As we enter the holidays, we find there are many driving forces at play, each with their own agenda. There are those that would have us participate in the frenzied consumerism. Others would have us travel to exotic destinations for a vacation. However, there are a select few that use their precious free days from work to go and minister to those that are less fortunate than themselves. Whether it is a young mother going to Africa to teach American Sign language to deaf children, 29 families going to the Ukraine distributing 4,000+ pajamas to children in 24 orphanages, doctors & nurses participating in Doctors Without Borders around the world, or a family inviting the elderly or homeless to a warm meal during the holidays, we find these elect individuals giving of their resources to lift another to a higher quality of life.
We, at the Academy of Self-Reliance, salute these kinds of amazing individuals and families. We recognize these saviors of mankind for both their willingness to serve and to give, and for the fact that they prepared every needful thing that allowed them the freedom to give back to the human family.
When we become self-reliant, when our very existence is no longer dependent upon someone else to provide us the necessities of life, opportunities to serve others begin to arise. The very act of serving others expands our capacity to do more, to be more. Furthermore, when we surround ourselves with like-minded individuals and families, our potential for good grows exponentially.
We, at the Academy, hope that during these holidays we will all be found serving more, being more and having more gratitude for all that we have.
God speed,
Philip Gleason
Director
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