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  • The Session: Our Christmas faves!
    2024/12/19
    This episode is going to be a bit different. Rather than cover a heavy topic on this week of Christmas, we decided to talk about our favorite characters in the Biblical Christmas story, and some of our favorite movies/programs and other characters outside of the Biblical account. Luke 2:7: “And she gave birth to her firstborn son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the Inn.” Kathy My favorite Bible Christmas story person is Joseph, because he trusted the angel and went against what society would have expected him to do under those circumstances. He also had to help Mary deliver her baby in a filthy barn which I’m sure he had never done before. He had a huge amount of responsibility on his shoulders and he handled it well! My favorite non-Bible character is Imogene Herdman from “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”. I loved seeing the Christmas story through the eyes of someone who had never heard it before. It helped me realize what a truly amazing story it is! Mandy Cindy Lou Who. She sought to include the marginalized even when it wasn’t the popular thing to do, even when her own family didn’t understand, even when it made her own life more difficult. She brought the grinch into the community and showed him he belonged just as much as anyone else. She reminds us that Christmas is about kindness and love and that’s what matters most. Jason I love General Waverly from white Christmas as someone who was a respected leader of men and someone who aged gracefully retaining his charm and charisma. From the Bible, I like imagining the angels singing and the hope and peace they represent during times of struggle. The lyrics of it came upon a midnight clear hit home for me. Erin I’m a huge Mary fan myself. I can’t imagine being told I was carrying the Messiah and the social ramifications that she must have endured for that, not to mention the physical toll of being a nomad while returning for the census and a migrant in a foreign land while trying to stay alive. Her faith was incredibly strong not only to carry Christ but to be his mother until his death. DeanI would say Joseph. I couldn’t imagine his feelings, to me the protector of Mary due to pregnancy before marriage. Having the responsibility of raising the Messiah. Despite all of those challenges Joseph continued to bear true faith in God. 1964 Rudolph the red nosed reindeer. (The claymation movie) I love that he symbolizes acceptance, resilience, and individuality. I appreciate that he doesn’t let others negative opinions discourage him. I can relate to Rudolf. It’s tough to be the outsider and I love the story of his acceptance. David In our house we’ve always had an open door policy, but even more so at the holidays. That means if anyone needs a place to stay or something to eat, we’ll offer what we have, even when it isn’t a lot. In years past we’ve spent the holidays feeding Albanian refugees, housing recent divorcees, or young adults whose parents were too far to get to. And it was true this year, when our friends came to us well after our Thanksgiving was planned and said, “hey, these people have nowhere to go. Can they come to you? We didn’t account for them in food planning and we definitely don’t have room to set two more place settings, but the answer is always yes. We’ll figure it out. We always make it work and I know it will turn out fine this time too. For that reason, my favorite character in the Christmas story is the humble innkeeper, who isn’t even formally mentioned in Scripture. The original open door policy. The innkeeper had no place for Mary and Joseph. These strangers had come from far away and her being 9-months pregnant obviously had high potential for drama. He didn’t owe them anything. It would have been so easy to send them on their way, but that’s not what he did. (I’m making an assumption that this person was a “he” but I don’t even know if that was a certainty.) He offered what he had. He did what he could. When given the choice to make these strangers someone else’s problem, he chose instead to give what he could give.TomIt’s Jesus. And not for the reasons you might think. I try to imagine the conversation between the Father and Son as Jesus says, “See you later, I’m off to become an embryo.” What was Jesus aware of, and when? My favorite Christmas movie is Home Alone. Specifically because of Kevin, the underappreciated underdog who gets left at home, and protects his home from the two bungling burglars!ScottOk, so I’m going toward Tom’s “unconventional” side. With an honorable mention to the shepherds, I’m going with the animals in the stable watching their Creator being born. I sometimes wonder if animals have a better awareness of the spiritual than we do. Did the animals there that night, did the donkey Mary rode on, understand...
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    25 分
  • The Session: Journaling as Therapy
    2024/12/12

    You might recognize this episode from earlier this year. As we looked back, it seemed like an important topic that doesn't get talked about enough. Maybe a sub title would be, "Journaling....it's not just for 12 year-old girls anymore". See what you think...

