Just as Moses made a difference, you can make a difference in your life, family, school, church, community, and world! The world needs you -- your ideas, your compassion, and your spiritual outlook. And, it's never too late to start contributing. The best gifts are those from the heart.

Moses stopped what he was doing, turned aside to see the burning bush, and listened to God. And when God told him that he was going to free the Jews from the Egyptians, he obeyed. He didn't want to obey at first, for several reasons, but ultimately he did (Exodus 3-4).

Decide to listen:

• When things get crazy, get calm and listen to God. Let God tell you what to do. And then, when you hear the answer (even though it may not be the answer you want) follow God's direction.
• Listen to your family members, friends, or someone in need. Don't try to tell your own story. Give them the gift of listening.
• Do you know a person who is alone and needs to talk to someone or be with someone? That someone is you! Often, the elderly need someone just to sit by their side and listen. Take a couple hours out of your week to go see your grandparents or neighbors or elderly friends who could use a listening ear.

Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt where they were slaves. He freed an entire people (Exodus 5-15).

Help others feel a sense of freedom:

• Offer to baby-sit for a night for free. Or offer to be a mother's helper for a day for free. Think of it as volunteer work. It will give the parents a tremendous sense of freedom, and it will give you a wonderful sense of "giving freely" without any "strings" attached.
• See if there is someone in your neighborhood or church who could use some extra help. Perhaps an elderly person or single parent could use help mowing the lawn, buying or carrying in groceries, picking fruit from their trees, taking out the garbage. Doing these little things doesn't require much effort or time. But those who struggle with these daily chores appreciate our help tremendously. It makes them feel loved. It frees them from worrying about how these things will get done.

For those of us in the U.S., July is the month to celebrate our freedom, specifically our freedom as an independent nation. Let's take this time to break free from other types of oppression. Let's free ourselves from limits we place on ourselves, such as:

• I can't do that because I'm not creative.
• I'm not good at school.
• I'm not athletic.
• I'm too afraid of failing.
• I've always been that way: I can't change.

Remove limits from ourselves and others:

• Write down what limit you want to remove.
• Make a plan for yourself on how to break through any obstacle that would keep you from realizing your goal.
• Don't get mad at yourself if you make mistakes along the way, and comfort others when they make mistakes.
• Recognize when you do well, and congratulate others when they do well.
• Continue to see yourself and others as free from limitations.
• Encourage others to set goals and break through limitations.
• Refuse to tell others they can't do or aren't good at something, and refuse to set any more limitations on yourself.

Enjoy a greater sense of freedom this month by feeling free yourself and giving the gift of freedom.