March 14, 2013 - Random Acts of Kindness

Random acts of kindness are awesome!

I love it when someone does something nice for someone else, out of the blue, and has nothing to gain from it. Granted, you should do random acts of kindness for your friends and family, that helps your relationship to grow in a healthy manor and lets you know that you love them. You should also consider doing random acts of kindness for people who you have never met and may never see again.

An awesome example of this came up just last week (When I wrote this on December 19, 2012, that is) when I was chatting with one of my former students. She asked me if I though she should bake some brownies and bring them to the fire department across the street from her house, and expressed her doubts about doing so because of the fact that most modern-day Americans will not take food from people they don't know.

I told her that if she wants to do it that she should follow through, but that she should be prepared to eat a few brownies just to prove that there is nothing wrong with them.

Another random act of kindness is the sending of care packages. Thankfully, I have been on the receiving end lately, but when I leave here, I plan on being on the giving end as well. Fortunately, I will have a better idea of what deployed members of the military need when I get back. (Toiletry items, drink mixes, books, crossword puzzles, batteries - whatever kind you are allowed to send, DVDs/Cds, and anything which will provide lighthearted entertainment to name a few items).

I know that people give more during the holiday season (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, etc.), but this is something that we should consider doing all year long. From November until mid January, we kept a candy box for everyone who worked in our area. Soldiers would bring extra candy and snacks which were sent to them and we would all share it. After January, we struggled to even have a box.

Keep in mind that it does not have to cost you anything to contribute a random act of kindness in order to help mitigate the effects felt by the sea of misery which so many people must swim through on a daily basis. You could trim the neighbor's hedges or mow their lawn, especially if they are elderly or not able to do so for some other reason. You could make it a point to hold the door open and warmly greet everyone you meet on any given day. You could even bring some cans of food you have just sitting on the shelf at home to the local homeless shelter.

If you have children, you could even get them involved by asking them to donate some of their gently used clothes or toys to a family in need or to any number of charitable organizations. Children are never too young to teach about random acts of kindness or charitable giving... and these lessons may even follow them throughout life.

There have been many times when I have seen a random act of kindness brighten up someone's day.

One final example is the day I deployed. When I was in the store at the airport, a lady bought a drink and a snack for the soldier in front of me, and myself. She did not know the two of us from any other soldier in the world, and she will probably never see us again, but still, she made it a point to tell us "Thank you for your service," both in word and in deed. We were both appreciative of her actions.

She did not know that I had skipped my lunch on that day or that I was rushed through the airport in order to get to our plane because someone had given our group the wrong time to arrive at the airport, or that I would be away from my family for the second Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day in a row, or that I would be missing Christmas, New Year, and our Anniversary as well. This kindhearted lady just laid down her hard earned money in a random act of kindness in tribute to every soldier, sailor, and marine who is fighting for her freedom.

It is the people like the lady at the airport, and my former student, who serve as examples to us all. The gladness which we can bring to another human being by contributing one simple act of kindness without the hope of something in return is simply amazing.

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David H. Troyer
www.davidhtroyer.com
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February 10, 2013 - Classes and Country Statistics

I currently only have 14 classes (42 credits) left until I earn my Master's Degree. I am very excited about this. My plan is to take 5 classes now, 5 over the summer, and 4 in the fall. I can hardly wait.

My son is due around April 8th or 9th. Less than two months to go. I am hoping that I will be able to go home from my deployment for that. Either by use of my R & R or by going home for good. I would love to be there to support my wife, at least during the birth, since she has always been there for me and supported my Army career and I REALLY hope that the Army will return the favor.

It is always fun for me to look at the statistics for my Facebook page, Blog, and sometimes other websites as well. Of course, the United States has the most likes for www.facebook.com/davidhtroyer and for my blog, but I love the fact that there are people in other countries who are becoming fans as well! If you think anyone you know would enjoy reading this blog, you can share the direct link with them (www.davidhtroyer.blogspot.com)

Facebook Countries

166	United States of America
4	Lithuania
1	France
1	Greece
1	Chile
1	Bolivia
1	Philippines

Blogger Countries
United States
Canada
Jordan
Sri Lanka

Philippines

 

David H. Troyer

www.davidhtroyer.com

www.amazon.com/author/davidhtroyer

 

December 25, 2012 - Merry Christmas from the Middle East!

Merry Christmas! The day has finally come. I am thankful that the Army gave us a good meal and that I was able to Skype with my family. I got to see my wife and daughter open all of their presents, and I was able to see some of our other family members open some of theirs.

Uncut "Cape May Diamonds"

The present I was most waiting to see them open was the surprise that I had shipped to Dianna's mother. Matching Cape May Diamond Earrings for My wife and daughter. Cape May Diamonds are actually bits of quartz that wash up on the beach. They can be polished and cut like kind of like real diamonds. If you would like to check them out, you can read about them or order them from the Sunset Beach Shop's website http://www.sunsetbeachnj.com.

5 mm Cape May Diamond Earrings

I really enjoyed getting to spend time online with my family, but I hope that next year I will be able to spend it with them in person.

David H. Troyer
www.davidhtroyer.com
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September 27, 2012 - Washington, D.C. Trip

I am having a great time on my visit to Washington, D.C.

