Daily Giving Quote - Generosity

That's what I consider true generosity. You give your all, and yet you always feel as if it costs you nothing.

- Simone De Beauvoir

Daily Giving Quote - Living

We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.

- Winston Churchill

Red Shirt Fridays

Red Fridays are here.

Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing Red every Friday.

The reason? Americans who support our troops used to be called the "silent majority."

We are no longer silent, and are voicing our love for God, country and home in record breaking numbers.

We are not organized, boisterous or overbearing.

We appreciate your service!

http://www.redshirtfridays.org/

Daily Giving Quote - Blessed

Blessed are those who can give without remembering, and take without forgetting.

- Princess Elizabeth, Asquith Bibesco

MASSIVE Giver Feedback

Here are a few comments made by Massive Givers.

"Yesterday on NPR, I heard a report that said 24 members of our armed forces committed suicide in January alone (I think it said that number is about 3 times higher than it was last January). It made me grateful for this small way to let our troops know we care about them. Today I sent 10."

"I have sent about 400 of them.... i do it when I am on conference calls" Editor: Now that's multitasking for good!

"I sent 5 today - will send more tomorrow - and the next day - and the next..."

"I sent 5 today. I found it fun to choose from the postcards. The artwork and thank you message from a child's hand is a wonderful touch. It is really easy to choose a message to include or add your own. Thanks for setting this up."

"I sent one of each on the page. I think there were 72. We have moved to the stage in life where we really don't have needs, other than the need to serve. There will never be "enough" to our service."

"Great I idea doing this. I sent 2 today and plan on sending many more everyday. A small task in comparison to what every solider does for us and the future citizens of our country each day."

"I did 50 while my husband was reading aloud a novel."

"What a great project! You know I'm a softie when it comes to thanking our military heroes (they all are heroes because they serve!) And I'm so-o-o happy to send these cards. I hope we not only make each soldier/sailor/etc smile, but make them feel warm, wonderful, powerfully deep, inspiring emotions of gratitude and Christian love from American citizens. I think I sent 8 on my first click into the project. I'll try to come back often. When I think of Dad... and his 30 years in the U.S. Army, I am all awash in tears of gratitude. The military world was such a part of my life growing up. And living 10 years of my life OUTSIDE of the U.S. absolutely assured that I will always love and appreciate America. Even in the rain today, all my red/white/blue patriotic flags in the yard stand out. They are amidst the red/white/green of Christmas. I never take the red/white/blue down. And in my mind and heart: freedom, democracy, sacrifice are part of Christianity."

"I found your site ..... I went ahead and sent one today but I will continue this and send more. Thanks so very much for doing this!"

Thanks to all of you!

Ralph
Founder, The MASSIVE Giving Group
Give 'til YOU Smile!

Give Said the Little Stream

Join the Massive Giving Group and help GIVE and share Giving opportunities.
Also, add the opportunities you know about by posting them on the Wall: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=40056464339

Did you know that you can improve every part of your own life by giving.

Does this sound strange to you? It may, but research shows that giving is one of the best things we can do for ourselves, as well as others.

Giving makes the world a better place. We’ve all felt the personal benefits of giving. You already know in your heart - that giving is a key part of every person's life. Virtually all successful - and certainly all happy people - have discovered the benefits of giving.

Giving enriches us all, the givers as well as the recipients.

There are dramatic benefits to you when you become a better giver. Acts of giving can improve your health. Giving will improve your relationships, your happiness and more.... It helps you live to your potential. It brings more meaning to your life. Giving improves your life.

We each identify and cultivate our own personal giving style. We each have to decide what we can give, when to give, when not to give. We can give tangible items or money. But don’t forget equally important gifts of time, smiles, hope, and friendship.

The purpose of Massive Giving is to provide opportunities to give. Please add comments sharing specific opportunities that you are aware of.

Here are a couple of service opportunities that recently came to my attention.

http://www.usaservice.org/blog/
http://www.americasupportsyou.net/AmericaSupportsYou/index.aspx

So, come along with us at the Massive Giving Group and help GIVE. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=40056464339


Ralph Lyon
Founder, The Massive Giving Group

Massive Giving Event #3

It is a Massive Giving Day .. January 17, 2009.

