{"id":1805,"date":"2022-07-15T09:36:42","date_gmt":"2022-07-15T13:36:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/js1cd06kre.onrocket.site\/?p=1805"},"modified":"2022-07-15T09:36:42","modified_gmt":"2022-07-15T13:36:42","slug":"the-power-of-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/2022\/07\/15\/the-power-of-one\/","title":{"rendered":"The Power of One"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In 2004, a 15-year-old student turned an extra credit project into a national movement.
\u00a0
California high schooler Shauna Fleming was unsettled when she heard a news report that American military personnel serving overseas were feeling unappreciated on the home front.\u00a0 She began to think about the community service credit she could earn at school.\u00a0
\u00a0
\u201cDad,\u201d she said to her father, who was paying bills in the adjoining room, \u201cI\u2019m going to send thank-you notes to the troops.\u201d
\u00a0
\u201cThat\u2019s nice,\u201d he said, only half paying attention.\u00a0
\u00a0
\u201dHow many do you think I\u2019ll need?\u201d\u00a0
\u00a0
\u201cA million,\u201d he told her.\u00a0
\u00a0
He had no idea how literally his daughter would take that comment.
\u00a0
Shauna called, texted, and emailed everyone she could think of.\u00a0 Would they be willing to write a note of thanks to a serviceman or woman serving overseas?\u00a0 And would they help her recruit other people who would do the same?
\u00a0
Her father composed a handful of press releases.\u00a0 The local paper picked up the story.\u00a0 Then the national media did the same. \u00a0\u201cIt just started to snowball,\u201d she remembers.
\u00a0
Earn my community service credit at school.\u00a0 <\/em>Check.\u00a0 Meet my goal within six months.\u00a0 <\/em>Check.\u00a0 Accept an invitation to the Oval Office to personally present the framed millionth letter to President George W. Bush.\u00a0 <\/em>Check.
\u00a0
Shauna\u2019s humble brainstorm became A Million Thanks, a movement that now has over 200 chapters across the country.
\u00a0
You can hear Shauna articulate her vision at www.amillionthanks.org<\/a>.\u00a0 As of this morning, nearly 12 million letters have been sent to American military personnel.\u00a0 Two other initiatives \u2013 granting the wishes of disabled vets and providing scholarships for the children of fallen soldiers \u2013 have also been launched.\u00a0 One small step became a giant leap of thanks.\u00a0
\u00a0
Although the words are often used synonymously, there\u2019s a significant difference between gratitude and thanksgiving.\u00a0
\u00a0
Gratitude, from the Latin word gratus<\/em> (which means \u201cpleasing\u201d) is a feeling \u2013 a readiness to show appreciation.\u00a0 Giving thanks, on the other hand, is an action \u2013 a decision to convert a private feeling into a public expression.\u00a0
\u00a0
On any given day, most people experience surges of gratitude \u2013 for air conditioning, perhaps, or a good book, or watermelon, or friendship, or freedom, or chocolate.\u00a0 Definitely chocolate.\u00a0
\u00a0
But comparatively few people take the next step and say \u201cThank you\u201d \u2013 whether to friends, public servants, or God himself as the originator of all good gifts.
\u00a0
The Bible doesn\u2019t command gratitude.\u00a0 Feelings cannot be commanded<\/em>.\u00a0 But on more than two dozen occasions, in both Old and New Testaments, the Bible\u2019s authors insist that we transform our gratitude into action.\u00a0 \u201cO give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!\u201d (Psalm 107:1).\u00a0 \u201cGive thanks in all circumstances, for this is God\u2019s will for you in Christ Jesus\u201d (I Thessalonians 5:18).\u00a0
\u00a0
The wonderful thing is that giving thanks is something all of us can do.\u00a0 Right now.\u00a0 And it makes a positive difference in the lives of both the thanks-receiver and the thanks-provider.\u00a0
\u00a0
It shouldn\u2019t come as a surprise that Shauna Fleming is frequently asked to speak to groups around the country.
\u00a0
Nor should we be surprised at the theme to which she always returns:\u00a0the power of one.\u00a0 \u00a0
\u00a0
One person\u2026committed to a worthy cause\u2026fully engaged\u2026can change the world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In 2004, a 15-year-old student turned an extra credit project into a national movement.\u00a0California high schooler Shauna Fleming was unsettled when she heard a news report that American military personnel serving overseas were feeling unappreciated on the home front.\u00a0 She began to think about the community service credit she could earn at school.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cDad,\u201d she said to her father, who was… Read more »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1806,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[93],"class_list":["post-1805","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-commitment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1805","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1805"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1805\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1807,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1805\/revisions\/1807"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1806"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1805"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1805"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1805"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}