A Christmas Memory

By Joseph J. Mazzella on December 17, 2013 / 6,837 views

"Christmas is no fun when you're poor", I thought to myself as I slowly climbed the steps to my cold, damp apartment. I was a young, struggling, substitute teacher whose calls into work had been few and far between. Money was tight, bills were due, and it was Christmastime. My wife and I couldn't even afford to get gifts for each other and the only gifts we could get for our young daughter and son were a few stuffed...

From Homeless To A Real Big Change In Life

By Jerri Jean Stoddard on December 16, 2013 / 1,781 views

Life was changed on March of 2011. Me and my new husband were told by Seattle police department not to return to our home. We were told days after that we lost all of our belongings. We were newly married and just starting out as man and wife. We eventually found our way to Nicklesville in west Seattle where we stayed with my service dog Mary, a Chug. We were living in a tent and were surrounded by rats every night...

This Will Make You Smile

By Curt Struna on December 14, 2013 / 2,975 views

A long time ago, I was picking up a friend who had been babysitting. As I was waiting for him, I noticed a cage and looked inside. Inside the cage there was a cute little hamster, and I put my finger up to the bars of the cage to pet him. He bit me. I went to the bathroom and washed the blood off of my hands. When I came back I was told, “You missed it! You should have seen it! After you left, the hamster...

Seasonal Greetings!

By Mike Farris on December 11, 2013 / 1,587 views

By Mike Farris on December 11, 2013 / 1,587 views

To all my Non-Christian, and Liberal Democrat Friends: Please accept with no obligation, expressed or implied, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non- addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect...

The Lady With The Sad Eyes

By Joseph J. Mazzella on December 09, 2013 / 1,897 views

It was early December and I was driving my children over an hour to a distant mall to do some Christmas shopping. We were finally nearing the exit that would take us there. I smiled and sang quietly along to the song playing on the radio. Then just as we pulled off I noticed a figure holding a sign at the end of the highway exit. "It is probably someone trying to catch a ride south," I thought to myself. When I...

Love Is Your Natural Vibration!

By Karen Tysver on December 09, 2013 / 1,996 views

By Karen Tysver on December 09, 2013 / 1,996 views

“When the solution is simple. God is answering.” ~ Albert Einstein Our energy, our very personal vibration reflects who we are. It is who we are. Whatever vibrational frequency we are currently at, whether it is of love or fear, is what the universe is vibrating back to us. It’s that simple. Knowing this, it only makes sense to vibrate at the frequency of love! Love does not need an object. Love...

Live With Life

By Billy Jaw on December 06, 2013 / 1,487 views

I always have this dilemma of what will happen to my life many years from now. I have been afraid of failures and setbacks. More often, my heart is broken, disturbed, and sick. This what makes me weak and absent. There's one time when i looked at the mirror, I saw nothing but a gloomy nightfall and everything in me was shutting down. There's something dragging me down to my knees and i just can't explain what it is....

Harnessing An Inner Challenge

By Suzie Daggett on December 04, 2013 / 1,536 views

By Suzie Daggett on December 04, 2013 / 1,536 views

If touching into the spiritual world is new to you, it may be hard to find a group to share experiences and support your new found sense of self. Getting an exciting job, a new car, or going on a vacation, are things that are visible to others and generally acknowledged with awe. When was the last time a colleague or family member exclaimed about your newfound self? Your new shoes, TV yes; your inquisitive sense of...

A Prime Example Of Why One Shouldn't Judge People

By Laura B. on December 04, 2013 / 1,512 views

Sometimes it pays to be nice. I just had a client that I'm sure no one in their right mind would have taken (I'm a hair stylist). He had long knotted hair, no teeth, carrying his life basically in bags with him. Immediately I think he's homeless or on drugs and isn't going to pay, but he caught me on a good day. So I said let me just be nice to this poor man and fix his hair up. After a few uncomfortable...

Learning What Life Is

By C. Joybell on December 03, 2013 / 1,633 views

Growing up means learning what life is. When you're little, you have a set of ideals, standards, criteria, plans, outlooks, and you think that you have to sit around and wait for them to happen to you and then life will work. But life isn't like that, for anybody; you can't fall in love with a standard, you have to fall in love with a person. You can't live in a criteria, you have to live your life. You can't wait...

A Glass Of Eggnog And A Heart Full Of Memories

By Joseph J. Mazzella on December 02, 2013 / 1,552 views

It was a white Thanksgiving. I looked out my window at the 4 inches of snow that had fallen the day before and smiled. It made the meadow and woodlands look so beautiful. It felt like it was Christmas already. I poured myself a glass of eggnog and walked quietly into my bedroom. My daughter was cooking most of our Thanksgiving dinner this year so I had some time to relax and thank God for all of the blessings in my...

Payback Painter

By Todd Spaur on December 01, 2013 / 1,361 views

I am writing a very personal account that tells the whole true story from being a record setting athlete, my near death experience, being paralyzed in a wheelchair as a single father of three children. And How I overcame the physical and mental struggles. Until the book is finished this is a sample that was shown on American Story with Bob Dotson as it appeared on the Today Show July 4th 2012. ...

People Are Placed In Your Life For A Reason

By Amanda87 on November 27, 2013 / 1,635 views

I came from a home where my mother has always loved me unconditionally. She was a mom that would do anything to makes her kids happy. My dad was not as attentive as she was but through the years we always had some sort of connection. I always wished our connection was as strong as my mothers and mine. When I grew up and got married, the relationship between my dad and I, seemed to diminish even more. Now he truly...

Are You Happy?

By Nick on November 26, 2013 / 2,250 views

What is success? Is it money? Is it a good job? These questions never really crossed my mind until recently. I’ve been through twelve years of school and four more years of college. Throughout high school, classes began to feel like an annoyance, and just a road bump for my life to get started. I figured I would just keep my head down and push through. I couldn’t wait to get out. After all the exams and standard...

One Good Day

By Joseph J. Mazzella on November 26, 2013 / 1,956 views

I had one good day today. It started out with a morning walk with my dogs under the starlight before dawn. It was so beautiful. Looking up I thanked God for the stars, the Earth, and my life. After the walk it was time for a warm breakfast followed by some exercises and prayer. Then I headed out to the office. The sun was out and glistened off the melting snow. The sight made me smile and since I was alone with...

Glimpses Of Heaven

By Joseph J. Mazzella on November 20, 2013 / 8,306 views

By Joseph J. Mazzella on November 20, 2013 / 8,306 views

I have always loved watching the sunset. I do so every chance I can. There is something about it that stirs my soul. I sit on my back porch and watch as the sky becomes a tapestry of ever changing colors. Blue, white, yellow, gold, red, orange, pink, and purple all weave together to create something so beautiful and so glorious that it is transcendent. When you look at it for a brief instant it is like you are...

You Never Know Where Life Is Going To Take You

By Kathleen Neuman on November 18, 2013 / 5,997 views

I was separated from my first husband when I was 27, I joined parents without partners, and I met a man there that made me feel happy and laugh, which is something I had not done too often wit my first marriage of 10 years. Well we started dating, and after about awhile we found we just was not ready for a long term relationship so we went our separate ways. I did not know that another man there, named Tom, told...