Flaxseed Pillows and Beautiful Day

Ever heard of a flaxseed pillow? I never had until I moved to Northern California. A flaxseed pillow is a microwaveable-heat sustaining-comfy bag of goodness that gets used again and again to warm up cold people. You see, my wife and I are both from sunny/warm/heat-wave-laden Southern California, where you wear shorts all-year long and everyone is always tan.

When we moved north we anticipated a cultural change… from Hollywood-Celebs to Tech-Celebs, also fashion change… from flip-flops to Tiva’s with socks. But we weren’t ready for the climate change… after all, Al Gore was talking about global warming and we were cool with that reality. But when we moved in… we experienced the arctic NorCal cold, and thus the discovery of the flaxseed pillow. Watching TV… sitting on flaxseed, going to bed… sleeping with flaxseed, watching a soccer game… cuddling with flaxseed. In fact, I can tell the temperature of the flaxseed pillow based on my wife’s face. Happy face= Warm flaxseed. Sad face=forgot to bring flaxseed to the 9:30 service at WestGate.

I wasn’t a big fan of the flaxseed pillow at first (it seemed a bit “relationally intrusive”)… but now, I’m thinking about getting two. There’s something heavenly when you get an unexpected burst of warmth when you’re freezing.

It’s funny… Beautiful Day was an unexpected burst of warmth this fall. Usually we do service projects in the spring, but this year we ventured into the fall with some “modest” plans that became larger than we imagined. Messy forgotten freeways got cleaned up, cold dim houses got Christmas lights, tired school playgrounds got fresh US maps, families in need got Thanksgiving meals, and desperate blood banks got replenished. Basically, we nuked up a flaxseed pillow called “Love your Neighbor” and tossed it on a community that didn’t realize how cold it was.

Living and Loving like Jesus brings an unexpected burst of warmth to a world that desperately needs to experience him.

So to my leaders… outstanding work!!!

To all the volunteers… way to go!!!

For everyone… here’s a challenge as you go into Thanksgiving this season, become a flaxseed pillow to someone in need of an unexpected burst of warmth!!

You lookinig for ways to do something Heroic for the Planet???

Calling all people who want to change the world... Guess what? YOU CAN!!!

I talk to thousands of people every year and they ask me... "How can we get involved?". I usually tell them that I'm married, at which they give me a HUGE eye-roll and say... "You know what I mean!!"

The truth is... I DO know what you mean. You would like to make a difference in the world and do something that helps other people.

First of all, let me welcome you to the planet where real HEROS are discovered and empowered every day... Regular people (like you and me) given an opportunity to do something for another person that actually changes the world.

On the right side of my blog where it says... "Cool organizations that Rock the Community", you can click through some amazing local organizations that need people like you to serve. Below that is another section that I call "Cool organizations that Rock the Planet"... there you can find organizations where you go respond to needs around the world.

(note: each organization has a link that allows you to respond, give, or volunteer... look carefully before you respond)

Some call that Volunteer Hours... (I think that sounds lame), but I like to call it "Dishin out the Love".

Either way... there is something that everyone can do. You just need to look around and start checking things out.

The worst thing is to do nothing. Everyone loses when you do nothing. You do... the community does... and the world stays the same.

OK... enough of my ranting. Check things out... you'll be glad you did!!!

Beautiful Day partners with The Living Center to host an amazing Day Spa for women living with HIV and AIDS.

In collaboration with the NeilA. ChristieLiving Center,a resource center for those in Santa Clara Countyliving with AIDS or HIV, Beautiful Day hosted a spa day with a lunch for thewomen clients of the Center. Most of these women never receive this kindof service and we were thrilled to be able to bless them in this way.

Here’s an eye-witness summary of the events of that day fromMitzi Macon (director of the Living Well Council, which is Beautiful Day’sextension of compassion to people living with HIV/AIDS)…

I'm home after spending the day atThe Living Center...It was ladies with HIV/AIDS SpaDay for Beautiful Day!

I'm still a bit emotional, butwanted to share with you what a great day it was today. The WestGate 'youngladies', worked tirelessly on hair, nails/toes, massage and make up for 25-30clients. Many came from outside San Jose just for this event. Marianne (the director ofthe Living Center)'got the word out', to many contacts, which in turn brought women to The Living Centerfor the first time. Marianne has never seen such participation...I trulybelieve it started with the amazing invitation created by Charlie (BeautifulDay’s Art Director)...

It was an incredible blessing to seethe women come in the door, a little unsure of what was to come. A fabulouslunch was offered (funded by The Living Well Council) and then each womanpicked the treatment they wanted to experience.

The WG women just worked and worked,as each client was thrilled to have their hair/makeup/nails/toes and bodiesattended to with such love.

I wanted you to know, that thesewomen will never forget their experience today, and think that WG women rock!

