27Mar 2013 by CJ

The Ban on Gay Marriage – what are we all so afraid of?

Love & Relationships
In author Kent Nerburn’s book “Simple Truths”, he sums up his chapter on marriage with the following sentiment: “If you believe in your heart that you have found someone with whom you are able to grow, if you have sufficient faith that you can resist the endless attraction of the road not taken and the partner not chosen, if you have the strength to embrace the cycles and seasons that your love will experience, then you may be ready to seek the miracle that marriage offers.” Speaking from over a decade of marital experience, I consider myself fortunate to have found someone who’s allowed me to seek the miracle of marriage and embrace it wholeheartedly. But as both she and I will tell you with great certainty, gender has no…
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20Mar 2013 by CJ

Being loved for ourselves

Love & Relationships
There’s no disputing that intimate relationships can be challenging at times. But coming together with another human being can often breed immeasurable joy, through the embracing and understanding of each other’s uniqueness. You don’t necessarily rely on the other person to bring you happiness, it just seems to come naturally – flowing through your days like a stream through a meadow. Terri Guillemets once said that “Love is when you can be your true self with someone, and you only want to be your true self because of them.” What a simply beautiful sentiment. But as I’ve discovered over the years, you cannot fully love someone else until you’re prepared to say that you love and accept yourself just as you are. Relationships are about patterns really. Regardless of who…
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05Mar 2013 by CJ

Heart vs. Head

Life & Living, Love & Relationships
Thank you Louise for this wonderful post...it couldn't be more fitting during this stage of my life. by Louise Jensen “If you want to become something, achieve something in life, then always listen to your heart.” Shahrukh Khan I was recently interviewed by Aimee du Fresne as part of her Fearless Friday Interview series. She was quizzing me regarding a monumental move I had recently made. "Did you think it would be so hard," she asked. "I didn't think at all," I perhaps, too honestly, blurted out. There are generally two types of people. Those who make heart led decisions, and those who rationalize, weigh up possible outcomes, and think everything through meticulously. Throughout my life I have always followed my heart without hesitation - I am extremely impulsive and…
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15Feb 2013 by CJ

A valentine to yourself can help you appreciate the person you are

Love & Relationships
Feeling a little down in the dumps and unfulfilled, a dear friend of mine suggested writing a “valentine” to myself – a note of love and appreciation for the person I am and rarely see. I’ll try just about anything once, and so I sat down to write myself this message of love. I’m rarely at a loss for words, but I struggled to form complete sentences to express my inner appreciation for the person I am today. In life, we’re rarely called upon to write about ourselves, our abilities and our accomplishments. While such a practice might be commonplace for those appearing in a theatrical playbill, for the ordinary people of the world there just never seems to be a need. It’s awkward to sit down and tell yourself…
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01Feb 2013 by CJ

Being a dad is not an easy job – it takes someone special

Love & Relationships, Youth
“Any man can be a Father, but it takes someone special to be a dad.” Anne Geddes Anyone familiar with the “birds and the bees” knows that becoming a father is not a difficult process from a scientific standpoint. But just because you were able to create this new human life, does not automatically nominate you for father of the year. That’s a title you must diligently earn over the course of your child’s lifetime. There’s much more to being a father than simply providing food on the table and a roof over their head. It’s more than just attending little league games and class recitals. In short, it’s about unconditional love and continual support – regardless of their choices and your stern disapproval of then. Far too often father’s…
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