of shopping trips and the honking of horns in holiday traffic.
How do you handle yourself when you are under pressure? Do you give grace when in a moment of humanness the other person tests your boundaries? Maybe you judge. Or retaliate. What about when you are the one who makes a misstep? Do you beat yourself up? Condemn yourself when a gentle conviction is far more appropriate.
There is a sign in our classroom that reads, “We live by grace, not perfection.” I hung it there for myself years ago and I read it daily. While I am not quite where I want to be, with each recitation of this manta, I feel my character expand a tiny bit more. Always learning, always growing.
Love Your Neighbor. In these uncertain times of widespread illness, high inflation, economic instability, and financial insecurity, there is no shortage of opportunities to help those just outside your door.
In my family’s neighborhood, we have a closed social media group for neighbors. We also make use of the Nextdoor app. Connecting with other members of our community has helped us come together to lift one another up in trying times. Meal trains, donations of gently used goods, and job opportunities are just a few of the ways our village has come together to support one another during moments of tragedy, loss, or illness.
Let Your Child Take the Lead. Children have one MAJOR advantage over adults when it comes to innovation and inventiveness. As we leave childhood and childish things behind in our ascent to adulthood, we unfortunately often leave behind a crucial coping and creative tool – the gift of imagination. Boggled down with the often necessary and sometimes mundane responsibilities of adulthood, it is easy to forget how to “play.”
But for children, play is their natural language. Ask your child for suggestions as to how to help others. You will be delightfully surprised by his or her suggestions. Listen attentively to their ideas. Brainstorm further with them. Help them make a plan to bring their ideas to life. And finally, help them with the logistics of putting their plan(s) into action.
Serving Suggestions
The below list is by no means exhaustive or comprehensive, just a few of the favorites I ran across when researching ideas for this blog post.
Coming Up
Feeling more confident about how you can make a difference in your community? Wonderful! Want to learn more about how our family is embodying this month’s Salt & Light Spotlight Challenge of “Be the Change You Want to See in the World?” Then check back in with us for future blog posts, social media posts, and podcast episodes as we share our family’s outreach efforts.
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Blessings,
Kimberly
IOH Mom
This website is not a professional counseling website and nothing here should be construed as professional counseling advice. Although Kimberly Bennett, LPC is a Licensed Professional Counselor, she is not your counselor, and no counselor-client relationship is established unless she has signed an agreement with you. All information provided through this website is for informational and educational purposes only. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure statement. Thank you for visiting!
