14Aug 2011 by CJ

Priority lists should be filled with people not just chores

Life & Living
Take a look at your own life and ask yourself, what or who is on my priority lists? Our  lives seem filled to capacity with a plethora of errands, chores and  commitments which often pull us in different directions — robbing us of  the more memorable moments life has to offer. In short we  prioritize our lives based upon what we believe to be important and  inadvertently forget about the people we always assume will be around when our priority lists are finally complete. It’s funny how our priority lists seem to focus so much on taking care of responsibilities, yet pay  little attention to taking care of the people who provide our lives with  meaning. Imagine turning off the television and tuning out all  distractions to interact with that…
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11Aug 2011 by CJ

At work is fine as long as it doesn’t become your entire life

Life & Living
There are 168 hours in any given week and sadly we spend over 40 of them at work - or on overcrowded roadways trying to get to and from work. Didn’t you ever wonder where this working five days straight and off for two business first started? I’m sure if I did a little digging online I could find that out. But truthfully, I’m tired from working almost nine-hour days lately – maybe on my two days off I’ll find some time. I of course realize the importance of employment. It helps pay for things like a roof over your head and food in your refrigerator. But it also costs you something to – your time. These days so many of us are spending even more time at work, which…
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09Aug 2011 by CJ

Parenting is about love and care – it doesn’t matter who you are

Life & Living, Youth
People haven't yet figured out that parenting is about love and care, regardless of race or sexual orientation. Here's an example. The other day, my wife had the great pleasure of appearing at ourlocal courthouse for jury duty. What fun, right? She had a few entertaining stories from her experience, but what troubled me more was the reply of a middle aged man who was responding to thejudge's question, "if you have bumper sticker on your car, what does itsay?" The man politely responded that he worked for a soup kitchen in his church and that the only bumper sticker on his car read, "Gays are not parents". I guess he thought his affiliation with a religious institution allowed him to have such an idiotic comment posted on his bumper.…
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06Aug 2011 by CJ

Government has shown that the American people are their last priority

Information & Education, Life & Living
I've been thinking a lot about our government lately and not unlike most people, I've had about enough of them. Frankly, our current form of government had its shot at trying to better our country, but all it's done is managed to tarnish the image of a land that was once the most admired and respected country on earth. I might be an American, but I can't honestly say that I'm not proud of where America is going. I guess what bothers me most is how politicians, who are mainly comprised of wealthy business men and women, haven't the slightest idea what it's like to live as an average, ordinary citizen. You certainly wouldn't go and ask a pastry chef to change the spark plugs in your car, so why…
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01Aug 2011 by CJ

The very “special” few understand teamwork

Life & Living
I present to you the following story – words once spoken by the late Fred Rogers as only he could. “There was a story going around about the Special Olympics. For the hundred-yard dash, there were nine contestants, all of them so-called physically or mentally disabled. All nine of them assembled at the starting line and, at the sound of the gun, they took off. But one little boy didn’t get very far. He stumbled and fell and hurt his knee and began to cry. The other eight children heard the boy crying. They slowed down, turned around, and ran back to him – every one of them ran back to him. The little boy got up, and he and the rest of the runners linked their arms together and…
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