Happy Friday, RISERS! I hope this week has been good to you. We have made it almost all the way through 2021, and 2022 will be here before we know it. Lots of things are happening at my house, and the biggest one is that my oldest son is moving into his first apartment. I know that parents are usually happy about such things, but this mama is a bit emotional. With three weeks left until Christmas Eve, I hope you get your holiday game on and enjoy the weekend.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quote of the week<\/strong>: \u201cA good conscience is a continual Christmas.\u201d \u2013Benjamin Franklin<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Movie of the week<\/strong>: This week I would like to recommend the movie\u00a0It\u2019s a Wonderful Life<\/em>, starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed. Every year, my family makes time to watch this Christmas classic. One thing that strikes me the most in this story is that when George and Mary each throw a rock at an abandoned house, in the belief that breaking a window entitles them to make a wish, only one of them has a wish come true. For Mary to get what she wished for, George had to basically give up his dreams. This seems to happen at times in real life, too. We should never stop dreaming, and we need to give ourselves permission to shoot for the moon. I hope you will enjoy this movie and will know that you make a difference in the lives of those around you.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joke of the week<\/strong>: What is the difference between the Christmas alphabet and the regular alphabet? The Christmas alphabet has noel.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nugget of Wisdom for the week<\/strong>: This week I want to talk about finding that thing you love to do. I enjoy many things, but writing has become my favorite. Since October of 2020, I have created six different stories. Each story is filled with love and with characters you don\u2019t know how you feel about, finding themselves in situations that you wonder how they managed to get into. For you, that special thing you love may be drawing. For someone else, it may be making the next tasty side dish for an outing with friends. Make the time to explore what makes you happy, then keep doing that. The Christmas season is filled with opportunities to share your special talents with others!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Podcast of the week<\/strong>:\u00a0\u00a0It is a huge honor for me to share with you a link to a podcast by my friend Simon Benn, who lives in England. His program\u00a0Thriving Adoptees<\/em>\u00a0provides inspiration for adoptees and adoptive parents, and he has generously agreed to share one of his podcasts with RiseUP on the first Friday of every month. In episode one, Simon describes how a seemingly innocuous event kickstarted a learning journey that led him to heal and then want to help others.\u00a0Click here<\/a>\u00a0to listen as Simon introduces himself and tells why understanding what we do and how we feel can influence the pursuit of our dreams.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have a great week. Remember, you are most awesome and YOU ROCK!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marion Rhines is a foster-turned-adoptive parent. She lives in Knoxville, Tenn., with her husband and five children. She has written and published two children\u2019s books as well as two foster-care-themed novels. She has a Facebook blog, Tips from the FLIP Side, and enjoys working with children of all ages.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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