I love hearing about how others are making a difference, how they use their voice, how they do what they can, where they are, with what they have. I’ve decided to make a place these exciting stories of hope and joy here.
I do hope that you’ll stop, take a moment and tell us below some of the things you’ve done for others. It will not only encourage people to do more, but may spark ideas in some hearts as well…and THAT is spreading joy too!
I’ll keep reminding people every where I go – “There’s NO joy like Spreading JOY!” Your heart will be flooded with such joy and happiness when you are doing something for others that makes a difference. Even if it is a smile, hug or something you consider small.
If you think that you do not have the finances to do for others and make a difference. Think again. Here are 50 Ways to make a difference without spending a penny.
If you’d like to make a difference by providing a meal/drink etc for someone – go to this page, click the “tickets” – print freely and enjoy spreading joy to others!
Thank you for your efforts in spreading joy!
YOU can do this!!
TELL ME – how are you spreading joy?
{{HUGS}} yall
“Of mine own self, I can do nothing” John 5:30
By the will of the Father which hath sent me: helped me to, “spread joy”, by sharing the wonder and beauty of the Monarch butterfly with children – and children at heart:
http://www.perthbutterfly.com/
http://sites.google.com/site/vanessaandrob/ “Monarch Butterfly Garden”
i Love spreading Joy through natural things like that. I see so many awesome things just looking around me. I love cloud shapes, I love the ocean, mountains.
thanks for sharing how you are spreading joy!
Well, I kind of spread the truth which once received is the greatest joy anyone could ever need.
Yes you do and that truth is where we get our JOY unspeakable!! Keep being Matt 5:16! YOU are pretty awesome!!
{{HUGS}}
Well, last weekend going through the tolls while carpooling to our women’s retreat, we decided we would pay the fee for the car behind us too! Spreading some JOY!
Rose, I love that idea. So easy peasy and wonderful!! I bet the person was soooo surprised! I wonder if this act caused THEM to do something for someone else? It could have!!
Tis the season for more JOY – keep up the wonderful inspiration!
{{{HUGS}}}
@spreadingJOY
Earlier in the year, @spreadingJoy tweeted about leaving baskets full of “goodies” like Little Debbie snacks, tea bags,etc. in hospital waiting rooms for people to enjoy while waiting for updates on their loved ones, and I thought “What a GREAT idea!” Believe me, I have spent my fair share of time in hospital waiting rooms with my husband having Psoriatic Arthritis, an auto-immune, connective tissue disease ,it became full blown in 1994,I have put in some time in those places. So of course, I had to start making them myself. I hunted flea markets, garage sales and resale shops for baskets, cut coupons for the food, and started leaving up to 4 baskets a week at area hospitals, and being fortunate enough to live in Cleveland Ohio, I have University Hospitals, which includes Rainbow Babies & Childrens and The Cleveland Clinic. The baskets were a hit! I got such a warm wonderful feeling doing it that I took it a step further…The Homeless Shelter & Womensafe (battered women & kids) could probably use some things. I decided to buy some brown lunchbags and fill them with soap, a washcloth, deodorant, toothbrush & paste, socks, a comb, some candy & gum and some goodies, just to make them smile.I got a local health & beauty supplier to donate a bunch of “trial size” stuff & once again, bargain hunted for the rest. Well, to shorten this LONG story, 7 friends & myself, decided to put our Money where our Mouths were this Christmas and made OVER 320 bags for 4 different shelters, I have some pretty amazing & Generous friends, and 2 of the husbands even got their companies to kick in some funds! We had a “bag filling “party, and it was one of the BEST times I had in the last few years, and Feeling Great is a nice Bonus….Happy Holidays to All!!
WOW – you know, I knew you were spreading joy and making a difference because I could see and hear such heart felt delight in your tweets on twitter, but man, I had NO idea you were up to so much!! wow Denisa!! Wow.