    The Session: Journaling, A Helpful Treatment Strategy

    Psalm 119:27

    Cause me to understand the way of your precepts, that I may meditate on your wonderful deeds.

    Journaling Helps

    · It helps me see the ways that God's Spirit in me is producing growth over time.

    · Journaling has become one of the ways that I best connect with God.

    · Journaling helps me to persevere in the journey I'm on with Christ

    · And it also helps me to open up to God. It helps me to be more honest with God and with myself.

    Journal and personalize scripture

    Related Scripture:

    Psalm 86

    1 Hear me, Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. 2 Guard my life, for I am faithful to you; save your servant who trusts in you. You are my God; 3 have mercy on me, Lord, for I call to you all day long. 4 Bring joy to your servant, Lord, for I put my trust in you.

    5 You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you. 6 Hear my prayer, Lord; listen to my cry for mercy. 7 When I am in distress, I call to you, because you answer me.

    Things to journal

    When you need something to write in your journal, consider finishing one of the following 20 prompts:

    1. This week I was most blessed by . . .

    2. My favorite passage of Scripture is . . .

    3. The area where I need to put more trust in God is . . .

    4. One lesson I learned from Scripture this week is . .

    What to Write

    · All that's needed is your honest, authentic, vulnerable self willing to show up to the page and encounter the Holy Spirit.

    · “Write what you see.”Write your life, your legacy, your prayers, your God-sightings, and everything in between in the pages of that journal.

    Two Way Journaling

    It is a way to write to God and record what you feel the Holy Spirit is saying to you in your quiet time. This journal is best for those who would like to begin the daily habit of spending meditative time with God and His word.

    What would God say to you personally?

    An Eeyore thought from Scott: All I see you saying is God, God, God. What if my life just sucks, and I don’t see any evidence of God anywhere? What’s the point of journaling for me? WHY would I want to write all my junk down to be reminded of it over and over again?

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    25 分
  • The Session: Helping Your Teens Handle "Young Love"
    2024/12/05

    Ahhh....young love. Remember that first broken heart you had? Your kids will experience that for sure. It's how we help them as parents that can help them cope. That's what we cover in this episode.

    The Session: Helping Teens Navigate Through The Tumultuous Teen Years And Dating…or, how to help your teen heal a broken heart…

    Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, But happy is one who keeps the Law. Proverbs 29:18 (NASB)

    In 1991 86% of high school students were dating

    In 2017 the number of high school students dating dropped to 51%.

    The average age of getting married for women is 28 years old. For men, it is 30 years old.

    Parents

    We demand changed behavior and never address the heart that drives the behavior.

    The child’s heart remains the issue. Let’s not forget the children want power.

    When children cross boundaries they are trying to get their emotional needs of affirmation, identity, gratification, love, or commitment met. If they are not met in the family they will be met outside of the family.

    Dr. Juli Slattery points out in Rethinking Sexuality,isn’t our sexuality so much more than rules—

    God’s covenant love with His people isn’t He is after our sexual maturity and its lifelongintegration and reflection in our faith, rather than just virginity until marriage?

    When our children’s values are more important to the parents than it is to their children, it won’t likely be successful.

    It becomes more important to parents when there are strict rules and heavy authority.

    Child ownership is created when parents spend their time building influence and a relational bridge with them.

    Child, ownership happens when belief, and value is facilitated when parents focus on the vision of what they want to see your teens be rather than trying to prevent the things you don’t want that could come across as shame and guilt

    Tom’s View

    The answer to adolescent safe dating and adolescent issues are in developing a culture and environment that facilitates strong character.

