Every Monday Matters - Thank a Firefighter!

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FACTS

There are over 1,149,000 firefighters.

72% of firefighters are volunteers with 70% or more of fire departments 100% by volunteers.

More than 118 firefighters die in the line of duty each year.

1.6 million or more fires are reported annually.

Fire kills more Americans than all natural disasters combined, with over 4,000 deaths annually.

The U.S. has one of the highest rates of death due to fire in the industrialized world.

TAKE ACTION TODAY
When you see firefighters in uniform, walk up and thank them for keeping you and your community safe.

Get out of the way: pull your car to the right when you hear a siren or see a fire truck with its lights on.

Organize your friends, co-workers, neighborhood, or child’s class to create and deliver thank-you cards to your local fire station.

Become a Jr. Fire Marshall (for kids).

Develop a fire escape plan for your home.

Donate to firefighter benefits and causes.

Minimize your risk of fires — install smoke detectors, keep a fire extinguisher in your kitchen, don’t overload power plugs, clear brush from around your house, and don’t flick your cigarette butts.

YOU MATTER
Every day firefighters put their lives on the line to save people and property. Many of these firefighters are volunteers, so let’s “pay” them by showing our appreciation, thanking them for the valuable service they provide, and letting them know that we are very aware of the significant positive impact they have on our communities. Firefighters, whether paid or not, make an incredible difference in our lives—so let’s make a difference in theirs.

Get Out Safely: A factsheet on fire escape planning
Firefighter Cancer Support Network
Smoke Detectors: Reviews
U.S. Fire Administration for Kids


These people are true heroes!  Especially for both myself and my sons... from personal experiences! :-)
I have always lived in rural areas where our firefighters are always Volunteers & have had several calls over the years for both small fires on the farms I've lived on. I've also had volunteer rescuers save my youngest son's life Twice! The first time when I went into pre-mature labor 10 weeks early! The second time when my son was 3 years old and accidentally fell in our back yard. A freak accident in which my son's tooth went threw his face. He may have bleed to death if it weren't for the volunteer squad. I had never seen so much blood before and we lived almost an hour from the hospital! I still know and Value all those volunteers back home!!
:-) ~ Coreen
What is the Every Monday Matters program?

Monday used to be the least favorite day of the week, but that is changing. EMM is based on the idea that every Monday people can make a difference in their life and the lives of those around them. No matter how big or small the actions, they matter. And not only do people have the power to make change, they have a social responsibility to do so. Not out of guilt, but out of an appreciation for every living thing in the world. Together, each person can make a difference in the world and raise the collective consciousness, thereby creating a legacy worth participating in…one Monday at a time.
For more information about the EMM movement visit: http://www.everymondaymatters.com/
 

Every Monday Matters ~ Thank a Teacher!!!

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"A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." ~Henry Adams


DID YOU KNOW?
- There are 3.3 million teachers in the U.S.—2.6 million teach K-12.

- Almost 50% of K-12 teachers leave the profession by their fifth year.

- A $15 billion per year investment--or a 30% raise for all K-12 teachers is necessary to make teacher compensation competitive with other professions requiring similar levels of education.

- In 37 states, K-12 teacher salaries do not keep pace with inflation.

- $7 billion a year is the cost of teacher turnover.

- One of the most important factors in determining a child's performance is the quality of his or her teachers.

"The task of the excellent teacher is to stimulate "apparently ordinary" people to unusual effort. The tough problem is not in identifying winners: it is in making winners out of ordinary people." ~K. Patricia Cross

TAKE ACTION TODAY
+ Identify a teacher you want to thank—your child’s teacher, a friend or neighbor who teaches, a teacher at a local school, or a teacher of your own.

+ Show this teacher your appreciation by: Writing/emailing a thank-you note; Bringing a gift like homemade cookies, handpicked flowers, or something you know they will like.

+ Organize a class Appreciation Jar. Give every student a piece of paper and have them list all the reasons why their teacher is special to them. Stuff the papers in the jar and let the teacher open one per day.

+ Volunteer in the classroom or at a local school and help with special projects.

"The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called "truth." ~Dan Rather

YOU MATTER
Youth are the future of our world, and teachers spend more waking hours with them than their parents do. Showing appreciation to teachers lets them know they are valued and respected—you don’t have to be a student or even a parent of a student to show your appreciation. Remember, teachers help shape everyone’s world…including yours.

"If a doctor, lawyer, or dentist had 40 people in his office at one time, all of whom had different needs, and some of whom didn't want to be there and were causing trouble, and the doctor, lawyer, or dentist, without assistance, had to treat them all with professional excellence for nine months, then he might have some conception of the classroom teacher's job." ~Donald D. Quinn

What is the Every Monday Matters program?

Monday used to be the least favorite day of the week, but that is changing. EMM is based on the idea that Every Monday people can make a difference in their life and the lives of those around them. No matter how big or small the actions, they matter. And not only do people have the power to make change, they have a social responsibility to do so. Not out of guilt, but out of an appreciation for every living thing in the world. Together, each person can make a difference in the world and raise the collective consciousness, thereby creating a legacy worth participating in…one Monday at a time.

For more information about the EMM movement visit: http://www.everymondaymatters.com/
 

MOM’S EMPTY CHAIR

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MOM'S EMPTY CHAIR

A woman's daughter had asked the local minister

to come and pray with her mother.

When the minister arrived,

he found the woman lying in bed with her head

propped up on two pillows.

An empty chair sat beside her bed.

The minister assumed that the woman

had been informed of his visit...

'I guess you were expecting me, he said.

'No, who are you?' said the mother.

The minister told her his name and then remarked,

'I saw the empty chair and I figured you knew

I was going to show up..'

'Oh yeah, the chair,' said the bedridden woman

'Would you mind closing the door?'

Puzzled, the minister shut the door.

'I have never told anyone this,

not even my daughter,' said the woman.

'But all of my life I have never

known how to pray.

At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer,

but it went right over my head...'

I abandoned any attempt at prayer,'

the old woman continued, '

until one day four years ago, my best friend said to me,

' Prayer is just a simple matter

of having a conversation with Jesus.

Here is what I suggest..

'Sit down in a chair;

place an empty chair in front of you,
and in faith see Jesus on the chair.

It's not spooky because he promised,

'I will be with you always'..

'Then just speak to him in the same way

you're doing with me right now...'

'So, I tried it and I've liked it so much

that I do it a couple of hours every day.

I'm careful though.If my daughter saw me talking

to an empty chair, she'd either have a nervous breakdown

or send me off to the funny farm.'

The minister was deeply moved by the story and

encouraged the old woman to continue on the journey.

Then he prayed with her, anointed her with oil,

and returned to the church.

Two nights later the daughter called

to tell the minister that her mama

had died that afternoon.

Did she die in peace?' he asked.

Yes, when I left the house about two o'clock,

she called me over to her bedside,

told me she loved me and kissed me on the cheek.

When I got back from the store an hour later,

I found her .

But there was something strange about her death.

Apparently, just before Mom died,

she leaned over and rested her head on the chair

beside the bed. What do you make of that?'

The minister wiped a tear from his eye and said,

'I wish we could all go like that.'

Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive.

I asked God for water, He gave me an ocean.*

I asked God for a flower, He gave me a garden.*

I asked God for a friend, He gave me all of YOU...

If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

Happy moments, praise God.

Difficult moments, seek God.

Quiet moments, worship God

Painful moments, trust God.

Every moment, thank God.

~ Author Unknown