When I started making the videos, I was just hoping to show people how quick, easy and a wonderful difference it makes to do something AND that something small could and often times DOES have a HUGE impact on people!!!
wow!! and the extra funding from local companies!!! YOU are giving the GIFT of giving!! Do you realize that??
I love flea markets and yard sales for baskets and nearly new stuffed animals and books. wow. how inspiring!!
Thank you for taking the time to share your story!! YOU have encouraged me and inspired me!!! I need to make a few more videos on how easy and wonderful it is to be spreading JOY!!
{{HGUS}}
@spreadingJOY
Marie recently posted..How I see YOU
Today being Monday it is #MilitaryMon and I have participated in this on twitter every since I found out about it. So every Monday I send out Military Monday Mentions to many of current and former Military to honor them . Very grateful for there love of country and their sacrifices. And know many of them smile and are so grateful to be remembered.
Sent a letter to a soldier today, but try to send out greetings with message of wishing those receiving it a Blessed Day to smile and Hugs as well on twitter..
Amazing the joy it gives me especially on days I have had a hard time myself . Always receive at least one a day who says more or less they needed that today or they now look forward to my daily greeting .
I think the small amount of time I spend doing it is to me …. one of those small moments , small things sometimes we all forget about but brings joy to others/ or ourselves when we look back on it .
Elizabeth
Thanks for how you care for so many. It’s the “small moments” that are the most lasting and lingering in the heart. Soldiers realize this probably more so than anyone. You’ve done a wonderfully HUGE thing here by doing that.
Thanks for how you encourage me so!
{{HUGS}}
@spreadingJOY
My website is meant to encourage so that is how I spread joy. I want women to take their power back and hold onto scripture instead of the damage from a troubled past. We’ve been set free through Christ!
Blessings,
Mel
Please feel free to stop by: Trailing After God
Melinda @ Trailing After God recently posted..Infections Of The Heart
I have a world wide ministry. It is new, this one but I have done it before. I am using my testimony from my not so wonderful past to help lift others up, I am suing my God given gift to write to do write daily inspirtaions and thoughts, weeky devotions, blogs, prayers&ptaises, prayer requests…Now I am starting to do discussions forums and even bible studies soon to come. I use the gift I was given to do these things t help reach out to others. I was abused and lived domestic abuse, I am terminally ill and livein chronicpain, so I seem to get a following of people tat are goingthrough what I am or what I already do go through. It is my joy t be able to help one person a day reach out to one human being a day, to let them know how iprtant they are and how special they are to God, to me, and to many others! My site is not a way to focus on the bad stuff from the past it is a social website that I made and I paid for the best one this domain has to offfer, so I have no limitations on whatI may want too or need to do. This way as I am going along and te site is groing I ca do things more to add to the needs of the people that are joining. Ss of now I only have 15 members but am hoping it will grow more and more each month! I know that I met other women this same way when I was in real bad shape emotionally, spiritually and mentally. I made soem very dear friends and had a great support system, I had friends that understood me and would be able to lift me up, and this is exactly what I planon doing to return what was done for me! I love your tweets and follow you regulary, my twitter is JC1723 and my website is on there also.
God Blessand Thank You
Jennifer
Jennifer Caccavale (JC1723 twitter) recently posted..My Appearance on Atlantas 57 WATC Friends and Neighbors
I don’t know how I didn’t ever reply. What a blessing you are to take your pain of today and the past to put it to good use by encouraging others through what they are going through.
I know chronic pain is a horrible thing, much less add in the terminal illness.
I pray great strength, wisdom and many days of pure JOY for you.
{{HUGS}} and thank you
I love “Spreading Joy” through twitter and my blog. Everyday I give through a random acts of kindness to strangers on the street. God has blessed me to be able to do this. I also make survival backpacks for the homeless filled with food, water, toiletries, and a bible!
Emma Kimberly recently posted..Army of Angels
@Emma – YOU are always spreadingJOY to me on twitter and to sooo many others. I’m so thankful that you do random acts of joy and other kind things for people.
