Making a Ripple with Art & Light
Make a ripple of kindness and change the world
For the second year in a row, SevenDays® Make a Ripple, Change the World asked the youth, to enter an art competition that would be the creation of our button images. I had the pleasure of interviewing 7 of our 8 SevenDays® Button Art Winners over the past two days. Seventh grade to seniors in high school, they have the wisdom to make a ripple of kindness and change the world.
Taking care of yourself is important. If you don’t care for yourself, how can you care for others? Finding “humanness” as a connection in one another rather than holding ignorance and fear of one another. Define LOVE as the actions you take to care for and offer compassion when others need it most. Seeing art as a medium to engage grandparents, parents, and teens in conversations; allows for discovery from a new perspective. Having the knowledge that all of us need a reason to move onward for a goal or a dream.
As an adult who has seen and felt what evil can do, I was teary-eyed, thankful, and most of all hopeful.
Hope is a friend to faith.
My hope is that we give these young people a chance. We give them a chance to realize their plans to make a ripple and change the world. My faith is in humanity embracing the youth, and their ideals of peace and kindness. My faith is in our community; engaging in dialogue to discover commonalities among us, finding our smile and sharing it, offering a hand for warmth, love, and kindness, knowing that we seek to be valued by one another. My faith is in knowing the dark is always overcome by the light.
The planning for SevenDays® 2018 is racing ahead as fast as the end of this year is closing upon us. The event dates are April 10 – 16, 2018. Yes, this is after Easter and Passover. We aim to engage people of all faiths and therefore either plan around or embrace faith-based holidays in our programming. Our Faith, Love & Walk is on the final day, Monday, April 16th. Registration is OPEN now!
Today, December 13th marks the second day of Hanukkah 2017. As the second candelabra of the Menorah is lit tonight by Jewish families all over the world, members of SevenDays® and Faith Always Wins Foundations celebrate The Jewish Festival of Lights alongside you. Let there be light!
In the event, I don’t post again before Christmas, Merry Christmas! As a Christian, I celebrate the birth of Jesus. He spoke to the people saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me won’t walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” John 8:12
May we all see and live in perpetual light during this holiday season.
In faith,
Mindy