    • Be a good role model. Parents should model what they want to see happen with their children. Share what it means for you to have a relationship with Jesus and how important it is to you as a parent coping in every day life
    • Apply biblical teachings to real life. An example would be when people are saying mean and hurtful things, they look at what does the Scriptures say about that?
    • Catch them doing right and celebrate their success. The celebration of success can facilitate eight important emotional needs being met acceptance, attention, approval, affirmation, affection, encouragement, respect, security
    • Get in their world. Help them focus on what they find to be interesting and meaningful and facilitate it happening more.

    Important tips to be successful

    • The family atmosphere and culture should be started as early as possible in the children’s lives. That could be pre-kindergarten.
    • With the onset of pornography addiction being as young as eight years old it is recommended that no screens until a child is 14 and can show responsibility (a person‘s ability to respond)
    • Put children in healthy and save situations and circumstances that will help them develop healthy character. As an example if basketball is a strong interest. Try to find an Upwards basketball league. They are Christian based leagues

    Suggestions for safe and successful dating

    • If your child is showing Good responsibility at age 15 group dates where parents drop them off and pick them off can be doable.
    • Another suggestion could be inviting the date over for game night or a family fun night
    • At 16 dating could be possible. Safety precautions could include a curfew and no sitting in the car after the date period of time.
    • Developing rules should include the input of your children. That demonstrates ownership again. Potential rules could be; no alone time in a house. If parents aren’t home, the couple does not get together at that house. Another one would be no laying on the couch together.
    • Dating continues as long as the teens can demonstrate a good ability to respond. (responsibility)

    The heart is the total of soul. Conscious Mind make resolution thoughts, feelings, behavior, or choices, character develop.

    What we believe affects our thoughts,

    which affects our feelings,

    which affects our choices.

    This is the process of the heart.