YOU are awesome!!
{{HUGS}}
marie
@spreadingJOY
I believe one of the best and easiest ways to spread joy that’s FREE is encouraging others. When people are down, giving them a word of encouragement helps them feel better about themselves and life, and even those who are doing well like encouragement for the positive things they’re doing. It can be something as simple as “Good job” or “You’ll be fine, you’ll make it”. You’ll be surprised at how much it helps. I try doing it daily.
Joy is like happiness, it’s to some elusive, to others it’s an attitude, a simple SMILE, HUG, a KIND WORD. Interactions that are easily and freely given, small in content yet large in meaning when they come from the HEART. Embrace what is good in others, accept someone for who they are, don’t succumb to expectations..life is far too short to wallow in any form of self-pity. Best to all in SPREADing the JOY!
Jimmy!!
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment!!
I agree, usually the small in content things grab ahold of the heart so tightly and last for so long!!
{{HUGS}}
I’ve just entered kid’s ministry today and I really am not thr fun-to-be with elder sister, but then I tried my best or what I think is my best to just show the kids that I love them. I can’t be with them most of the times since I still go to school so what I did was, when we meet for a Bible study, I treat them with sweet stuffs, usually ice cream.
And sometimes, when I got the chance, I make time for them and then enjoy watching movies (on the laptop only) together… 
I hope I could share more joy to these kids as time pass.
NajiramLee recently posted..3 The Ten Commandments Exodus 20-1-17
I sing a lot…Singing, for me, is very healing. Singing to others brings not only joy to them, but joy in myself so I can be a better person. I belong to a Women’s Chorus, a hospice singing group (and also my church’s choir.) Sometimes, we are asked to join others.
I try to show compassion whenever I can. I use common courtesy and thoughtfulness whenever I can. Respect my elders, say hello and ask how their days is. Hold doors for people, let people that have less then me go ahead of me in line. Make eye contact and smile at people. Little things, but that was how I was raised and its important to me to stay TRUE to those values.
I also try and help people in need with my business and give back. I have donated many of my Busy Breather Oxygen Backpacks when I can.
All of us at REACH a Child would like to encourage anyone that is looking for a way to make a difference to visit our website and help us expand our initiative of reaching out to children in crisis into your own neighborhood! Visit http://www.REACHaChild.org or contact us at the following email Paul.Gilbertson@REACHaChild.org
When I get extra ketchup packets from Sonic, I post ‘em on Craigslist under ‘free’ section.
I’m thinking of doing that for Del Taco packets too. But right now, I pretty much use up the the hot sauce and well to be honest, I’m not sure I want to give any of those up.
I know what Marie would say. I know. I’m thinking about maybe 1 hot sauce packet to begin with then work up to maybe 2. But all I can do is think: hey it’s taco sauce.
(I’m the same way with soy sauce packets)
I have posted comments here before about Spreading Joy by making Brown paper lunch bag “care packages” for women & children in homeless & battered shelters…And with the start of school this year, my very good friends daughter is in the 3rd grade (already!) and her teacher had them come up with different ways that they could help out less fortunate in their community…well, she told her teacher & class about her “Aunt Dee Dee” who had “bag filling ” parties at her house & that she got to help make bags too. Her teacher thought it would be a good idea for the kids to make some bags & enlisted my help & last Friday we made 65 bags together at the school !!! I have pictures coming from the newsletter that I can not WAIT to show all of you….the utter look of JOY & Satisfaction on these little peoples faces was utterly PRICELESS…it took everything inside of me not to burst out in tears of JOY! Of course….I would NEVER be doing all this GOOD for people if it wasn’t for the inspiration of Miss SPREADING JOY herself, Marie!! You have brought out a side of me that I always knew was there, but I never thought I had time for. But I MADE the time, and I have never felt such pure LOVE & JOY inside of my heart by doing so much good for so many. I only hope that these children continue spreading Joy of their own!!!!
