Gotta Love Family Podcast

In 2010, I hosted an essay contest. The topic was The Inspiration Connection: How Being Inspired Transforms the Quality and Effectiveness of Our Education. A friend, Jody Jarvis, who lived in Nevada at the time, won. The prize was awesome and was inspired. You will enjoy that story also. You will learn from and appreciate the experience she had, inspiring her boys by being an example for them. Her example made all the difference in the learning experience they had as a family. Enjoy

A fun Christmas season activity is watching children perform Christmas plays. When Maggie was five and Jack was three, they had the opportunity to be in a play depicting the First Christmas. All the actors were under eleven, and many were under five years old. Maggie has severe cerebral palsy, which posed challenges; fortunately for her, Cindie Walker, her best friend, was the director. Maggie needed to be placed in a stander to participate in an upright position, without her wheelchair. Cindy had spent a great deal of time with Maggie and wasn't put off by what was required to work with her. In fact, the beauty of this director was that she wasn't put off by working with any of the children, no matter how young. She had a vision that I loved. It wasn't about the outcome, but about how everyone would feel when it was over. How can this be managed in the chaos of working with children? Join me as I share this wonderful, long-ago experience and how we managed it. Merry Christmas.

A fun Christmas season activity is watching children perform Christmas plays. When Maggie was five and Jack was three, they had the opportunity to be in a play depicting the First Christmas. All the actors were under eleven, and many were under five years old. Maggie has severe cerebral palsy, which posed challenges; fortunately for her, Cindie Walker, her best friend, was the director. Maggie needed to be placed in a stander to participate in an upright position, without her wheelchair. Cindy had spent a great deal of time with Maggie and wasn't put off by what was required to work with her. In fact, the beauty of this director was that she wasn't put off by working with any of the children, no matter how young. She had a vision that I loved. It wasn't about the outcome, but about how everyone would feel when it was over. How can this be managed in the chaos of working with children? Join me as I share this wonderful, long-ago experience and how we managed it. Merry Christmas.

The article I had prepared to post on November 30, 2025, had been published in 2017. My Excel sheet wasn't as in order as it needed to be. Instead of getting another article ready at the last minute, I wrote a note to my readers and sent it out via the Sunday newsletter. It made an impact, and I got emails. I realized that I had written an article with an important message without even knowing it. So, I'm posting it on the website and recording it. If it helped last Sunday, then it may be of help in the future. Join me as I share what went wrong and my strategy for remaining sane and in control. : )

Join me as I share the things that I am most grateful for this year. You will find yourself included. : ) It may help you ponder what you are grateful for and bring joy to your heart for Thanksgiving Day.