Make a Difference not Just Eat, Drink, and be Merry

It seems like our world is moving into an era where it is all about selfies and self improvement.  I even started this blog as a quest for self improvement but along the way I have realized that the ultimate goal is to make this world a better place. Yes, we start to make it a better place by trying to be a better person but that is just the means to a more purposeful end and is also the result of what is most important. What is most important is to live a life of service and trying to make a positive difference. To leave this world better than we found it.

I am grateful to be part of a church where we are taught to serve and lift others in addition to what we do for our families. We are indeed given church callings in which we are given the opportunity to serve. We don't just come to church to be fed but we also get to feed. What starts out as an expectation becomes a real blessing. It is amazing how good it feels to be an important part in the life of another who is at first "an assignment" but later becomes a friend who is incredibly grateful for the impact they say I have had on their life (What kind of impact, you say? Well I am glad to be an example of what not to do, if nothing else).

This picture on the beach of a footprint is mine. I know that I have a unique footprint to leave. We all do. This life isn't just about eating, drinking, and being merry. Yes, we can and should be joyful and happy and have fun, but the most important part is serving and making a difference, especially without financial reward.

I have certainly had a lot of fun serving in my church callings and other places I have volunteered (well, let's face it, been asked to participate. I am not saintly enough to actually volunteer) because church isn't the only place to offer service.  I have made some of my best friends while serving in church and other organizations. And there is no greater reward than a note like the one I received today from a grown up young woman that I was able to serve and who served me so richly as well. "I love YOU! I also think of you almost daily as I do the many things I do as a wife and mom and try to serve the Lord!"

I am grateful to have opportunities that force me to be less selfish. I hope that I can always make a difference. "Make you mark" was the theme of the year I served as PTA President in my children's elementary school and I intend to make that my theme for a lifetime.