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    25 分
  • The 3 Fuels of Anger-3
    2024/11/21
    What started as an idea for one episode covering the 3 Fuels of Anger has now become....3???? We WILL wrap this up today! Criss cross applesauce promise! The Session: The 3 Fuels of AngerEcclesiastes 7:9 Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.1. FearThose things that we fear in life also fuel our anger. A good example when I was a school teacher I also had a fear of heights. My children regularly helped me remember that.How did I react? I got angry.2. Frustration A good example of frustration would be the Cleveland Browns. They seem to be improving and then they make for trades or changes that keep them unsuccessful.3. HurtA good example here would be when someone says something that crosses your boundaries and hurts. You could also be something they forget to do like remember an anniversary or a birthday.TreatmentThat’s why it’s so vital for us to learn how to recognize the warning signs (and put a stop to it) when those feelings first begin.The communication highway helps with anger managementWhen a person feels hurt, they should speak in terms of an eye statement. I feel . . . . when . . . . .The listener hears and reflects, validates and empathizes PrayerPray that God helps you with the presence of the fruit of the SpiritJames 1:19-20 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.Dealing with Anger...God's WayTransforming Feelings into God's Peace Through Self-ControlJoyce MeyerWe have all experienced anger at some point in our lives, and it can be a real problem. Though it starts as a harmless feeling, it can quickly grow into something dangerous that’s hard to control.But with God’s help, we can learn how to deal with our feelings and walk in His peace.I’ll admit, years ago I pretty much did and said anything I felt like. I have a pretty strong personality, so if you said something to upset me, there was a good chance I would let you know about it.Thank God, over time He changed me through His Word and helped me begin to manage my emotions through the power of His Holy Spirit.I learned how to operate in self-control, which means I didn’t always say everything I wanted to say. Now, that’s freedom!Along the way, God also helped me to understand that anger in itself isn’t wrong...Is It a Sin to Be Angry?I’ll never forget one particular morning about 25 years ago. I was preparing to go preach at a ladies meeting at my church in St. Louis when my husband Dave and I got into an argument. I admit, I was really mad!I continued to think angry thoughts and have angry feelings. Then my anger turned into guilt and I thought, How can I possibly go to church and tell others how to conduct their lives according to Scripture if I cannot control my anger?The feelings of guilt not only continued but they intensified. As the pressure mounted, I started to feel almost frantic when suddenly God spoke to my heart and said:“Anger is not a sin—it is what you do with it that becomes sin.” That day God showed me something that was very life-changing for me. He brought me to Ephesians 4:26-27 (AMPC), and I suddenly saw these verses in a different way than ever before.The Bible says, When angry, do not sin; do not ever let your wrath (your exasperation, your fury or indignation) last until the sun goes down. Leave no [such] room or foothold for the devil [give no opportunity to him].These verses don’t say, “Don’t get angry” or “If you ever get angry.” They say, “When [you are] angry.”We’re all going to be angry at times, but it’s not feeling anger that’s a problem. The problem comes when we act on those feelings.At times, I’ve really wished some of my feelings would go away, but usually they don’t. I’ve learned that God is not necessarily going to change them, but He is going to change me so I can be stronger than they are.We need to be in touch with our feelings and take responsibility for them, but we can’t allow them to control us.Dealing with Anger at Its OnsetSome people have been upset for so long that they don’t even realize they’re angry anymore.For many years, I was angry about being abused by my father when I was a child, yet I wasn’t really even conscious of the fact that I was mad about it.Although I was attempting to be a loving Christian, I was angry and harsh and hard. I loved God, but I hadn’t gotten serious enough with Him to say, “I want to do things Your way and I need Your help.”Proverbs 16:32 (ESV) says, Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.A person who rules their spirit demonstrates self-control. Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit that’s given to us to help us control ourselves.This means when we feel a certain way, we canchoose not to act on it if we ...
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    25 分
  • The 3 Fuels of Anger-2
    2024/11/14
    What started as an idea for one episode covering the 3 Fuels of Anger has become 2 episodes. We hope it won't anger you if we stretch it to 3.....The Session: The 3 Fuels of AngerEcclesiastes 7:9 Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.1. FearThose things that we fear in life also fuel our anger. A good example when I was a school teacher I also had a fear of heights. My children regularly helped me remember that.How did I react? I got angry.2. Frustration A good example of frustration would be the Cleveland Browns. They seem to be improving and then they make for trades or changes that keep them unsuccessful.3. HurtA good example here would be when someone says something that crosses your boundaries and hurts. You could also be something they forget to do like remember an anniversary or a birthday.TreatmentThat’s why it’s so vital for us to learn how to recognize the warning signs (and put a stop to it) when those feelings first begin.The communication highway helps with anger managementWhen a person feels hurt, they should speak in terms of an eye statement. I feel . . . . when . . . . .The listener hears and reflects, validates and empathizes PrayerPray that God helps you with the presence of the fruit of the SpiritJames 1:19-20 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.Dealing with Anger...God's WayTransforming Feelings into God's Peace Through Self-ControlJoyce MeyerWe have all experienced anger at some point in our lives, and it can be a real problem. Though it starts as a harmless feeling, it can quickly grow into something dangerous that’s hard to control.But with God’s help, we can learn how to deal with our feelings and walk in His peace.I’ll admit, years ago I pretty much did and said anything I felt like. I have a pretty strong personality, so if you said something to upset me, there was a good chance I would let you know about it.Thank God, over time He changed me through His Word and helped me begin to manage my emotions through the power of His Holy Spirit.I learned how to operate in self-control, which means I didn’t always say everything I wanted to say. Now, that’s freedom!Along the way, God also helped me to understand that anger in itself isn’t wrong...Is It a Sin to Be Angry?I’ll never forget one particular morning about 25 years ago. I was preparing to go preach at a ladies