@Nijiramlee – I always love to hear how young people are making a difference! You have always been such an encouragement! Be encouraged as you will continue to do what you can. That is very exciting!!
@andi – i’m amazed at how much music can truly sooth things. Keep singing!!
@Michele – eye contact and smiling are 2 huge things that many overlook. I pray great blessing on you as you make a difference for others with your Busy Breathers business.
@Paul – looks like great things!! thank you for sharing!
@SantaDearest this is one of the many reasons you rank so high on my list!! Well, that and the obvious heart for Others. hmm, I’ll consider giving you a break on the almost hording of sauces…but I’m willing to work with you. You should call me sometime….we’ll chat.
@Denisa your explosive energy amazes me. I’m sooo thrilled to read this. wow!! i wonder how many of us could do this in schools close to us? thank you soo much for sharing this with me!!
big {{HUGS}} yall
Hi Marie
Well today is a sad day for me but instead
of being sad I’m full of happiness. Today is
the day my mom passed away. I’m planing
on righting a blog but it will be a letter to my
mom.
Our daughter gave me the best gift yesterday
she has grown up so much since i’ve become
ill. She asked me to sit and talk to her. So we was
sitting on the couch and she tells me mom I don’t
want any Christmas gifts this year I want to give
them to some other kids who wont have Christmas
this year. It really surprised me that she said that.
But it has shown me the things I do is teaching our
kids to.
Our son works in a nursing home and a person he
works with was done and he made her laugh all day.
He found out later that she was sad because it was the
day her husband health started going. All so there is a
man who had a stroke and is there well our son would
joke around with him. Well the man got him back with
the coffee and hot chocolate. He kept moving the cups
and telling our son no coffee than point to the other cup
hot chocolaty. I thought that was funny that he got him back.
Well for me I’ve been Rt’ing about Nisha clean water and
leaving comments for her on her blog she seems to be discouraged
because she not getting people to donate. But one good
thing is she got a friend of ours that makes gingerbread house
each year and will be giving $5 from ever sale to Nisha.
I all so gave some a friend a Google + and rt and re-posted on
fb his link and he thank me and said it wont go unnoticed.
than today i got a message from him saying he not in our group
any more but said i was good people and he wanted to stay in
touch.
I’ve all so reach out to my cousin children. Which is so nice
to get to know them. All so people that was friends of my mom’s
and we go to there houses as children have reach out to me. knowing
I’ve not seen them since I was 18 years old and they still remember
me is amazing.
I’ve let people go ahead of me in line. I had the kids with me
and they let 2 other people go ahead. The last one met in the
store awhile ago and i all ways put her things up for her. well
that day i had no extra money on me and the kids wanted candy
i told them no because i didn’t have it. well the older lady put a
buck down and said get the kids there candy. the kids thank her
and she was like no thank you for helping me.
that is all for today i’ll be back tomorrow with more.
hugs marie
Bonnie Squires recently posted..Love is six parts giving and one part talk
You are pretty awesome at spreading joy – always have been ever since I met you. You get it. you do what you can even with the little that you have. There are times when I wish I had all the money in the world so I could share with you and sit back and watch what you do for others with it.
I’m glad you are surrounded by a loving family that sees and notices!! You bless me – thank you for being my friend!! And for how you encourage here!! {{HUGS}}
Hi Marie
Well the first thing I would do is give some of the money
back to you to help more people with spreading joy.
The other would give some more to Nisha for her clean
water project.
I would go shopping for the food pantry here.
The school has done allot of things for us I would give
some back to them.
Than the churches here would get some.
I sent some thing out to you yesterday I hope you
can find a use for them. Please let me know when
you get it. I hope you can read my letter I sent to you.
I got our 16 yr old a dress yesterday she thinking
of asking a boy to the prom but I need to come up
with $100 by April. She looks so pretty in it.
