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I’ve been thinking these days about how our perception of people changes when we allow ourselves to get to know them. Prefer to read? The content continues below: I read about a woman who was wrongly convicted of murder and spent a number of years on death row. She said the guards weren’t allowed to speak to her because if they got to know her as a fellow human being it might have affected how they treated her. As I’ve volunteered with ex-offenders and with those in prison, my perceptions about them have changed as well. Whatever poor choices they’ve made, or harm they’ve caused, they are still made in the image of God, and over the years I’ve seen many people become the men and women God meant them to be. When we get to know someone as a person, I think it changes our level of compassion, often in positive ways. For instance, many years ago, when one of my granddaughters was a young teen, she decided to make sandwiches and give them out to the homeless in downtown Toronto. I walke...

When we bought our house it was listed as a fixer-upper since it was so long since it had been properly cared for. Once we started cleaning, we discovered many high-end feature that the builder had included, but because of neglect and abuse, it was hard to tell. Prefer to read? The content continues below: The book ‘Misfits Welcome’ by Matthew Barnett tells such a story, about a broken man named Barry. Barry had an abusive childhood. He had been locked away in at attic until he was seven years old, having his food brought to him and being cut off from the rest of his family. Barry didn’t find out until later on in life that he had been hidden away because the family felt disgraced because his birth was the result of incest. As a result of the neglect, Barry was experimenting with drugs by the time he was eleven and became a teen addict. In spite of the drugs, Barry still managed to get a college degree and a good job, got married and had a family. But the drug use continued and eve...

These days, many of the conversations around me center on questions about Covid. What are the numbers for today? What phase are we in? What about school and work? What about..? What if ….? I don’t know about you, but those conversations make me feel like I’m on a little, storm-tossed boat and the circumstances are going to be the end of me. Would you rather read? The content is below: Even though God has said He will never let us be shaken, it’s so hard to cast our cares on the Lord when we feel so weak and small and the problems attacking us are so big. I was encouraged this week when I read a story in the Old Testament, in 2nd Chronicles, chapter 20. It goes like this: When Jehoshaphat was king of Judah, an army came to start a war against him. He was afraid and decided to ask the Lord what to do. Jehoshaphat prayed “God, they have come to force us out of your land. We have no power against this large army that is attacking us. We don’t know what to do. So we look to you for he...

Have you heard of Jessica Cox, the world's first licensed armless pilot, as well as the first armless black-belt in the American Taekwondo Association. Prefer to read? The text continues below: Jessica was born in 1983 and due to a rare birth defect, she was born without arms. In spite of that, Jessica flies airplanes, drives cars, and otherwise lives a normal life using her feet as others use their hands. Jessica’s mother often said, “There are no limits to what you can do and who you can be.” Jessica was enrolled in the public school and learned to adapt to her situations until she found a way to do things herself. She was participating in gymnastics by age three, swimming by five, tap dancing by six, and taekwondo at the age of ten. As a teen, Jessica stopped using her prosthetic arms and learned to use her chin and shoulders and with a lot of practice, her feet and toes started doing much of what a hand and fingers could do. Taekwondo helped in learning creativity, gaining...

I'm reading a book about the Depression called 'We Had Everything But Money'. One chapter is titled 'When the Banks Closed, Our Hearts Opened'. Even though the hard times our world is experiencing right now are different from those of the depression, there are a lot of lessons we can learn from the courage and endurance of the people in those days. Prefer to Read?   Content continues below: Hard times forced many to sell apples on street corners to support their families. Those who still had jobs did their part to help by buying the produce. In story after story, the hard circumstances that people found themselves in gave birth to a real care for their families and for one another. For example, a farming family deposited a check for about $1,200 that they'd earned for the full year's crops, keeping out only $5 for groceries. A few minutes later, the bank closed - permanently - and that $5 was all the family had. To make matters worse, their six-year-old t...

60 years after the war ended, two old men emerged from the dense jungle of a Philippine island and declared they were soldiers. What does that have to do with us today? Prefer to read?  The text is below: The Japanese men, both in their 80s, said they had been hiding on the island after being involved in fierce battles with U.S. forces. The soldiers had remained in the jungle and mountains since then, unaware that the war had ended 60 years before, and afraid that they would be charged with desertion if they were found. They were afraid and hid, year after year, until their lives were almost over. Today we have a world-wide epidemic of fear. Many of us have been hiding for months, afraid to leave our homes or even hug our families. Afraid of an unseen enemy that could take our lives. As an older person, part of the vulnerable population, I also stayed in my home for a long time. Constant negative news and social media updates allowed the fear and despair to creep into my life....

