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The Day That Santa Cried

The holidays have always been one of my favorite times of the year. As a child, there was so much to look forward to. We got a week or two off from school, there were parties and family gatherings and of course, presents. But as an adult, I learned that not all children are blessed with the idyllic holiday memories that I have. Some children dread the long cold days at home, with not enough…

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A Day To Give Thanks Update…

So many thoughts and lessons are swirling around in my head at this moment. But I needed to share an update. Maybe writing this will help me to remember my lessons, understand what I learned, and find acceptance and peace with the day and its events.   The post A Day To Give Thanks was the story of last Thanksgiving for my family. It was a celebration of new family, new loved ones and new…

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Failure

Failure only occurs when you choose not to learn from an experience. There are valuable lessons to be learned from both good and bad experiences. And each lesson is preparing you for an event or a challenge that you will face later in your journey. You only fail when you refuse to recognize or accept a lesson and are forced to repeat it again rather than moving forward in your journey.

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Choose To Create Treasured Memories for Yourself, You Deserve Them

  It’s always difficult to face the reality of a parent’s illness. Most children grow and thrive within the warm, protective sphere known as a loving parents care. And even when the relationship has been difficult or dysfunctional, there still seems to be a connection of more than simply genetics. This emotional connection to a parent might simply be a single, thin shred of hope that someday this complicated, or almost nonexistent relationship, will somehow…

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The Storming of Thunder Ridge 2018 Guest Post by Christian Schick

In a hospital waiting room in Dayton, Ohio, Mahler Symphony No.2 “Resurrection” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHsFIv8VA7w&t=225s) plays for a comatose patient. I had chosen this piece of music for my brother, Ryan. It was his favorite Mahler symphony. The theme of the symphony is resurrection. Like Martha from the John 11 Bible passage, my family had the faith to believe in the future resurrection of my brother’s soul but we’re wrestling with the faith that his seemingly lifeless…

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A Life of Devotion

So much has changed in the world in the past 50 years. An entirely new generation has come of age and brought with it the mantra that they are the center of it all. Their focus and concern never seem to drift beyond their own reflection that they see in the mirror each day. Millions of dollars are spent on keeping themselves looking and feeling young and making their lives easier. Electronics are used to complete mundane…

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My Own Worst Enemy

  When people speak of carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders, we often think of that oppressive object as worry, fear or concern, but in many cases, it can be the immense weight of anger. This is not the anger that is focused on someone who cut you off on traffic or made a rude comment to you. This is the anger that you feel deep in your chest that burns red…

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Natures Greatest Contradiction

    Most of the time nature is a very harmonious being. Plants, animals and the inhabitants of the entire planet can coexist and even benefit from one another while remaining true to their natural place and order. But there is one event which naturally occurs and always causes a contradiction. This occurs as each child nears the 16-year milestone and each parent begins to develop some serious worry lines. Maybe it is natures sick…

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