May I be a Pirate?

What question have you've asked recently? Is it a question that can change a life? Will it change the world? Who knows?....But if your question was "Can I be a pirate for Halloween?" what would that produce?

Three year old Keaton Weimer wanted to be a pirate for Halloween. It broke Keaton's father's heart knowing the could not be a pirate. The problem was, Keaton has Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Keaton is to remain in a wheelchair for his entire life. Keaton's father, Ryan could only do what a Dad needed to do. Ryan built his son a pirate ship around the wheelchair.

Keaton's First Costume

Ryan spent endless hours working on a design for his son wheel chair. Ryan's motivation was for Keaton to feel that he belonged with the other children. Ryan wanted his son to realize that being stuck in a wheelchair wasn't a bad thing. He wanted his son to see that there were special opportunities for him. It did not take long for Keaton to be the most popular boy in town. His wheelchair made the first page of the new paper.

Following the success of Keaton's wheelchair in 2008, Ryan decided to make wheel chair for other children who were stuck in wheelchairs. Parents began to request costumes for their children in wheelchairs. In 2015, Magic Wheelchair was born. Ryan designed the non-profit organization to provide a smile on every's child face.

The Organization has so made made 25 costumes. Ryan would love to make more costumes but there is so much time and money that goes into the process. Hopefully in the future, they will be able to put more smiles on children's faces.

Who knew that one little boy's question would inspire so many disabled children?...

Here are some picture of the costumes that Magic Wheelchair has made.

"There is nothing quite as magical as seeing a smile

on the face of a child in a wheelchair and knowing 

that you had a part in making it possible."

Ryan Weimer

Yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
James 4:2b

A Shake Passed Around the World

What would you do at your work if a lady came to you crying? What if this situation happened at a drive through? What would be the result? Let’s take a look and see….

    The Whitey’s Ice Cream shop in Moline, Illinois has its own butterfly effect. The manager Rhonda, wanted to have a special ice cream shop. She taught every employee how to serve and be serve everyone with kindness. Her message of kindness, she passed down to Brenden. Brenden McGee was 16 when he landed his first job. He wasn’t working there long when a lady sobbing drove up to the drive-thru window. She was upset and could barely speak. Through communication, Brenden understood the lady wanted a shake. Brenden personally made her the shake and told the lady “Your shake is on me tonight. You have a good night.”

Brenden's back room note

    Brenden did not think of the situation till a few days later when the lady returned to the shop but this time, to speak to the manager, Rhonda. The lady told Rhonda that she recently lost her husband and was still in mourning. When Brenden gave the lady the shake, she was touched by his gesture.

    The lady asked if Brenden could be employ of the month but Whitney’s Ice Cream Shop does not have an employee of the month. The management instead gave Brenden a card and note in the back room.

    Two months later, Brenden heard the news that he had cancer. People from all over the world gave money to Brenden through the GoFundMe and Facebook. For Brenden’s kindness, he was also able to receive a four year scholarship to go to the University of Iowa.

    One company taught a young man about kindness that reached out unto the entire nation. What have you taught someone? What has someone learned from you?

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another, even as God for Christ sake hath
forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:32

The Butterfly Effect

Can one person really change the world? Do people influence each other? Does a small action become a huge step for a person? Is a thought important to a person? I believe that everyone major event, every huge decision, the main situation started with one small thought or action. The choices that we make today, started back early on in a decision from the past.

When I hear of the phrase “The Butterfly Effect” I would think of time travel. “Why?” Might you ask? Because Ray Bradbury wrote the story A Sound of Thunder (1952). The year is 2055, time travel is now possible. Wealthy adventures can travel to the past and hunt extinct species. A group of hunters go to the past but are warned not to leave the levitating path. For any small alterations may change the future. One man runs off the path after seeing a Tyrannosaur Rex. When he returns to the group to go back to the future, they find many changes. The English language is written and spoken differently. It turns out, that the man accidently stepped on a butterfly.

I will not finish the story. You can read it for yourself. But the idea about the butterfly effect sprang from this story. One simple butterfly changed the whole future. How important was this butterfly at the time? Probably not that special but; he influenced the world in more ways than what man could imagine.

I do not know if Edward Lorenz read A Sound of Thunder but his research resembled the idea of the story years later. Edward Lorenz present his research in 1963 that a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil can produce a tornado in Texas. Lorenz’s research was for predicting the weather and rippled into many different theories about the world we live in. The main concept of his theory is that small change will change the world.

The Butterfly Effect blog is written to encourage people in the world. So many sad and depressing stories flout around the web. I want to encourage people that they make a difference. God created you for reason and has a special plan. You might not see it at the time but just like that butterfly, you can change the world. No matter what little actions you do; it may be helping an elderly person cross the street or losing your tempter; but someone is watching. Someone is listening. That tiny little action will affect someone else’s life. So may this blog be an encouragement to you as your decisions and actions affect the world around you.

Whenever you hear the term “The Butterfly Effect” or see the logo….. Remember that you are special and important.
I am Evangelin Lovett and I am praying that as a little butterfly that I might help you to spread your wings and fly.

You are the butterfly

1 Corinthians 10:31
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.