Massive Giving - Two Year Anniversary

I think it's time to wrap up the "send a card to the troops" effort.

It began 2 years ago, on Dec 3, 2008.  We started with a goal
of sending 20,000 cards.  We did that and more.  The current
total is 27,120. 

I hearby declare victory and will now look for another worthy
cause.  Let me know if you have any suggestions.

Stay tuned.

- Ralph

Massive Giving Weekly Tip - Remember The Dash

I heard this poem today and want to share it.

The Dash

I hope it causes you to reflect on what you
are doing with your life.  How much giving are
doing?

- Ralph

Massive Giving Weekly Quote - Just Give

Give what you have. To someone, it may be better than you dare to think.


-- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Massive Giving Weekly Quote - Kind Words

Be generous with kindly words, especially about those who are absent.

-- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Massive Giving Weekly Quote - Generosity

Generosity consists not the sum given, but the manner in which it is bestowed.
-- Author Unknown

Here's something for you... another eGiggle.

Massive Giving Weekly Quote - Kind Words

Be generous with kindly words, especially about those who are absent.

-- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Massive Giving Tip of the Week - Learn What's UP

If life is getting you down, don't give up.  Give out.

Give outside yourself. Find someone who needs a smile and give them a smile. 

Have a great week!

- Ralph

Massive Giving Tip of the Week - Just give!

Feeling down and out?
Discouraged?
Useless?

Go give someone something. Just a smile will do.

Here's something for you... another eGiggle.

- Ralph

Massive Giving Tip of the Week - Give a Giggle

If life is getting you down or you just need a little pick me up, get your dose of giggles here:

eGiggle Me today!

Got a friend who needs some cheer?  Send them here:

eGiggle Them today!

Enjoy your giggles.

- Ralph

Massive Giving Weekly Quote - Giving Forever

Whatever you spend is gone.
What you keep, someone else gets.
What you give is yours forever.


-- Dr. Wil Rose

Massive Giving Weekly Quote - Scattering

Proverbs 11:24


There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more, and there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want.

Massive Giving Weekly Quote - Generous Giving

Deuteronomy 15:10


Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.

Massive Giveing Weekly Quote - Tithing

Malachi 3:10


“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.

Massive Giving Weekly Quote - Missing

No.  I haven't stopped the giving.  But I was vacationing the past two Sundays and didn't get any cards sent or any quotes posted. 
Tonight the web site for giving post cards is not working so there will be none sent again.

The spirit is willing, but the internet is weak, so the giving will be delayed another week.

- Ralph

Massive Giving Weekly Quote - Good or Best?

Good, better, best

Never let it rest
'Til your good is better
And your better is best!

- Unknown

Massive Giving Weekly Thought - Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a time to reflect upon the service and sacrifice given by our men and women in uniform. It is a time to think of the extraordinary people who have responded to our nation’s call, putting their lives on the line to protect and preserve our way of life.

On this Memorial Day holiday, I ask that you take a moment with me to pay tribute to those who have served our nation and those who continue to serve today. We are deeply indebted to these noble patriots who, by virtue of their selflessness and dedication to American ideals, have given us and help maintain our lives of freedom. There is no greater gift.

Let's support our military as they work to prevail in combat, restore the peace and help build better lives for people around the world.

As we enjoy the holiday, I hope each of us can find a way to show our appreciation to our nation’s veterans, the men and women serving today, and their families, whose sacrifices are equally profound. We salute them all.

Massive Giving Weekly Quote - Be Good

There is no benefit in the gifts of a bad man.


Euripides

Massive Giving Weekly Quote - Blessed to Give

“It is more blessed to give than to receive.”


— Jesus, in Acts 20:35

Massive Giving Weekly Quote - Money

“Remember this—you can’t serve God and Money, but you can serve God with money.”


— Selwyn Hughes

Massive Giving Weekly Quote - Give and Get

Give, and it will be given to you. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.
Luke 6:38

Massive Giving Weekly Quote - Generosity

The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered.


Proverbs 11:25

Massive Giving Weekly Quote - Generosity

“Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present.”


 Albert Camus

Massive Giving Weekly Quote - Give It All

“It's important to give it all you have while you have the chance.”


 Shania Twain

Massive Giving Weekly Quote - The Best

“You get the best out of others when you give the best of yourself.”


 Harvey S. Firestone

Massive Giving Weekly Quote - Peace

“If you wish to experience peace, provide peace for another.”


Tenzin Gyatso, The 14th Dalai Lama

Massive Giving Weekly Quote - Give Back

“Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more”


Anthony Robbins

Massive Giving Weekly Quote - Value

“The value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving.”


 Albert Einstein

Massive Giving Weekly Quote - Heart

“If you have much, give of your wealth; If you have little, give of your heart”


 Arab Proverb

Massive Giving Weekly Quote - Give Back

“Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more”


 Anthony Robbins

Massive Giving Weekly Quote - Peace

"If you wish to experience peace, provide peace for another.”
 Tenzin Gyatso, The 14th Dalai Lama

Ever Felt ....Lonely?...... Discouraged? ...Unappreciated? ......Forgotten?

Note:  This is a slightly updated repost of the original blog post on December 8, 2008.  I am re-energizing this effort.  The new goal is to send 50,000 cards.

while putting your life on the line for your country....

Picture a US Marine, sitting in a Humvee in Iraq, looking out into the darkness through Night Vision Goggles and thinking:

..... do the people back home even care that I’m here? I wish they would remember me and let me know that they care. Knowing that would really help me on some of these lonely nights. I remember when we got some cards from first graders a few months back. They drew pictures for me... for me. That was neat. But here, at Christmas, does anyone even remember that I’m here?