meeting at my church in St. Louis when my husband Dave and I got into an argument. I admit, I was really mad!I continued to think angry thoughts and have angry feelings. Then my anger turned into guilt and I thought, How can I possibly go to church and tell others how to conduct their lives according to Scripture if I cannot control my anger?The feelings of guilt not only continued but they intensified. As the pressure mounted, I started to feel almost frantic when suddenly God spoke to my heart and said:“Anger is not a sin—it is what you do with it that becomes sin.” That day God showed me something that was very life-changing for me. He brought me to Ephesians 4:26-27 (AMPC), and I suddenly saw these verses in a different way than ever before.The Bible says, When angry, do not sin; do not ever let your wrath (your exasperation, your fury or indignation) last until the sun goes down. Leave no [such] room or foothold for the devil [give no opportunity to him].These verses don’t say, “Don’t get angry” or “If you ever get angry.” They say, “When [you are] angry.”We’re all going to be angry at times, but it’s not feeling anger that’s a problem. The problem comes when we act on those feelings.At times, I’ve really wished some of my feelings would go away, but usually they don’t. I’ve learned that God is not necessarily going to change them, but He is going to change me so I can be stronger than they are.We need to be in touch with our feelings and take responsibility for them, but we can’t allow them to control us.Dealing with Anger at Its OnsetSome people have been upset for so long that they don’t even realize they’re angry anymore.For many years, I was angry about being abused by my father when I was a child, yet I wasn’t really even conscious of the fact that I was mad about it.Although I was attempting to be a loving Christian, I was angry and harsh and hard. I loved God, but I hadn’t gotten serious enough with Him to say, “I want to do things Your way and I need Your help.”Proverbs 16:32 (ESV) says, Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.A person who rules their spirit demonstrates self-control. Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit that’s given to us to help us control ourselves.This means when we feel a certain way, we canchoose not to act on it if we know it’s ...
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    25 分
  • The 3 Fuels of Anger-Part 1
    2024/11/07
    What started as an idea for one episode covering the 3 Fuels of Anger has become 2 episodes, with Scott pouring out his anger issues for you and Tom to sort out. Who's bright idea was this?The Session: The 3 Fuels of AngerEcclesiastes 7:9 Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.1. FearThose things that we fear in life also fuel our anger. A good example when I was a school teacher I also had a fear of heights. My children regularly helped me remember that.How did I react? I got angry.2. Frustration A good example of frustration would be the Cleveland Browns. They seem to be improving and then they make for trades or changes that keep them unsuccessful.3. HurtA good example here would be when someone says something that crosses your boundaries and hurts. You could also be something they forget to do like remember an anniversary or a birthday.TreatmentThat’s why it’s so vital for us to learn how to recognize the warning signs (and put a stop to it) when those feelings first begin.The communication highway helps with anger managementWhen a person feels hurt, they should speak in terms of an eye statement. I feel . . . . when . . . . .The listener hears and reflects, validates and empathizes PrayerPray that God helps you with the presence of the fruit of the SpiritJames 1:19-20 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.Dealing with Anger...God's WayTransforming Feelings into God's Peace Through Self-ControlJoyce MeyerWe have all experienced anger at some point in our lives, and it can be a real problem. Though it starts as a harmless feeling, it can quickly grow into something dangerous that’s hard to control.But with God’s help, we can learn how to deal with our feelings and walk in His peace.I’ll admit, years ago I pretty much did and said anything I felt like. I have a pretty strong personality, so if you said something to upset me, there was a good chance I would let you know about it.Thank God, over time He changed me through His Word and helped me begin to manage my emotions through the power of His Holy Spirit.I learned how to operate in self-control, which means I didn’t always say everything I wanted to say. Now, that’s freedom!Along the way, God also helped me to understand that anger in itself isn’t wrong...Is It a Sin to Be Angry?I’ll never forget one particular morning about 25 years ago. I was preparing to go preach at a ladies meeting at my church in St. Louis when my husband Dave and I got into an argument. I admit, I was really mad!I continued to think angry thoughts and have angry feelings. Then my anger turned into guilt and I thought, How can I possibly go to church and tell others how to conduct their lives according to Scripture if I cannot control my anger?The feelings of guilt not only continued but they intensified. As the pressure mounted, I started to feel almost frantic when suddenly God spoke to my heart and said:“Anger is not a sin—it is what you do with it that becomes sin.” That day God showed me something that was very life-changing for me. He brought me to Ephesians 4:26-27 (AMPC), and I suddenly saw these verses in a different way than ever before.The Bible says, When angry, do not sin; do not ever let your wrath (your exasperation, your fury or indignation) last until the sun goes down. Leave no [such] room or foothold for the devil [give no opportunity to him].These verses don’t say, “Don’t get angry” or “If you ever get angry.” They say, “When [you are] angry.”We’re all going to be angry at times, but it’s not feeling anger that’s a problem. The problem comes when we act on those feelings.At times, I’ve really wished some of my feelings would go away, but usually they don’t. I’ve learned that God is not necessarily going to change them, but He is going to change me so I can be stronger than they are.We need to be in touch with our feelings and take responsibility for them, but we can’t allow them to control us.Dealing with Anger at Its OnsetSome people have been upset for so long that they don’t even realize they’re angry anymore.For many years, I was angry about being abused by my father when I was a child, yet I wasn’t really even conscious of the fact that I was mad about it.Although I was attempting to be a loving Christian, I was angry and harsh and hard. I loved God, but I hadn’t gotten serious enough with Him to say, “I want to do things Your way and I need Your help.”Proverbs 16:32 (ESV) says, Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.A person who rules their spirit demonstrates self-control. Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit that’s given to us to help us control ourselves.This means when we feel a certain way, we ...
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    25 分
  • The Session: Extending & Receiving Grace
    2024/10/31

