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Springboro 2010 Graduation Pictures

Springboro 2010 Graduation Pictures

Congratulations to the class of 2010! 323 Seniors graduated on Sunday, June 6th at the Nutter Center. As residents of Springboro, we are so proud of these graduates and what they have brought to the community!

Pictures of Sunday's event can be found at this link.

The Waiting Game

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"I keep waitin' for my ship to come in, but all that comes in is the tide."
- Lyrics from "Hard Time Losin' Man" by Jim Croce


THE WAITING GAME!

The well-known Nike commercials have hammered into our heads the phrase "Just do it!" Regardless of how you view their advertising, there is magic in the words "just do it." The real key to the message is "doing it," a.k.a. taking action. Anything you have ever desired is available to you if you will it.

Now, consider those who are constantly washed over by the "tide." Note that the lyrics in Jim Croce's song say, "I'm WAITING for my ship to come in . . ." and then, "but all that comes in is the tide." That sounds like a victim's lament, as in, "Oh poor me, here I am ready and excited, waiting for my ship to come in, and I get dumped on by the sorry tide. Bummer. How unfair." Duhh! Helloooo!

It's easy to see that "action" is the opposite of "waiting." Yet, it's so easy to do nothing - waiting passively. Action requires energy, enthusiasm, movement, and objectives, while waiting requires not even a thought.

Whether your desire (your "ship") is a relationship, wealth, a healthy body, or a new car, you must be the captain, not the port - the "master of your fate," not a tide-washed, sand-covered beach ball. Life is great! On your next trip to the beach, buy a boat, a map, and a compass, and then choose your own port of call. You'll dine at the Captain's Table every day!

Julie Beall

Replacement Therapy!

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"Fear knocked at the door, faith answered. No one was there."
~ Unattributed


REPLACEMENT THERAPY!

Ever received one of those emails that contains a touching message, then suggests that if you forward it to ten more people you'll receive a "special blessing" or "ten million dollars in three days"? It usually also warns that the last person who didn't forward it met some terrible fate at the hands of unknown evil-doers. Remember how that last part - the veiled threat - made you feel? You didn't think something awful would really happen, but you resented being put in the position of wondering.

We've been told many times that our worst fears are of the "unknown." An unidentified fear sends our imagination into high gear, conjuring up vivid mental pictures of dastardly plots against us. We ruminate endlessly over the possibilities. Such fear is disruptive to our well-being, and leaves us tired and wrung-out.

So, how do you handle fear? One method is to identify the fear, so that once you do, it is no longer "unknown." That also means it is measurable, and can be logically quantified. Once you know what it is, your imagination can no longer dream up worse things that it is not. Once identified, it is possible to determine possible outcomes.

Most fears will never come to fruition. Those that do are divided into two categories: those we can control, and those we can't. If we have control, we also have the ability to survive our fears, and change their outcomes. Most fall into that category.

One mother's lifelong advice to her daughter who worried too much was to replace the worry thought with another more pleasant thought. The opposite of fear is hope, which also gives us courage. The next time you experience fear of the unknown, try replacement therapy. Think positive, hopeful thoughts when fear knocks at the door. Then, when you open the door - no one is there!

Julie Beall

Are You Politically Correct?

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"It's important to let people know what you stand for.
It's equally important to let them know what you won't stand for.

- B. Bader

 

How careful we must be today - to avoid the slightest slight to others. If we continue, we will become totally homogenized - each looking, acting, talking, and walking like each other. The unique identity into which we were born will mellow, fade, and eventually become transparent. The gifts and talents we have to offer will be so diluted as to go unnoticed.

What ever happened to our right to speak out against wrong? Why do we allow ourselves to be hushed and shushed when we verbalize our expectation of respect from the very young? Why are we so sensitive to what "they" think of our actions when we attempt to do good?

Each of us is uniquely individual. We are one of a kind, not just an ingredient in the soup of humanity. Each of us is born with the ability to make a difference, to contribute our talent, to expect the best. We have the ability to set standards for ourselves, to choose the principles upon which we live and serve.

We also have the responsibility to teach our children "what we stand for" as well as "what we won't stand for." By unashamedly living those principles, and expecting the same from our children, we help set the course for others who have not the strength to do so. We are the example.

Political correctness, as it applies to granting full respect for others is perfectly acceptable. Political correctness, as it is often applied as a choke-chain to restrain the desire to uphold what is right, is a gross misuse of the desire for simple courtesy and politeness.

Let's just drop "political" and be correct!