How many people do you interact with each day?
Most of us wouldn’t say many. Maybe our family and a couple of coworkers.
But what about the coffee shop employee handing you your coffee? Or the lady standing behind you in the checkout line? Or your son’s friend as you drive them home from school?
The point is, we have waaay more interactions with waaay more people than we realize. So why is that important?
Luke 6:31 commands us to, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” That means that we aren’t just called to tolerate the people around us. We’re called to love and care for and show compassion to the people we come across. Because at the end of the day, we’re called to always be ready to influence others and share with them the love of Christ.
Lauren Dungy has spent two decades reading to kids in schools that serve low-income students.
She and husband Tony Dungy want to show kids that reading isn’t punishment or a chore. It can be a portal to adventure.
But there are no more classes for the Dungys to read too. Kids are stuck at home now. To Lauren Dungy, that means reading is more important than ever.
That’s why she, through the Dungy Family Foundation, has teamed up with the nonprofit WeSeeU to provide books, coloring materials and activity packets to the students whose families are picking up meals at some Title I school distribution sites in Hillsborough County.
Children, Lauren Dungy said, are particularly vulnerable right now.
“They hear tidbits of the news and hear their parents talking, but they really don’t have that security,” she said. “It’s important for the kids to stay busy.
“If their minds are free to wander and worry without someone beside them to walk them through it, it can be pretty devastating. They may or may not have an adult in their lives to comfort them or keep them busy.”
To read the article in it’s entirety, click here.
Posted on: April 14, 2020
There are countless black men and women who we could honor in our celebration of Black History Month. A month…nor a decade would give us the space needed to share all of the people deserving of recognition for how they paved the way to where we are today. So we thought we would share a bit of the Dungy’s family history with you that has given so many a worthy perspective to live by…
Tony’s father, Wilbur Dungy, was a Tuskegee Airman and educator who died in 2004. Dungy’s father, who taught when schools were segregated, was not allowed to teach in Arlington, Virginia, when Dungy was a child. However, he didn’t complain about the lack of opportunities — he along with other men in Tony’s early professional career as an NFL coach found ways to make the situation better. They were role models and mentors for Tony and his generation of young African-American men and women.
When Tony won Super Bowl XLI against the Chicago Bears as the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, he was invited to the White House with his team. He drove through Arlington “in the front seat,” as he put it, and reflected on his father’s life on his way to the White House. Just a little more than 50 years ago, Dungy’s dad couldn’t teach at the white schools, but he did what he thought he could do to make things better. Now, one generation later, his son is riding in the front seat, going to the White House as the first African American head coach to win a super bowl.
In 2017, Tony shared this sentiment at the Florida Department of Children and Families Black History Month Celebration. “I think that’s what this month is all about. That’s what this is all about. Black History Month, celebrating children and families. One child at a time. One family at a time. One step at a time. You never know what that step is going to be, where it can go, what it’s going to lead to.”
Will you join us in considering one thing you can do to make someone else’s life better? It just might change someone’s whole world.
Sources
Posted on: February 24, 2020
As Thanksgiving approaches, Lauren, Tony and two of their sons, Jason and Jalen were grateful to open their hearts and their books to two Tampa Elementary Schools. The eager to learn second graders, from Bellamy and Canella Schools, enthusiastically welcomed the Dungys for a reading of their book, Maria Finds Courage followed by a Q&A session.
What was uniquely impacting about this treasured school visit was the young Dungy sons took the lead, reading the book and answering the children’s questions. The teachers relished this unique approach, allowing their students the opportunity to relate to children of their age. Jason and Jalen emphasized the many facets of honorable sportsmanship while incorporating Christlike behavior.
The Dungy Family Foundation has been educating and interacting with school age children for seven years. Starting each September, the goal is to visit two schools a week as the calendar year permits. The audience of educators and students continue to provide positive feedback while allowing the Dungy Family Foundation to earnestly adhere to their mission of extending to community while offering a personal touch and encouragement.