Please join me in Thanking our soldiers for what they are doing for us.

Please take a minute to send at least one card today.

To take part all you have to do is:

Click Here to Send Cards

Then: Please Click Here to Report how many you sent

Thanks!

I appreciate your efforts.

Ralph
Founder, The Massive Giving Group

Massive Giving Day #2

I’ve declared today, January 10, 2009, a “Massive Giving Day”.

To Give: Massive Giving

We are always blessed when we give. Here
is an easy way for you to take a few minutes
today to give back a little sunshine to someone
who is giving to you.

What is MassiveGiving Day is all about?

Briefly – it is an opportunity for you to take
a few minutes to show that you appreciate
our soldiers who are serving in Iraq. There
they are putting their lives on the line every
day to defend our freedoms. Don’t you enjoy
what we have here in the USA?

We have our problems, but overall,we have it
pretty darn good. We owe it to those who
have served and those who are serving right
now in the military.

I encourage you to take a few minutes to thank
them today by going to Massive Giving and
sending them a few post cards. It costs you
nothing but a few minutes of your time. They
are giving back to us 100% of their time every
day.

Let them know thatyou are thankful for their
service. Put a smile on their faces for a few
minutes, by letting them know that we care
about them and appreciate what they are
doing for us.

Also, please leave me a comment below, letting
me know what you think of MASSIVE GIVING Day.
How soon should we have another one?

Thanks,
Ralph Lyon
Founder, The Massive Giving Group

Massive Giving Day #1

If you’ve been following me for the past couple of weeks,
you know that I’ve declared today, January 1, 2009,
a “Massive Giving Day”.

I would appreciate you giving, our soldiers would
appreciate you giving, and you will be blessed for
giving – but the choice is yours.

If you haven’t been following me, then take a look
at Massive Giving to understand what Massive
Giving Day is all about. Briefly – it is an opportunity
to take a few minutes to show that you appreciate
our soldiers who are serving in Iraq. There they are
putting their lives on the line every day to defend
our freedoms. Don’t you enjoy what we have here
in the USA. Yes, we have our problems, but overall,
we have it pretty darn good. And we owe it to those
who have served and those who are serving right
now in the military.

Take a few minutes to thank them today by going to
Massive Giving and sending them a few post cards.
It costs you nothing but a few minutes of your time.
They are giving back to us 100% of their time every day.

Please take a few minutes and let them know that
you are thankful for their service. And while you are
at it, if you know the family of a soldier, call them up
and thank them for the sacrifices they are making
while a member of their family is serving us.

For Giving: Massive Giving


Also, please leave me a comment below, letting me
know what you think of this MASSIVE GIVING Day.

Thanks,
Ralph Lyon
Founder, The Massive Giving Group

Massive Giving Day - January 1, 2009

I've delcared a Massive Giving Day for January 1, 2009. We appreciate our freedoms but tend to forget about those who put their lives on the line defending them for us. I've found a simple, easy, free way for us to let our soldiers know that we appreciate their efforts.

Massive Giving Project #1:
Send Thanks to the Troops

The Massive Giving project to send 20,000 thank you post cards to our troops is moving forward and gaining momentum. We have sent over 2,500 already but we still have a long way to go to get 20,000 sent by January 31.

For some people, it works well to send 5 or 10 each day. Others like to do a bigger batch once per week.

I've decided to pick on day per week and promote it as a Massive Giving Event to help encourage those who can't find the 2-4 minutes per day that it takes to send out 5-10. After some practice, I can now send about 20 in 5 minutes.

The first Event is January 1.

Here are the links and simple instructions that you need to participate.

1. Go to this web site: Send a Card

2. Pick out a Thank you card and send it.

• Then hit your browser's back arrow and send another one.
• Or click on "View All Designs", pick a new card, and send it.

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

4. Get the word out about this 20,000 card project. Send this link to all your friends, post it on your blog, or put it on your web page: http://tinyurl.com/6khmyl

5. Return here daily and send a few more. How about 5 per day? Can you do it?

A full explanation of the project and complete instructions are here:
Send Thanks to the Troops

Remember to post a comment on the Massive Giving blog or on the Facebook Massive Giving Group telling us how many you sent.

