Stephanie L. Jones's Blog, page 12
July 23, 2019
Day 3: It’s that time of year. Stock up! – Summer Giving Challenge
Families spend billions each year on school supplies, textbooks and new school clothes. Children, with their parent's flock to the box stores in hopes of finding the perfect backpack that will be filled with notebooks, folders, writing utensils and more. As mentioned yesterday, many children in our schools are homeless and many more live in [...]
July 22, 2019
Make it Happen
Several weeks ago, my mom sent me a text asking if I'd ever heard of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in the upper peninsula of Michigan. I chuckled as I'd just chatted with a gal about doing a kayak trip up there. The pictures I'd seen were beautiful. I responded, "Yes! I want to kayak up [...]
Day 2: When Giving Gets Tough – Summer Giving Challenge
According to the U.S. Department of House and Urban Development, over a half a million people are homeless in the USA. Let that statistic sink in. That's people that don't have a place to lay their head every night, they may be living on the streets, cold during the winter and hot during the [...]
July 21, 2019
Day 1: Welcome to the Summer Giving Challenge!
Have you joined my free 14 day Summer Giving Challenge? It just started today! Sign up here. First things first, download and print out the Summer Giving Challenge resources packet! If this is your first time participating in one of my challenges, welcome. If you've been around awhile and are coming back for more giving [...]
July 15, 2019
Build Your Confidence with a Smile
Friends, I did something last week that a couple of years ago I wouldn't be caught dead doing. I went out in public with no make up on, sweatpants, my Thursday socks (yes, they say Thursday), and sandals. In my mind's eye, I was quite the sight. I hadn't intended leaving the house until a [...]
July 8, 2019
A Book, a T-shirt and a New Friend
Have you ever considered what you could give away when you travel? Candy, gum, a magazine, or maybe just a smile or an offer to help a newbie traveler through the airport. On one or more occasions, I've given all the above and the joy the gifts bring to my travels are better than any [...]
July 1, 2019
What is America?
What is America? It's the title of a book I featured last week and did a giveaway for a copy. Congratulations Joyce V! You are the winner. How did the winner enter this contest? They replied to my newsletter (sign up here for future giveaways) and they shared what America meant to them. Here are [...]
June 28, 2019
Grateful for My Failures
Today could be a sad day for me. A reminder of my biggest failure. The day where, nineteen years ago, I sat in the audience and watched my fellow classmates get their badges pinned and take the oath to serve in protect. But my dream to become an Indiana State Trooper died when I failed [...]
June 24, 2019
Share Your Gift
I saw courage in action this past week, and even though we'd just met the night before, I sat in my chair, cheering Lisa on, soaking in her success. I wanted to remember the moment. I wanted her to remember the moment, so I snapped a picture. It was the last day of the Write-to-Publish [...]
June 21, 2019
Remembering Mrs. H
A week ago, I sat at the bedside, holding tightly to the hand of one of the most incredible givers I've met in my lifetime. A lifetime. That's how long I've known Mrs. H. In my 41 years of life, she's always been there. But there are thousands, over her decades of teaching, that could [...]
