Last Sunday, I came home from the Alpha Weekend exhausted but also energized by the experience. The time away was a reminder of the value of cultivating a heart of service.
Welcome to the 108th edition of The Sunday Spark, a series with weekly thoughts and highlights, nuggets of learning, and a simple living challenge for the week. In addition to cultivating a heart of service, this week’s edition looks at a treeless yard tax, energy savings from steel roofs, and how Canada’s Indigenous peoples are leading the way with geothermal energy.
On my mind this week: Cultivating a heart of service
For the last couple of years, I’ve volunteered as part of the team that runs the Alpha Course at our church. Last weekend, I took a break from the busyness of life to attend the Alpha Weekend. I came home exhausted but also energized by the experience. It reminded me of the value of cultivating a heart of service.
I’ve written before about the benefits of giving and the helper’s high that has been associated with lower rates of depression and improved quality of life. As I reap the benefits of being of service to others in my own life, I have to wonder why so many church groups and charitable organizations struggle to find volunteers.
As I reflected on last weekend, I realized how good it felt to be with other people who want to serve others. I’m so grateful for the experience and the connections I’ve made. It warms my heart to have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others.
Focusing on giving instead of getting
In a world where greed often rules and many people focus on getting rather than giving, it’s so easy to feel jaded and disillusioned. And I wonder why more people don’t make cultivating a heart of service a priority.
Perhaps it’s because they don’t know where to start, or they think they don’t have time, or they think they have nothing to offer. A few weeks ago, I wrote about purpose moments and how each one of us can make a difference in one person’s life every day. This quote from Mother Teresa sums it up well.
Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you.
Mother Teresa
At the end of the weekend, many attendees shared their enthusiasm for how the time we spent together impacted them. Even though our team was exhausted, it made it all worthwhile.
And on another positive note, on Sunday night I slept over 7 hours—unheard of for me. And the benefits lingered all week. I’ve slept better this week than I have in years. It seems the benefits of a heart of service are both immediate and enduring.
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Three highlights of the week
It’s important to celebrate big milestones and simple pleasures in life. Other than the Alpha Weekend, here are three highlights and simple pleasures of the week gone by:
- On Monday, we gathered for lunch at my sister-in-law’s place to celebrate my mother-in-law’s birthday. Our great-nieces and great-nephew kept us entertained as we enjoyed fish ‘n chips and cupcakes.
- I finished my slides for the conference presentation I’m delivering in Kelowna later this month.
- On Friday, I had a call with a retirement coach who I met at the Retirement Coaches Association conference last year. She told me our conversation inspired her. That made me feel good because I often think I’m not making as much progress as I’d like.
Things I learned this week
Life is all about learning. Here are three things I learned this week:
Treeless yard tax
The environmental benefits of trees are well known, but a small town in Quebec is taking steps to encourage greening of their community and reduce the town’s vulnerability to extreme heat events. Residents of Saint-Amable are charged an annual surtax of $200 if they don’t have at least one leafy, deciduous tree in their front yard.
(Source: CBC News)
Energy savings from steel roofs
About 12 years ago, we put a steel roof on our house. At the time, we chose steel over asphalt because we were tired of getting less than 15 years out of “25-year” asphalt shingles.
Although the upfront costs of a steel roof are higher, metal roofs can result in significant savings on heating and cooling costs. This is mainly due to the way they are installed. The batten/counter-batten system allows airflow and acts like an extra layer of insulation, preventing heat loss in winter, and providing additional protection against the sun’s heat in summer.
(Source: Earth911)
Canada’s Indigenous peoples lead the way in geothermal energy
Geothermal energy shows a lot of promise in the green energy revolution. The Fort Nelson First Nation in northeastern British Columbia is developing an abandoned oil well into a geothermal energy plant.
The band is using royalties received from oil prospectors over the years to fund the 100% Indigenous-owned Tu Deh-Kah project. Expected to go online in 2027, it will be one of Canada’s first electricity-generating geothermal facilities. The project is estimated to generate nearly enough energy to power the First Nation and the adjacent town of Fort Nelson.
(Source: Corporate Knights)
This week’s simple living challenge – Buy only what you need
Simplifying life is a big part of living more intentionally. With that in mind, I kicked off the year with 52 ways to simplify your life this year, including a downloadable checklist of weekly tasks.
This week’s challenge is to practise mindful shopping habits and buy only what you need.
I’d love to hear what you think about any of this week’s topics. Drop me a comment below and let me know your thoughts and ideas.
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I love your comment that the benefits of a heart of service are both immediate and enduring. That’s so inspiring, Michelle!
Thanks, Wynne!
It’s great to tap into something that refills us emotionally or spiritually, and it seems like what you attended really did that for you. It was great also to read about the Fort Nelson First Nation leading the way with a geothermal plant!
Thanks Molly. Yes I loved reading about the work the Fort Nelson First Nation is doing. Indigenous peoples have such a terrific sense of balance between progress and sustainability. We can learn so much from them, yet many still see them as a barrier.
I like Mother Teresa’s philosophy. We may not be able to change things nationally, but we can make a difference individually or in our own communities.
Right! And those small, local acts will add up and hopefully create a ripple effect.
Thank you for this inspiring post. Like Vicki, I love that quote from Mother Teresa. It’s good to be reminded of that thought. Also, I love the news of the abandoned oil well in Canada being transformed into a geothermal power plant. That’s a fantastic idea! 🌞
Thanks, Dave! Yes, opportunities to help are never too far away. And I was inspired by the work to transform abandoned oil wells, especially because it’s an Indigenous led project.
There are so many benefits to volunteering and giving back, both for the recipient and the giver. Sounds like an invigorating time away!
Right! It really is something everyone should try to do. When Ontario introduced the high school community service graduation requirement, I heard so many parents complain. What better way to gain some new skills while helping out your community!
I have to confess, I’m being contrary, because I actually love trees and feel more yards should have them. But, a small yard full of a big tree means there’s no chance to use solar power for electricity, and it’s harder (if not impossible) to grow veggies at home. I wonder how large the yards are in St. Amable?
It’s an interesting point. The town is 40 km outside of Montreal so I can’t imagine the yards would be too big. It said almost half of homes were built since 2000 so that tells me the yards would be small.
Perhaps some sort of incentive would have been a better option. Although it did say most residents were happy to comply.
Oof. The quote from Mother Teresa…one at a time…words that move me every time I read them. So true. Thank you for your ‘heart of service’, Michelle! 💕
Right! And is there any better example of service to others than Mother Teresa? Have a terrific Sunday, Vicki! 🤗
You, too, my friend. Sending hugs! 🥰