I brought hubby some things yesterday and some
puzzle for the kids.
I even got me an angel it sitting on my desk. It
is so pretty even hubby agrees.
I had such fun yesterday. I was out about 4 hours.
Than I came home and made chicken noodle soup for ever one.
It was so good. I had it for dinner tonight.
Oh and and yesterday my 2nd cousin answered me back
and even added me. I have allot of time to catch up with him
but i’m going to love it.
Today I helped a couple friends out by RT’ing there things.
Marie do you realize we have known each other for 3 years
now since 2008. Where has the time gone.
Big old HUGS for ever thing you have done for me and keeping
me going. Thank you isn’t enough.
PS Can you use Christmas cards? If so please let me know.
Hi Marie
Today was a day i should say this morning
was a day I sat and cried for a friend of mine.
She lost her grand child a couple months before
i did last year. She been threw things with a guy
marrying her bring her to the usa and than up and
leaving her and she had to go back over sea.
I log into FB this morning and what do I see is my
friend Karen lost her 27 year old daughter. She has
a 3 year old son.
I sat and cried this morning wondering how much more
my friend can keep going. She is an amazing women.
Thanking all her friends for there love and support.
I put a message on her wall than sent her a messages.
I hope if she needs me she will write me. Wishing I could
be there to supported her in these hard times.
I all so tweeted on twitter for prayers for my friend and some
one I’ve not heard from in a long times puts ((((hugs)))) and
prayers made me smile to think some one from long ago still
remembers me.
Well I did get a surprise yesterday a book we had order
awhile ago came in yesterday. Plus i get $100 worth of
coupons to.
I hope you have a wonderful day.
Bonnie Squires recently posted..Love is six parts giving and one part talk
I love spreading joy by simply doing unto overs as I would want them to do to me. Helping friends, simple smile or hug to a friend who is down, and teaching my 3 girls that everything se do every day is seen. Let’s choose to help others but authentically! Not to get anything in return, but just to spread joy and the love ofGod!
@heathermaggio Isnt’ that the sweetest of all? I love that!! thank YOU for sharing your story and reminding others to look inside their own hearts for what they are longing for and then GIVE that! how simple!! But we often miss it.
@bonnie – your heart has always amazed me. thank you for the wonderful ideas and also for sharing some of your desires for helping others. you have such giving spirit. i’m honored to have you for a friend.
@proverbsnwisdom – looking back i never replied to you, i’m sorry. thank you for all that you do! you always do such a good job at encouraging others. I’m truly impressed with how focused you are and your heart for the Lord is. I’m blessed to have you in my world.
{{HUGS}} yall and have fun spreading joy and making a difference!
A BEAUTIFUL GIFT FOR GOD By BERNARD LEVINE
When you sacrifice something
to give to the needy
When you teach a child how to pray
When you go out of your way
to help a stranger
It’s a beautiful gift for God.
When you speak God’s Words
and bring light on the world
When you heal the heart of the suffering
When you show kindness to those hurting
How wonderful and precious that moment is.
When you bring hope into someone’s life
When you bless the poor with your love
When you make God your number 1
You bring joy into heaven.
© Bernard Levine
AWESOME LOVE By BERNARD LEVINE
To go to the ends of the world
to help a stranger
To give someone incredible kindness
they will never forget
To treat animals and all of nature
with respect and compassion
These are the things that give life true purpose.
To value your special uniqueness
as a beautiful child of God
To elevate your mind
with the higher value of integrity
To upgrade your living environment
planting seeds to enrich the soul
To give a child caring devotion
so they feel they are loved
To rise above your circumstances
with faith in the power of God
And with the purity of healing love
in your heart
your life will know no boundaries.
© Bernard Levine
******From the book ‘Awesome Love’ available online at Amazon
I love the 30 Day challenge! The ideas are great.
Ashley Ormon recently posted..You Are The Light Of The World