Thursday, April 13, 2017

Welcome!

Welcome to Lisa's Weekend. We think that if you find the time and try it, it will be the best weekend you have had in a long, long time.

Check out more about it on the "About" page, or to see the background, view and read a little of Lisa's story.

To support Lisa's Family, CLICK HERE.

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

About Lisa's Weekend

Lisa's Weekend (#LisasWeekend) is about treasuring up who you have in your life while serving others who have less. Its the celebration of the life of an exceptional mother of seven.

Here is how it works:

On many weekends, we tend to go out and spend our money on entertainment, dining and other things that ... well... aren't necessary.  Most of us in the western world do that quite frequently.

On LISA's WEEKEND, you stay home. You spend time with your loved ones. You walk somewhere together instead of drive. You pay attention to the little things. You turn off the TV, the computer and put your phone and tablet somewhere safe until Monday morning.

On LISA's WEEKEND, you hug your kids. You embrace your loved ones. You hold hands. You give and receive a sweet kiss. You notice the way the hair falls, the creases in a face, the subtle curve of a smile, the batting of an eyelash.

On LISA's WEEKEND, you express love. You express gratitude. You humble yourself enough to recognize that you're lucky to have those that you have around you, here and now.

On LISA's WEEKEND, you take time to talk with God. To give thanks for what you have. To admit that it will all be gone one day, and to commit to enjoying it just a little more, right now.

On LISA's WEEKEND, you spend the the time that you would have spent on yourself, serving others, building them up and making their lives better.

On LISA's WEEKEND, you spend the money that you would have spent on yourself, however little or however big that sum might be, on someone else or some cause that will use it to help lift another's burden, to make the heaviness of life a little lighter, and to make the sun shine a little brighter, and to help someone else feel a little more loved.

Its just one weekend. Its just a small sacrifice of time and money.

But it can pay off for a lifetime. It can remind you of what you have. It can help you believe in you own goodness, in your own capacity to give, to serve, to love and to be better than you are today.

Start this weekend.

Start now.

You can even help Lisa's real family by clicking HERE 

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Lisa's Story (At least a small bit of it)

**Lisa's Weekend**
#LisasWeekend
We have some dear friends that got a job overseas this last year, contracting to help develop another nation's government. His salary is not great and his employer would not grant him family benefits, so he paid for his wife and several daughters to come and "visit". They spent this past year living in 3/4 of the house that he and another worker from his company share. They are the GREATEST FAMILY and the most genuine people you'll ever know. Lisa, the wife, became pregnant; Due in June. However, she was diagnosed with placenta accreta and was just sent home to the USA by the doctor. She spent a week with family, and then began bleeding. On Sunday, she was rushed to the ER, where they were able to save the baby. Lisa, however, could not stop bleeding, and several hours later passed away. We are devastated. She leaves behind 7 children. Her husband Jared flew out on Monday with their oldest daughter (16) who had remained behind with him.
They are a strong family and will get through this, but without a mother, and with a new baby, they are going to need some help that Jared's job will not provide. In fact, they granted him 3 days bereavement leave, which expired today. Its difficult under such circumstances to think about the next steps when suddenly you need to be both father AND mother, provider and nurturer, when the requirements of providing may not allow the nurturer part to do the job.
So many of you find ways to serve others. For some of you, this may be a great way to do something for someone that they cannot do for themselves.
LISA's WEEKEND: I know that a lot of us will easily spend a good amount of money this weekend on dinners and entertainment, and that we probably do so frequently.
I'd like to ask you to spend one of those weekends at home, even though you "really want to Get out", and spend the money you would spend there on a family that would "Really want to have their mother back".
Instead, spend the time at home, walking with your children, holding their hands, hugging, no cell phones, no distractions. Splash in the water, find shells, go for ice cream. Make Lisa's Weekend the time to be WITH your loved ones, and teach your loved ones by example how to sacrifice a little for others who need a lot.
If you are not able to give, or feel this is not for you, you can still spend #Lisasweekend being with your loved ones and remembering that there are others who can not, for whatever reason.
LISA's WEEKEND is a time for family. A time for service. A time for gratitude.
Find a way to make a small sacrifice and donate some money or/and time to some cause that will lift someone's burdens just a bit, smile a little wider, and hope a little stronger for better days to come.
Thanks.