    The Session: The Power of Extending & Receiving Grace

    Ephesians 2:8 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God…”

    The Impact of Receiving Grace What are the benefits of grace to Christian?

    Dr. Gregory Jantz wrote, “But grace is much more than just erasing the past; it is about writing the future. That’s because when we are freed from the thicket of regret, blame, and shame, we can show grace to others in every situation. It’s the ultimate form of “paying it forward.” Only Jesus has already paid our tab..”

    What are the benefits of grace to Christian?

    According to Sermon Central, Grace brings 10 great benefits to our lives:

    • We are SAVED by GRACE. The only way to Heaven is through the doorway of grace. ...
    • We're FORGIVEN by GRACE. ...
    • We're SUSTAINED by GRACE. ...
    • We're HEALED by GRACE. ...
    • We're LIBERATED by GRACE. ...
    • We're given TALENTS by GRACE. ...
    • We're USED by GRACE. ...
    • We're KEPT SAVED by GRACE.

    Receiving Grace Can Set Us Free

    • His grace sets us free from the bondage of the things that hold us back. When we turn to Him, we can experience that kind release and that kind of freedom in our lives. Because of grace, Jesus died on the cross for us. It was the ultimate sacrifice to set us free.

    · John 8:32 “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

    • Grace is said to set people free from sin and its power, as well as from the punishment of sin. Grace is also said to free people from the bondage of guilt.

    The Impact of Extending Grace

    Marion Star said, “Grace gives us a new life which is not condemned by God. Through God's grace we are forgiven, transforming our thinking, resulting in the renewal of our mind and heart. Through grace we live the kind of life that God would like every one of His children to experience. “

    Grace leads to peace

    • 2 Peter 1 says, “Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our love Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness” (vs. 2-3)

    Rev. J Street wrote, “The definition of grace could be “God's life, power and righteousness given to us by unmerited favor.” It is through grace that God works effective change in our hearts and lives. Grace gives us a new life which is not condemned by God. Through God's grace we are forgiven, transforming our thinking, resulting in the renewal of our mind and heart.”

    Ephesians 4:29 NIV

    • Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen,”

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    25 分
  • The Session-Down Syndrome from a Parent's Point of View-2
    2024/10/24

    Sorry, no show notes for this one. This is the first of a two-episode conversation I had with my daughter, Erin about her daughter, Allison. My hope is that our conversation raises awareness about just how truly beautiful and special kids with exceptionalities are, and that they have a role in our world today.

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    25 分