Posted by email from Jon Talbert's posterous

Beautiful Day visits the Pediatric Cancer Ward at Stanford. Here's an eyewitness account of all the fun.

by Jon Talbert

Over 9000 children under the age of 15 will be diagnosedwith cancer this year in the United States. In light of that statistic BeautifulDay formed a partnership with Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital to arrangeda fun day for kids in the pediatric cancer ward. On Nov 18^th BeautifulDay team members set up a “faire” at the hospital where familiescame and joined their kids to participate in games, entertainment, and tons oflove.

Due to privacy laws we could not include pictures of thekids… so we’ve only add a picture of some of the team

Here’s an eye-witness detail of how the event unfolded:

The Beautiful Day project forStanford Lucile Packard Children's Hospital was held last night, and, based onthe immediate feedback received from the hospital's Children's EventCoordinator, was a success.

Our group began arriving at 5:45 to set up and get ready to entertain/play with/instructthe kids. Until about three hours before the event started, we still hadno idea how many kids would be there (if any). But, around 3:30yesterday, I got a call stating they expected approximately 15 kids to show. In the end, we counted 25, plus parents, health care workers & staff.

LPCH has a "playroom" set aside for these events called the"Forever Young Zone". At 6:15 some kids were already startingto poke their heads in the door, wanting to know if the event was starting yet. Vanessa Lopez, the Children's Event Coordinator, said that was a verygood sign. By 6:30 (the time the event started), a lot of kids and theirparents were lined up waiting to come in.

Kids, their parents and health care workers started coming through the door. Severalwere hooked up to IVs that they had to pull along side of them. Some were inwagons lined with blankets and pillows, with tubes sticking out of their arms,or in one case, their nose. Some walked along on their own, glad to besomewhere other than their room. Siblings of the patients were includedas well, much more rambunctious than the patients, creating a high energy buzzin the room. You could tell they were familiar with the place, many ofthem knew exactly where favorite toys were kept or went immediately to coloringbooks on the table. Glenda sat down and began playing with colored ricewith one girl; Bob, Pete & Monica were walking around, saying hi to thekids, trying to make them comfortable with these new strangers in their midst.

At 6:40, Rich came back carrying 12 pizzas from California Pizza Kitchen, half of which weredonated by CPK for the event. Pizza is, of course, food that almost everychild loves and soon most were eating while they played, the adults having afew slices themselves, in between watching their kids and waiting for the"show" to begin.

Pete Anderson then began what was probably the most fun anyone has ever had notcatching something, or rather, catching something some of the time,
but not most of the time. The kids were enthralled by his jugglingclinic, and the enthusiasm and optimism in the room was evident. Vanessa(the event coordinator) by this point was visibly excited about how well thekids were responding. Pete has a natural flair for being in front ofgroups of kids (and adults), and the entire room was laughing and "gettinginto it" as he led them through the introductory steps of catchingjuggling scarves (they float so your reflexes don't have to be as fast),starting with just one and throwing it into the air, then two, then three,teaching them patterns of juggling (such as "Criss-Cross Applesauce). For 20 minutes or more, the visibility in the room was limited by dozensof colorful scarves being thrown in the air, which were then either snatchedback or would fall gently to the floor. By the time he moved on tojuggling balls some kids were really getting the hang of it, doing far betterthan some coordination-deficient adults. Soon red, yellow and green ballswere also flying in the air, most of these ending up on the floor rather thanin small hands, but it didn't stop the enthusiasm of the kids as they scooped themback up and sent them skyward again.

Around 7:30, Bob McFarlane herded most of the smaller children out into the hallwaywhere he led them in several games that had them laughing and giggling. The first one he set up two lines of kids and had them race each other byrolling soft nerf balls on the floor through their legs to each other. Then they would pass it to each other by keeping their feet in place andturning only their body, then by using only one hand, then by bouncing, thenpassing two balls around in a circle, trying to catch the second ball up to thefirst. I lost count of the different games he led, but the grins on thefaces never ebbed. It was great for us to have something to offer thesmaller kids as well as the older kids. Glenda and Rich were playing alongwith them as well. Monica had "adopted" a small girl, for whom Vanessasaid needed extra attention, and was acting as her own personal playmate.

One of the last kids to arrive (around 7:45) was a young boy who had not lefthis bed for 15 days, and had not eaten anything for the last five. He had heardthe "fun" coming from the event in his room, and decided he wanted tocome join it. He was brought out by his family, still in his bed and watchedthe games being played in the hall. Pete took several scarves and wentover and gave him and his family (including a young brother) a personal jugglinglesson. Before he had to leave to return to his room, someone gave him apiece of pizza and he began to eat it.

One mother, after she brought in her child and sat down, was heard to say quietlyto herself "This is great".

At 8:00 PM we had to wrap it up, despite the fact that children were still playingBob's games in the hallway. We cleaned up the room, packed our gear andheaded home.

It was truly a great experience for all of us. To those who couldn't be therein person, I know you were praying for us. There's no way thiscame togetheras well as it did without God's hand being involved.

Posted by email from Jon Talbert's posterous