photo credit: Tim Green aka atoach
Recently, I had the chance to interview John Karczynski-Ferguson. Here’s a guy who looks and acts normal and is anything but normal.
He’s certainly not weird or odd. Quite the contrary. John is extraordinary.
Cellist playing on the lake at Arranmore Center For The Arts in Oswego, IL
Imagine a place where a cellist can be one with their cello on a lake at dusk. Imagine a theatrical performance that shares the air with fire flies. A visual arts opening that takes place in a barn. And…imagine a place that blends historic and modern buildings to enhance the aesthetics of the land.
THAT’S where you’ll find Arranmore Center For The Arts. A place where opportunities to think and work collaboratively exceed expectations.
By nina matthews photography
Do all parents of challenged children want to run from the truth?
When they’re born you expect them to grow up and be happy, contributing members of society. You never expect them to be incapable of formulating a sentence at seven or to be suicidal at nine.
Marlin Keesler wanted to believe what others were telling him - not to be worried…it was a phase. He wasn’t willing to see the red flags. He also wasn’t willing to admit to himself that yelling louder would not help his son learn to spell.
When his children were small Marlin worked an exhausting night shift for the airlines. Gone before the kids got home from school and back home long after they were asleep. Needless to say he wasn’t present in their lives. The combination of his children’s challenges and his inability to be present in their lives was causing his family to fall apart.
Every second of every day parents make choices that affect their entire family. The choice today is about being present. Physically and emotionally present for yourself and the ones you love. Are you?
How far would you go if your child was in trouble and your family was falling apart? Say…26.2 miles? Would you run a grueling, pain inducing marathon? How about two? What about fifty? Would you set out on a quest to save your children by running 50 marathons in 50 states? Marlin did and he didn’t even like to run. Read more…
by Sabrina Eras
…learning to add and subtract; kissing boys on the playground; developing ideas and beliefs about yourself.
Thinking back to when you were an impressionable elementary schooler, were you a self-confident, cool kid or nerdy and insecure?
I was an insecure member of the class of 1978. My immature perception was that, because I was too skinny, had long, stringy blonde hair and wore my sister’s hand-me-downs, I was an ugly outcast.
I can only imagine what it could be like to be a confident seven year old and know that it doesn’t matter what I look like, where I live, what I have…or if other kids make fun of me. Oh how drastically different my life would be today?
What if…at 7, 8, 9… 10 years old a child you know could confidently say “I AM CAPABLE OF ANYTHING!” Wouldn’t that be an awesome foundation for their life?
Today, for many impressionable elementary school kids, the “what if” option is possible thanks to founder Mark Papadas and his I AM 4 Kids program. This exciting program provides young children with a remarkable opportunity to step into the full potential that confidence brings. Then, it teaches them to be socially responsible and create a project that will have a positive impact on others ~ before they’re an adult!
by jessica rabbit
What happens when you really look into the eyes of a prostitute? You see the truth of her soul.
This article could be about the estimated 2.8 million women who are prostitutes in Thailand. It could be about the fact that one-third of the Thai economy ($4.3 billion US) is directly related to prostitution.
Rather, this is about changing the lives of these 2.8 million, one woman at a time.
It’s about what happens when you choose to look another human being in the eyes and see the truth of who they are and the value they bring to the world. It’s about believing in them and loving them based on the inherent truth that they are whole, perfect and beautiful ~ even before personally meeting them.
It’s about teaching a woman to fish in a new pond ~ one filled with hope and dignity.
Narimon (na-RIH-mon), a division of ServantWorks ~ a Christian based non-profit, has a mission to get the women of Bangkok off of the streets. To educate them, teach them English and teach them a trade that pays them a fair wage so that they can support their families with dignity rather than shame. As a result, these women and girls ~ who either were forced into the Thailand sex trade industry or by their situation were at high risk to become a part of it ~ create amazingly beautiful handmade jewelry and cards.