Thanks for your support,
Ralph Lyon,
Founder, The Massive Giving Group

Military Families

In church yesterday, the speaker told a story about a soldier's widow and how she received a Christmas Card from her dead husband who was killed in action shortly after he sent it.

It started me wondering about what we Massive Givers can do to show our appreciation to the spouses, children, mothers and fathers of those men and women who are serving in foreign countries. It's not just our soldiers who are lonely and feeling unappreciated and forgotten, but their families from whom they are separated. They are our friends and neighbors, all across America.

Let's reach out to them also and let them know that we appreciate the sacrifices they are making.

Also, let's continue sending appreciation post cards to our soldiers.

What do you think we can do? Please feel free to leave a comment with your ideas.

God bless America and God bless the World. May the Spirit of Christmas permeate our hearts this Christmas season and throughout the years that follow.

Ralph Lyon
Founder, The Massive Giving Group

Breaking News. Massive Giving hits 1000!

I'm excited. This morning I was a bit disappointed that we didn't hit 1,000 cards sent to the troops yesterday. We were so close, at 974.

I could have put us over myself, but that's not what I'm promoting. The Massive Giving Group is about having a large group of people giving small amounts regularly. Each giver decides what is a small amount and what regularly is. For me it's 5-10 post cards sent daily. So sending 26 isn't what I'm dedicated to doing.

If your "regular" is weekly, that's great. If your "small amount" is 500, that's great. Do what you can when you can. Just get in the habit of doing it.

But now I'm elated. I was just notified that one of our Massive Givers sent 202 post cards this morning and that pushed us well over 1,000 cards sent.

Thank you, Givers!

- Ralph Lyon
Founder: The Massive Giving Group

P.S. Normally, this isn't what Massive Giving is all about - but for the few of you Massive Givers who are interested in learning how to do online marketing via teleseminars - this is not to be missed.

While supplies last, Tellman Knutson is giving away as free Christmas gift (and as a promotion for his latest program) one of his most expensive and well known products, The Perpetual Marketing Machine. He claims that it's a $4,000 value and he's giving it away free (well, he does require you to give him an email address and you do have to view two one time offers). I've followed Tellman for a couple of years. I grabbed myself a copy of the course.

Although it isn't "regular" or "small" - it is a one time Massive Giving.

Be a Part of Something Good

Massive Giving is taking off. I think we will hit 1000 smiles sent to our troops today.

The other day, someone sent me an article written by Baxter Black. He talks about the economic mess we are in and gives us his 3 simple things that we ought to be doing.

1. Stop trying to figure out who to blame.
2. Turn off the news.
3. Reach out.

Let me quote from him on Reaching Out:

Together we need to find a new level of economic stability. At a personal level, as a family, as a business, as a community, as a country. Some will be starting at the bottom, others, further up the line. Reach out as an individual, as a family member, a neighbor, an employee, an employer, or as a friend. Start each conversation with, "How's it going? How can I help?"

For your own sanity, if you're in the limbo of loss —home, money, job — go mow a neighbor's lawn. Wash his car, fix her screen door. Keep your hands and heart and mind busy. Make your time beneficial to others. You won’t be surprised to find how healing it is to brighten someone's day.

Be part of something good. Start going to church again, help coach kids' sports, join the Lion's Club or Rotarians. Baby-sit for someone, tutor a hard luck child.Be thrifty but invest in your local economy as you are able.

So there you have it. I say it this way, "Do some Massive Giving".

Help a soldier, help yourself, help the world. If you can't give anything else, give a smile.

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

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 20,000 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 20,000 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/2008/12/support-our-troops-this-christmas.html

or this shorter version:

http://tinyurl.com/6khmyl

5. Return here daily and send a few more. How about 5 per day? Can you do it?

Once a day 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 seconds.

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 60 seconds 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 one. How about sending some more.

Send as many as you have time to.

Send a Card

I hope you have a wonderful holiday season.

Ralph Lyon

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