Headlines announce the news of the day.

You a Jersey Shore fan?  Did you know that  ‘Jersey Shore’ star Snooki was hit with $7 Million lawsuit?

Maybe you love Jersey but don’t care about Jersey Shore. Did you know that, All 5 aboard a plane died when it crashed ON an interstate highway in New Jersey?  Or, maybe you heard that Jersey-born Jon Bon Jovi was dead?

We want to know accurate information.  We want to know the truth.

The Truth

No, Jon Bon Jovi is not dead.

Tazzy, known as Taz, was part of our family for almost fourteen years. A miniature schnauzer, Taz was a big dog in a little dog body. Energetic, animated and friendly Taz enjoyed playing and enjoyed people.

Taz is the one with the big smile on the far right in the photo.

Some dogs are inside dogs, other dogs are outside dogs, Taz lived in our house. When he was a puppy he slept in his dog crate; a large metal cage with one-inch square mesh. Comfortably cushioned Taz’s crate was safe place for him to sleep, to find security and to stay out of trouble.

My Top 5 values are Family, Friendship, Love, and Religious Beliefs, with Security edging out Peace and Self-Respect for the fifth spot, but sometimes I screw that up.

Several people I’ve talked to this week told me about their attitude toward parents, relatives, siblings and fellow customers in stores.

Did you want to be loving and blow it?

Did you want to be caring and seemed crabby?

Did you plan to not be a Black Friday freak, but you freaked out anyway?

There’s hope!

I’m behind a day because I’m thinking through the topic of “Bold Love”. The notion of “caring enough to confront” is not a new one, I just want to handle it wisely.

Healthy role models break the cycle of shame. 

They emotionally and spiritually empower healthy communities.

How can you recognize a safe, healthy church, synagogue, workplace or family?

Here are ten attributes of healthy communities:

Feel empathy
Exude warmth
Demonstrate genuineness
Are emotionally stable
Are caring & supportive
Promote and practice honesty
Have appropriate expectations
Maintain respectful boundaries
Persevere through inevitable relationship challenges
And, love one another

I love listening to my old music.  I love breaking out a Bruce Springsteen concert or playing Rush’s La Villa Strangiato.

I also love learning about newer artists. 

Recently my son Josh’s girlfriend Taylor introduced me to metalcore bands I hadn’t heard.  Now I listen to Acacia Strain, Asking Alexandria, Dead By April, and Motionless in White.  I admit, they won’t make the daily list, but they will spin in my media player.

By the way, what music are you listening to that I should consider listening to too?

Deep Music

Back in town and back online, I’m torn. 

I have to finish my lesson plan for tonight — and send out sixty text invitations — for tonight.

I also want to write about my kids. 

They often lost out because I was trying to help someone else.

Today, they’re coming first.

Shannon and Josh have been bedrock cornerstones of our family. 

Shannon, now twenty one, has spent many years in our family listening, arguing, teasing, negotiating, following, avoiding and ignoring our rules.  Fortunately, she’s generally chosen wisely.  She is admired by almost everyone who knows her for her character and her compassionate charisma. 

I grew up in suburban Chicago with my Mom and Dad, and sister, Kristie.

Looking for Faith

Our family has Lutheran roots, but we were not regular church attendees.

When I was seven years old I was invited by my neighbors to Grace Community Church. 

John Schulmeister was the first person I remember hearing say, “Jesus Christ died for your sins.” That night I asked Jesus to forgive my sins.

I remember it seemed like an obvious decision. I knew that I had sinned. I trusted that Jesus was willing to forgive my sins, and asked him to do so.

Yesterday “My Story” captured parents, presents and my pigeon-toed childhood.  You’ll find it here.

Today you’ll meet my sister Kristie.

My Sister

I grew up in suburban Chicago with my mom, dad, and sister, Kristie. 

This is my sister Kristie and me.  It’s one of my favorite pictures of us together.  I would like to say we were always this sweet, cute and happy.

We often were, unless I was being selfish, impatient or a brat.  You know, I really love my sister and I always have, but somehow in the midst of wanting to control the TV — or something else equally trivial — stupid attitudes intervened far too often.

You learn from your parents, and your children, nieces and nephews will learn from you.  What will they learn?  Will they see success or will they see you slide? Will you reject accountability and let your pride slide you away from what really matters into an unseen hardships?

Continuing our series on freedom using quotes from the movie Braveheart, allow Princess Isabelle to lead the query, “The king will be dead in a month and his son is a weakling. Who do you think will rule this kingdom?”

That’s the question that faced David as he passed his kingship to his son Solomon.