I do a lot of reading and gathering stories, and I’m afraid that this time I forgot to write down the original source so I can give proper credit. This story has two parts and I’ll finish off with one of my own. Prefer to read?  Here ya go: While a man was driving down a country road, he lost control of his car and wound up in the ditch. He walked to the closest farmhouse and asked for help pulling the car out. The farmer agreed to hitch up his old mule Dusty and pull the farmer out. But the first time the farmer cracked his whip, he said “Pull Buck, pull” and nothing happened. Again he cracked the whip and yelled “Pull, Clyde, pull” and still nothing happened. The third time, the farmer called “pull, Dusty, pull” and Dusty pulled until the car was finally out of the ditch. When the man thanked the farmer, he asked why if the mule’s name was Dusty, did he say ‘Pull, Buck’ and ‘Pull, Clyde’. The farmer smiled and explained that since Dusty was old and almost blind, he didn’t have...

The following story about the duck comes from the book “Will Daylight Come” by Richard Hoefler. It goes like this: Prefer to read? A little boy visiting his grandparents was given his first slingshot. Johnny practiced in the woods, but he could never hit his target. As he came back to Grandma’s backyard he spied her pet duck. On an impulse, he took aim with his slingshot and let fly. The stone hit the duck and it fell dead. The boy panicked. Desperately he hid the dead duck in the woodpile, only to look up and see his sister watching. Sally had seen it all. After lunch that day, Grandma said, “Sally, let’s wash the dishes.” But Sally said, “Johnny told me he wanted to help you in the kitchen today, didn’t you, Johnny?” And she whispered to him “Remember the duck!” So Johnny did the dishes. Later, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing. Grandma said, “I’m sorry, but I need Sally to help make the supper.” Sally smiled and said, “That’s all taken care of. Johnny wants to d...

Have you ever heard the story of The Mouse Trap  ( author unknown)? It goes like this, with my thoughts added afterwards: Prefer to Read? A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package. "What food might this contain?" the mouse wondered. He was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap. Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning: "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!" The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said "Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it." The mouse turned to the pig and told him "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!" The pig sympathized, but said "I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers." The mouse turned to the cow and said ...

Fear is a very present part of our lives at one time or another and can't be avoided. But how we deal with fear can make all the difference. My New Podcast!

On this Good Friday, my hope is that you will take your eyes off the black dot, no matter how big it may seem and appreciate the reason this is called Good Friday. Prefer to read?  Most of the content is below: The Black Dot – Author Unknown One day, a professor entered his classroom and asked his students to prepare for a surprise test. They all waited anxiously at their desks for the exam to begin. The professor handed out the exams with the text facing down, as usual. Once he handed them all out, he asked the students to turn over the papers. To everyone's surprise, there were no questions-just a black dot in the center of the paper. The professor, seeing the expression on everyone's faces, told them the following: "I want you to write about what you see there." The students, confused, got started on the inexplicable task. At the end of the class, the professor took all the exams, and started reading each one of them out loud in front of all the students. A...

These days I think we all need a little encouragement. On this podcast I mention how I start my mornings to add some positivity to my life and I mention a hymn that has helped me many times. The words for it are written below. God hath not promised skies always blue, Flower-strewn pathways all our lives through; God hath not promised sun without rain, Joy without sorrow, peace without pain. But God hath promised strength for the day, Rest for the labor, light for the way, Grace for the trials, help from above, Unfailing sympathy, undying love. God hath not promised we shall not know Toil and temptation, trouble and woe; He hath not told us we shall not bear many a burden, many a care. But God hath promised strength for the day, Rest for the labor, light for the way, Grace for the trials, help from above, Unfailing sympathy, undying love. God hath not promised smooth roads and wide, Swift, easy travel, needing no guide; Never a mountain rocky and steep, Never a river...