I don't know how a solder feels about getting mail – I’ve never been one. So I asked a friend and here is how he put it to me:

I know what it feels like to get mail in the service. I was in the
US Marines and when I was somewhere spread all across the
world, the mail was almost like having your first child. It was
really exciting to hear from home and just to know that
someone actually did care... You should have seen some of the
faces at mail call when they were calling out the names and
handing the mail out. But then those few including myself
sometimes.... that big smile of anticipation would turn into
a frown when I didn’t hear my name called. It felt like your
girlfriend just broke up with you and your heart tightened
up somehow...

Ralph, when I was in Bosnia, I remember getting postcards from
some 1st grade class, with drawings on them from the kids. I
felt special. I know you don’t understand that, but I am
actually getting teary eyed just remembering how it felt. When
I was over there, to have someone actually care felt really
good. I honestly, for the longest time, didn’t think that
America really cared at all about us during the gulf way back
in ’91. I always thought they were more interested in the next
episode of Alf rather than me trying to get safely back home
from this crazy war my president put me in.
(That’s from my friend, Vic Hutchinson.)
Realizing how that soldier feels is the reason I started my Massive Giving Group.

Here we sit in our comfortable homes with our little problems .... and some of us do have big problems.
In spite of your problems, by taking 2 minutes, you can bring some cheer and encouragement to 5 special Americans who are giving their all to serve their country.

How? By sending 5 post cards. Think of what it will do for them ... and for you.

Do something COOL. Right now. Today!

Help send 50,000 Post Cards to our Troops.

You'll feel great, knowing you've brightened their day.

1. Go to this web site: Send a Card

2. Pick out a Thank you card and send it. Send more, if you have the time.

Xerox prints the cards and sends them to a soldier

who is serving in Iraq. You don't get to choose

who gets them. But they do get delivered

to members of the armed services.

3. Then tell me how many you sent by clicking here ==> I sent some

1. 
   
   Enter the number you sent and your comments in the "Leave your Comment" box.
2. 
   
   Scroll down and click the button to the left of the words "Name/URL".
3. 
   
   Enter a name. If you want to remain anonymous (which often increases the fun of giving), make up a name so I can tell you apart from other givers.
4. 
   
   If you desire, enter the URL for your blog or web page.
5. 
   
   Click on the "Publish Your Comment" below where you entered your name.

4. Get the word out about this 50,000 card project. Send this link to all your friends, post it on your blog, or put it on your web page:

http://imquickstarttips.blogspot.com/2010/02/ever-felt-lonely-discouraged.html

or this shorter version:

http://bit.ly/97CNcq

5. Return here weekly and send a few more. How about 25 per week? Can you do it?

Once a week in the upper right corner on this blog,

I update the total number that we've sent.

Here's what one soldier has to say about receiving these post cards:

Thank you so much for the post card. It is so nice to receive things in the mail here. Some would not believe it but the simple good feeling of going to the company mail room and the clerk saying "Yes, you have mail" is an uplifting experience. Even if it’s just a letter saying "hi" makes our day! Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers.
- An Army Sergeant

Wouldn't it brighten the spirits of lots of soldiers if
you and I get everyone we know to send several!!!

It is FREE and it only takes a few minutes.

Think of those soldiers receiving a bunch of these?

It doesn't matter whether or not you support the war,

our soldiers deserve to know we support them.

This takes less than 5 minutes and it's a marvelous way to say thank you. Please send some cards. Then take the time to pass a link on to others so they can do it also. We can never say "Thank You" enough to the men and women in our armed services.

Thank YOU for taking to time to support our military!

Now that you've sent some. How about sending some more.

Send as many as you have time to.

Send a Card

Enjoy your freedoms.  I hope you have a wonderful life.

Ralph Lyon

P.S. Please remember to enter how many you sent. (See step 3 above.)

Massive Giving Weekly Quote - How Many

“If you can't feed a hundred people, then just feed one.”

 Mother Teresa

Massive Giving Weekly Quote - Cheerful

God loves a cheerful giver.

2 Corinthians 9:7

Massive Giving Weekly Quote - Purchasing Friends

Purchase not friends by gifts; when thou ceasest to give, such will cease to love.

Thomas Fuller

Massive Giving Weekly Quote - What we Know

Gifts allow us to demonstrate exactly how little we know about a person.

Pam Davis

Earthquake-struck Haiti is Recipient of Massive Giving

Today the following was reported on NPR (National Public Radio):

John Dallas, a San Francisco realtor, was watching the news about the earthquake in Haiti last night with his wife when his cell phone had a text message that said ... give $10 to Haiti relief, text this number. He thought, that's awfully convenient.

So convenient that he did it right away.

This is the first time that there has been massive giving via text message in the United States. mGive is the company that's been working with charitable organizations to set up this kind of giving.

And it's been very successful. Over $7 million has already been donated.

But there is a delay in getting the money this way. Consumer/Giver ease = delay as them money has to be collected at the next billing cycle and then forwarded on to mGive who then forwards it on to the charitable organization.

How to get the money to the charity faster: The Better Business Bureau recommends that consumers give to charity online, by phone or mail if they want the funds deposited immediately.

However you give, it'll take some Massive Giving to take care of the needs in Haiti.

Give 'til YOU Smile!

Massive Giving Weekly Quote: Generous

If we have the opportunity to be generous with our hearts, ourselves, we have no idea of the depth and breadth of love's reach.

Margaret Cho

Massive Giving Weekly Quote: 2010

In this New Year 2010, may God give You….

12 Months of Giving,

52 Weeks of Fun,

365 Days of Success,

8,760 Hours of Good Health,

52,600 Minutes of Happines,

3,153,600 Seconds of Joy

….and everything good that you desire!

That is my wish for you.

Ralph Lyon