I was able to visit Arlington National Cemetary, walk along the National Mall, and visit Chinatown. My wife and daughter were even able to meet me on their way to visit some family. We had dinner at the Eat First restaurant. I was also able to try out the Joy Luck House for dinner another night.

It was nice to see Arlington again. It is a good way to remember those who have given their lives in order to serve our country. Unfortunately, the Custis-Lee Mansion, which has ties from George Washington, all the way to General Lee, was under renovation. The last time I visited, they had the rooms set up with historic furniture and information about the time period. It looked like they were in the middle of a major restoration project.

I still have a little more time in here, so I will probably go back to the city to see some more of the monuments or museums tomorrow.

If you have never visited, Washington D.C. is a fun place, especially if you like history. Also, most of the monuments and museums in the area are free.


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September 13, 2012 - A New Baby On The Way!

We have a new baby on the way!

We are all excited, especially our daughter who cannot wait to become a big sister!

I will put more information on my www.facebook.com/davidhtroyer

 

 

 

 

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30 August 2012 - I'm trying out Twitter

@DavidHTroyer is my Twitter handle. I just started tweeting about a week ago. I will continue my blog, but I plan on tweeting a lot more often because I can tweet from my phone. Work is going to be busy for a little while, but that is ok. It will still be a lot of fun.
Since my last post, I put my book I'd Choose a Fish on Youtube.com

Happy Labor Day! If you  get a day off, I hope it is a good one.

Facebook is still the best way to keep in touch with me or to find out what is going on with my career. www.facebook.com/davidhtroyer

David H. Troyer
www.davidhtroyer.com

24 JULY 2012 - All three books on Amazon

All three of my books are now on Amazon.com. Tracts and Evangelism is on Amazon as a Kindle download as well.
www.amazon.com/author/davidhtroyer

The second edition of I'd Choose a Fish is now available. It has a new layout and a better binding. This book is about a young boy and his dad as they venture through the pet shop. As they go through the store, the little boy imagines what it would be like to own each pet. In the end, the boy makes his decision and is very happy. One of my favorite pages is the one with the text "There's not much harm a cat can do." You'll see what I mean when you check it out.

 I really enjoyed writing this book and hope to add more books to this series in the future. It is based on my childhood experiences with my own dad and the trips to the pet shop which I enjoyed so much.

My wife, Dianna and I are currently working on a book together. So far, we have around 45,000 words.

Also, I am up to 150 "Likes" on my Facebook page now - Thank You :)

Please check out my website when you get a chance.

David H. Troyer
www.davidhtroyer.com
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02 JULY 2012 - Happy Fourth of July!

The Fourth of July is only a few days away. I hope that everyone has a great time!

I'd Choose a Fish is now in its second edition! It has updated information and an improved format!
You can order this book, or download it for free at http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/davidhtroyer 

I am currently checking into other publishing options which would allow me to sell my books for a lower price. Please check back for updates!

Please like my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/davidhtroyer I currently have 146 likes, but would love to see that number grow.

Also, Dianna and I have been working on a book together. We have around 30,000 words so far! Sadly, we have a long way to go, but this book is a lot of fun and I hope that you will enjoy reading it when it is finished.

As always, I am still writing poems. I may put some of them into another poetry book, but I will have to wait until I have enough of them.

Please continue to check back and to tell your friends about my books.

David H. Troyer
www.davidhtroyer.com

27 MAY 2012 - In The Army Now

All throughout my training, they told me that the "real Army" is nothing like Basic Training and AIT. This is true. Instead of testing you at every turn, people actually try to help you to be all that you can be by helping you to accomplish the tasks you are assigned.

This is my first four-day weekend since I made it to my first duty station. It is wonderful. The church that I go to had some special Memorial Day events as well.

Please become a fan on Facebook if you have not become one already. Just search for David H. Troyer.

After putting it away for a while during our move and our time of getting settled in, Dianna and I are working on our book again. I hope to have news to report on this again soon. Currently, we have about 15,000 words.

Thank you for checking back and I hope to have more updates soon.

David H. Troyer
www.davidhtroyer.com

January 22, 2011 - Update

I will be takign part in an event on Tuesday, January 25th, at the Pinellas Park Library. Unfortunately, I will not be reading my children's book, I'd Choose a Fish, or anyone else's book. I will be playing the part of the Chick-fil-A cow. The librarian did tell me to send her an email and that they should be able to let me take part in one of their upcomming programs. To me, that is really exciting news.

In my last blog, I mentioned that I had just taken part in the Turkey Trot, which takes place in Clearwater, FL, on Thanksgiving Day every year. It took all of my efforts to run that 5k (3.1 miles). Now, I run an average of two miles per day. I do not know if I will be participating in any more 5k runs again soon, but I look forward to improving my time when I do.

My wife is having a lot of fun making Kool-Aid items. This is a great way for us to encourage recycling. She started a website (www.supergreenlabel.com) and sells purses, wallets, keychains, backpacks, and many more items made entirely out of Kool-Aid and Capri Sun packages.

Our daughter is a year and a half old now. She is a lot of fun.

Thank you for checking my blog. Please continue to check back for updates. Also, please "like" my facebook page in order to receive the latest information.

Sincerely,

David H. Troyer
www.davidhtroyer.com