Weekend Word

The luck of the Irish is all around us as people prepare to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. It’s a holiday cherished for the whimsical feelings of joy as leprechauns, pots of gold, and four leaf clovers, and wishes for luck and prosperity fill the air. But there’s one iconic symbol that tends to get overlooked amidst all of these iconic symbols, including the pot of gold: the rainbow that leads to that pot of gold.

So in honor of St. Patrick’s Day’s most downplayed symbol, let’s explore the word rainbow in this week’s Weekend Word.

rain·bow
ˈrānˌbō/
noun

1. an arch of colors formed in the sky in certain circumstances, caused by the refraction and dispersion of the sun’s light by rain or other water droplets in the atmosphere.
2. any display of the colors of the spectrum produced by dispersion of light.
3. a wide range or variety of related and typically colorful things.

There are two things that are essential for a rainbow to exist: water and light. Think about how most rainbows occur. There is usually a heavy rainstorm in the midst of darkness, and then the sun shines out of the clouds and onto the puddles of water, creating a bright, beautiful prism of color in the sky. It takes a lot of darkness and stormy weather to create a vision of beauty. And, if luck would have it as Irish lore says, there is a pot of gold at the end of that rainbow.

Now, of course we all know there’s no real pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It’s become symbolic euphemism of the good fortune that comes on the other side of a storm or dark period in life. Just look at Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. An orphaned girl upset with her Auntie Em and Uncle, runs away from home facing a terrible storm and an internal struggle. After flying over the rainbow and following the yellow brick road, she comes to realize her good fortune has always laid in her home sweet home with Auntie Em. She too found her pot of gold.

The orphans that Hope for Hearts serves are not all that different from Dorothy when you look at it. They too are facing the toughest time in their life. Surrounded by darkness, living life on the streets, with no other family, no promise of food or shelter. It is the darkest storm to have face, and there’s no Auntie Em for them to go home to.

Fortunately, Hope for Hearts and the people who support our organization are that rainbow for these children. By coming to our schools they not only get a roof over their head and a family that supports them, but if they follow the “yellow brick road” and study hard, they too can learn valuable skills that will lead them to “gold” in the form of a job and self-sufficiency. We can lift them from poverty to prosperity if only we get them over the rainbow.

I’m going to leave you with this last thought from Actor Chris Pine:

“I believe in luck and fate and I believe in karma, that the energy you put out in the world comes back to meet you.”

Wishing you Luck,
Cristen

For many Americans, the first Sunday in February is a very special day. It’s a day when some of the nation’s finest athletes embark on an epic battle for the chance to be the one, true champion of the season. If you haven’t guessed it by now, I’m talking about the Super Bowl. Next weekend football fans across the nation will gather around the TV to celebrate the end of the season, and the crowning of a victor for the Vince Lombardi Trophy – the holy grail of football.

In celebration of this weekend’s battle, I thought it would be fun to explore the word champion in the weekend word.

cham·pi·on
ˈCHampēən/

Noun

1. a person who has defeated or surpassed all rivals in a competition, especially in sports.
2. a person who fights or argues for a cause or on behalf of someone else.

Verb

1. support the cause of; defend.

It’s interesting to note that there are two different, but similar definitions of a champion. On one hand, a champion rises to the challenge and comes out on top of the competition. On the other, a champion can be a person who fights for a cause or person. This second definition stems back to the days of Kings and Queens, who would select champions to fight on their behalf. In this day and age, we don’t have kings and queens, but there’s still a need for champions, and not of the athletic kind. A champion can also be someone who fights for a cause – and that’s something anybody can do.

So while you’re busy watching your champions win at football, I challenge you to take a moment to stop and think about how you too can be a champion. I am a champion for orphaned children living in Uganda, and you can be too. When you make a donation to support a child in need or simply spread awareness/advocacy for Hope for Hearts and the children we care for, you serve as our champion. On behalf of all of us at Hope for Hearts, we are honored to have you as our champion.

Donate Today

Wishing You Victory,
Cristen

I hope you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with fun, laughter, great food, and most of all gratitude. After all, that is what the holiday is all about. Showing gratitude for the things and the people that we have. Around the holidays there’s so much talk about being grateful for what you have, and showing that gratitude by giving to others. I thought maybe we should explore the word give in this week’s Weekend Word.

give
ɡiv/
verb

1. freely transfer the possession of (something) to (someone); hand over to.
2. cause or allow (someone or something) to have (something, especially something abstract); provide or supply with.

You know, I often say that when you buy one of our handmade Kambulagos, it’s the gift that gives twice. You give a gift for a friend or loved one, and give opportunity and hope to the kids in our schools. Looking at this definition though, I’m starting to rethink this. It’s really the gift that gives thrice. First, there’s the physical transfer of money to our schools so that they can then provide our kids with the education necessary to give them that hope and opportunity. And, your friend or loved one gets a beautiful necklace. Not only that, the necklace is a conversation piece, potentially sparking additional donations from others. The amount of giving that can be sparked off of your one donation is infinite. Spark something today!

This holiday season you can buy our handmade necklaces at a $5 discount through January 31, 2018. They make the perfect stocking stuffer or small gift for a teacher, friend, etc.

Also, don’t forget – you can still help our kids during Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday. For more information visit: https://hope4hearts.org/2017/11/supporting-hope-for-hearts-this-holiday-season-is-as-easy-as-1-2-3/

I’ll leave you with this final thought courtesy of Mother Teresa:

“It’s not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving.”

Shop online at hope4hearts.org/products!

With Gratitude,
Cristen

As we’re honoring our country’s heroes this weekend, I am dedicating this edition of the Weekend Word to our nation’s veterans. In trying to think of what word would be best to mark this occasion, I came up with the obvious – veterans, war, heroes, etc. But then it hit me… there’s an overarching theme to all of these words. At the root of all conflict is a challenge. So without further ado, let’s explore Challenge in this week’s Weekend Word.

chal·lenge
ˈCHalənj/
noun
1. a call to take part in a contest or competition, especially a duel.
2. an objection or query as to the truth of something, often with an implicit demand for.

verb
1. invite (someone) to engage in a contest.
2. dispute the truth or validity of.

Our military fights each and every day to rid the world of evildoers because they challenge their false truths such as when Hitler believed the best race was the Aryan race, or Osama Bin Laden believed that the best way to protect the world was to get rid of Western culture. Our military challenges these false truths and fights each day to keep the evildoers at bay, and our country safe. Some of them have come home with battle wounds and scarred memories, and others paid the ultimate price. All of these veterans fought to protect our lives and our freedom. They do this because they believe in the possibility of creating a better, more peaceful world.

Our veterans take on the ultimate challenge, putting their lives on the line to fight and protect our country, and our ability to face our own daily challenges. While their challenge is abroad, our challenge is at home. While they fight the wars against evil, we are left free to tackle other challenges such as poverty, education, homelessness, disease, etc. I am thankful for their selfless courage so that I am not only safe at home, but can continue to fight for our children in Uganda. To help them challenge themselves in order to make a better tomorrow by lifting them from poverty to prosperity.

If our military can take on the challenges of war, we too can take on whatever challenges we face. And let us both be victorious in facing these many challenges so that the world can one day be at peace. Challenge accepted.

With Gratitude,
Cristen