Posted on: November 15, 2019
There are many challenges that come with being a leader. One of those challenges is finding the middle ground between being too arrogant and too passive.
The Problem
Some leaders we know tend to lean toward arrogance. They become so confident and good at leading (or at least think they’re good at leading), that they begin to think too highly of themselves. This often causes them to become condescending in their attitude, short-tempered in their replies, and difficult to be around.
Other leaders we know tend to lead towards passivity. They work so hard to please the people they’re leading that they lose their morals and values. They stop leading with conviction and start leading with concern. They begin to put the opinions of others over the opinion of God.
The Solution
So how can we find the middle ground and avoid being arrogant or passive? With confidence from God. Confidently leading others begins with praying for them, investing in them, and doing everything we can to love them well.
The Next Step
We encourage you to take some time this week to pray for the people you’re leading. This is sure to be a great first step to becoming a confident leader who is honoring to God!
Posted on: April 25, 2017
Do you ever feel as though you’re wandering aimlessly through life?
Maybe you feel like your life has no purpose, no meaning, or no substance. Maybe you’re stuck doing the same thing day in and day out and you’re ready for something new. Or maybe you feel burnt out and are tired of wasting your time away.
Whatever the case may be for you, we all face seasons of wandering. But instead of getting stuck in the muck, God wants us to live a life that glorifies Him…a life of compassion and love and purpose.
Need a little reminder? Check out Matthew 5:13-16 which says,
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
So stop wandering and start asking God to reveal your unique purpose to you!
Posted on: April 25, 2017
Feeling like a disappointment? Feeling unloved? Feeling distant from God? It’s much more common than you think to feel these emotions. But that’s why God gave us the Bible: to encourage us and remind us of His never-ending love for us.
So check out these 5 bible verses on God’s love and remember how much He cares for you!
- “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
- “But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
- “Give thanks to the God of heaven, for His steadfast love endures forever.” Psalm 136:26
- “God is love.” 1 John 4:16
- “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39
What are some other bible verses about God’s love? Share yours in a comment below!
Posted on: April 17, 2017
You and I live in a culture that somehow always makes it about “me, me, me!”
It almost feels unnatural to think of others and how we can best serve them. But that’s exactly what God calls us to do! So today, we’re sharing 3 reasons why you should support your spouse and their passions:
- You are called to believe in them. When you choose the person to spend the rest of your life with, you also choose the person you will believe in for the rest of your life. Their dreams become your dreams, their goals become your goals, and their passions become your passions.
- You are called to encourage them. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up.” So be sure to use your words, your actions, and your time to encourage your spouse to pursue their passion.
- You are called to love them. On your wedding day, you vowed to love your spouse through the good and the bad, through the thick and the thin, through the hard times and the wonderful times. And one of the best ways to love your spouse is to help them flourish into who God created them to be by pursuing their passion!
Take some time this week to ask your spouse what they’re passionate about, and then figure out how you can help them pursue this passion! You’ll be glad you did.
Posted on: April 17, 2017
What is prayer?
We hear about it in church, talk about it with friends, and read about it in books. But when it comes to actually praying, many of us struggle with where to begin.
So today, we want to help break down some of those barriers by sharing what God has to say about the power of prayer.
- “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” 1 John 5:14
- “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6
- “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” Psalm 145:18
- “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25
- “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3
We hope you’re encouraged by these verses and start praying today!
Posted on: April 12, 2017
Our kids will go through tons of tough times in life. They’ll face disappointments, failures, stress, broken friendships, and hurtful words. So how can parents help them through these hard moments?
By making them feel special!
So check out our list of simple ways to make your kids feel special and then get started today:
- Go have lunch with them at school.
- Leave a note on their pillow.
- Tell them why you’re proud of them.
- Cheer them on at their sports game.
- Make their favorite meal.
- Read them their favorite book.
- Take a bike ride together.
- Go shopping with them.
- Treat them to ice cream.
- Tell them you love them.
What are some other ways to make your kids feel special? Leave your ideas in a comment below.
Posted on: April 12, 2017
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