We’re a rag-tag group of people vigilantly pursuing self-sustaining educational & employment opportunities with and for students and their families living in rural communities in developing countries. We believe in asking hard questions like, “What do you need and how can we help?” We believe that communities know their needs better than we do and that it’s our job to listen. We’re big on being kind for the sake of kindness and we believe that even the smallest acts of kindness can make a big difference. We believe in keeping vigil over one another and watching for opportunities to help, no matter how far off the beaten path those opportunities take us. We’re vigilant in our belief that God has given each person unique gifts and that one of the highest forms of worship is using those gifts to serve others. We believe God has a purpose for each life and Vigilante Kindness is our purpose. Join us as we live out wild adventures in service of God and others. Join us in committing acts of Vigilante Kindness.
This week I’m thankful for…
Dear 16 Year Old Me,
If I had the ability to travel back in time, here are some things I’d tell you:
(Sorry, but birds hate you. Just accept the fact that they poop on you now and again.)
You are at the start of a great life filled with friends, love, laughter, and adventure. Hang on tight because life is fast and it’s never dull.
Love,
33 Year Old Me
P.S.-Be nicer to your little brother. He turns out to be a pretty decent guy.
Dear Little One,
You are amazing.
Today you told the class a story of a little boy and a little girl who put on magical star-shaped glasses. When they put the glasses on, they became twinkle stars in the sky. Their mothers spent the day looking for them everywhere, but their children were nowhere to be found. That night the mothers looked into the sky and wished on a star that their children would return home. When the mothers made the wish, the little boy and girl became shooting stars. The fell back to Earth and landed in the arms of their mothers.
Little one, I am amazed at your ability to invent such a creative, magical, poignant story. As I click away at my own story this month, I am inspired by you.
I hope you heard me, really heard me, when I told you what an amazing storyteller you are. Just in case you didn’t, I’m going to tell you again tomorrow. And the next day. And the next day. And all the days after that.
And tonight when I look up at the stars and think about things I’m thankful for, you are going to be at the top of my list, Little Star Girl.
Love you bunches,
Mrs. McCauley
It is October 31st, known to most as Halloween, but known to insane writers everywhere as the night before NaNoWriMo. That’s right, National Novel Writing Month is standing tiptoe at my door and I am, at best, unprepared.
Last year I did all sorts of things to prepare for a crazy month of writing. This year I have done nothing. Last year my plot came to me in a dream. My dream life has been overactive as usual, but nothing worth putting on paper. In short, I am skint.
Last year I was a NaNoWriMo winner, meaning I cranked out 1,667 words a day for 30 days for a total of just over 50,000 words. I’m not saying they were interesting words or that my novel was any good, but I crossed the finish line and that’s what counts.
In cycling there is a term for people who do not cross the finish line. It is DNF, as in Did Not Finish. It is the most shameful of acronyms. I know this because I DNF’d once. After a nasty sports drink incident, I found myself puking in front of scads of teeny tiny soccer kids, but even that was not as embarrassing as the DNF that appeared by my name.
So as I sit here on NaNoWriMo Eve, I am determined to win again, to outrun the dreaded DNF. And I need your help. Yes, you, the one averting your eyes and trying to click away from here. Here’s how you can help: For the next month I need you to leave stuff in this post’s comments section. Stuff like:
I am confident that with your help I’ll be able to pound out 50k words by November 30th and instead of a horrid DNF appearing by my name, it will instead say WINNER. There’s a certificate and everything.
I. Must. Have. It.
Fall is a magical time of year and no day is more magic filled than the day I head to the pumpkin patch with my class. Yesterday was that day and as I sat at home looking at the mud on my shoes and pant cuffs, I couldn’t help but smile at the things that passed from the lips of my little ones.
10. “We’re finally here! I’ve been waiting my whole life to get here!”
9. After jumping on the bounce pillow, “I think I bounced all my bounces out.”
8. “I’m picking a pumpkin for my mom because she’s the only one in our family who doesn’t have one yet.”
7. “Mrs. McCauley, it’s starting to rain.” said one of my little boys with a worried look. “It’s just a little sprinkle. Don’t let it ruin your day.” I patted his back. “It would take a lot of sprinkles to ruin a day like this!” he smiled.
6. On being the one of one hundred children picked to wave the bandana that starts the pig races “Farmer Betsy May must have known it was my birthday yesterday and that I wished to do something special.”
5. “Where does corn come from?” asked a little girl. “See those tall stalks growing over there? Those are cornstalks.” I pointed. “Wait, corn is a plant?!?” she said with her mouth agape.
4. After firing the corn cannon and accidentally hitting a cow “I’m sorry cow. Do you forgive me?” Sadly the cow did not respond and so my little one shrugged and said “Well, I tried.”
3. On having fingers licked by a goat “He has the most tickly lips!”
2. One of my little boys patted a rotting pumpkin and said “It’s okay that you’re old. It’s your turn to return to the earth and make new pumpkins.”
1. Upon seeing ponies in the field, one of my little girls squealed “Oooh, ponies! I love ponies. When I grow up, I want to be one.”
Vigilante Kindness 