Have you heard the story of the little bird before? Here are my thoughts on it and our reactions to the things that happen in our lives, especially now,  as we make choices about the ways we respond to our circumstances. Prefer to Read?  The podcast content continues below: A little bird was flying south for the winter. He got so cold that he froze up and fell to the ground in a large field. While he was lying there, a cow came by and dropped manure on the little bird. As he lay there in the manure, the bird began to realize how warm he was. The manure was actually thawing him out! He lay there warm and happy, but soon he began to complain about the odor. A passing cat heard the little bird complaining. Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of manure and promptly dug him out - and then ate him. The moral of the story is that not everyone who drops manure on you is your enemy (sometimes they are even unaware they've done it) and not everyone who di...

Download the episode here Show Notes: Reading of I Thessalonians. 5:18a Give thanks in all circumstances because you can't be negative and be thankful at the same time. The experiences of my husband and I when we volunteer at the local homeless shelter and the thankfulness of an elderly man. Have a wonderful week, Carol My New Podcast!

Download the episode here Reading my Bible in the morning and singing a bit helps me to have a more positive start to my day. Consider this verse: Romans 12:6 says "God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well." We don't realize that and think everyone can do those things, but that's not true. Make a list of all the things you can do well. Don't ever feel you have nothing to offer. Others need exactly what you have! Have a wonderful new day, Carol My New Podcast!

Often we hear things repeated, or we read about them online and we take it for granted that whatever it is must be true. But in this age of rampant false information, we need to take the extra time to check our facts. Prefer to Read the Rest of the Content? For instance, I found a quiz that I thought would be good for this podcast. In many places online it's mentioned as the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip. But before blindly following and repeating what many say is a fact, I decided to do some research first and found that Shulz made no such statements. We don't know who the real creator of the quiz is, but it's been circulating on the Internet since at least 2000, and somewhere along the way someone believed that Schulz had authored the quiz. From there, the story continued to spread. When facts get distorted, it takes a while to straighten them out. Regardless who wrote this quiz, it's worth repeating because of the ...

These days it’s cold and dreary here in Southern Ontario, Canada and I’m wishing I were somewhere else. It reminded me of something I read in a book called "Calm My Anxious Heart" by Linda Dillow It goes like this: Prefer to read the content? “It was spring but it was summer I wanted; the warm days and the great outdoors. It was summer but it was autumn I wanted; the colourful leaves and the cool dry air. It was autumn but it was winter I wanted; the beautiful snow and the joy of the holiday season. It was winter but it was spring I wanted; the warmth and the blossoming of nature. I was a child but it was adulthood I wanted; the freedom and the respect. I was twenty but it was thirty I wanted; to be mature and sophisticated. I was middle-aged but it was twenty I wanted; the youth and the free spirit. I was retired but it was middle-age that I wanted; the presence of mind without limitations. My life was over but I never got what I wanted.” Can you relate to any of...

Have you ever considered how much the things we think about affect our lives, either positively or negatively? Prefer to read the rest of the content? Famed physician Ben Carson had an uncontrolled temper as a young man, to the point that he almost hit his mother. Ben did hit a boy in the hallway at school and another time threw a rock at a boy and broke his glasses. Every time he told himself that he didn’t mean to hurt anyone and could control his temper. Finally he got angry with his best friend for changing the station on the radio, whipped out his switchblade and threw it at him. The blade hit his friend in the stomach but broke when it connected with the large metal belt buckle he wore. Ben almost killed his best friend and almost ruined his life because he couldn’t control his temper. He finally realized what a problem he had and spent four hours praying and asking God to heal his anger. After that he never had a problem with anger again. Imagine what the world may have mis...

Download the episode here Welcome to my new podcast! I'm planning to release a new episode every Monday. Below are the show notes. I hope you enjoy this new feature.

A few weeks ago I turned 71 and now find myself much more reflective than ever before. Where has the time gone? Did I waste it or use it wisely? Do I even remember how I spent all those years that are now behind me? Prefer to read the rest of the content? Sometimes there’s regret for things I didn’t do when I had the chance or things I’ve done that I wish I hadn’t. But I can’t change the past and I don’t want to waste whatever time I have left daydreaming about the future and missing what I have right now. Part of my thinking is because I’ve been listening to a song called One Day At A Time. One of the lines says “yesterday's gone and tomorrow may never be mine.” The fact that today needs to be my focus has made me thankful for so many little things – a comfortable rocker and the ability to sit in it and relax, a warm home, freedom from the stress of having to get to a job or cope with a deadline. But no matter how pleasant my life may be, it’s not without anxiety. No one make...