tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20816576240565054692012-02-20T09:08:14.999-08:00The Front PorchCris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.comBlogger1741100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-52367897184190250842012-02-13T12:54:00.000-08:002012-02-13T12:54:25.701-08:00
I was five years old when I believed the lie that I had no
voice. I was sitting in my bedroom,
rocking on an old hobby horse, back and forth, the springs making an awful
squeaking noise, I almost couldn't hear myself thinking, “I can’t wait until I
am a grown up, so that I can be heard.”
The conversation I heard in the other room going on between
my mother and her friend made me Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-82272418914870928492012-02-10T15:11:00.000-08:002012-02-10T15:11:53.232-08:00
Head on Collision
I was a broken women; my life was shattered in a million
pieces. In a bed, on my back in a dark
dusty room crying out to God, “I don't want to die but I don't know how to
live.” It was in that very moment when
my brokenness and surrender collided. I
had come to the end of myself and the beginning of my maker. For the first time I could honesty say I heard
the Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-83876234146870536222012-02-06T15:45:00.000-08:002012-02-06T15:56:15.322-08:00Appreciation
Greetings from The Front Porch!
What have you grown to appreciate? Something I have grown to appreciate, as I have gotten older are the pockets of peaceful moments that I have learned to weave into my ever so busy days.
As a women who wears many hats and fills many roles, I am aware of how easy it is for me to be caught up in the to do's of my day.
I have learned to be intentional with my Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-81226785634104681162012-01-31T13:17:00.000-08:002012-01-31T13:19:44.390-08:00Two Ears One Mouth
One
friend, one person who is truly understanding, who takes the trouble to listen
to us as we consider our problems, can change our whole outlook on the world.
-Dr.
Elton Mayo
How many of you reading this blog
today can think of at least one person who takes the time to actively listen to
you? How many of you would say that you
are an active listener?
Two ears one mouth, listen Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-60015932224119854432012-01-30T11:33:00.000-08:002012-01-31T13:20:05.298-08:00Barriers to Communication
Part 3
Understanding roadblocks and High-Risk Responses.
People
Skills/ Dr. Robert Bolton
At first glance, some of these barriers seem quite
innocent. Praise, reassurance, logical
responses, questions, and well-intentioned advice are often thought of as positive
factors in interpersonal relations. Why,
then, do behavioral scientists think of these twelve Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-65264028337091400382012-01-29T05:30:00.000-08:002012-01-31T13:20:28.828-08:00Barriers to Communication
Part 2
Breaking free from roadblocks
to communication. 12 ways to identify
the undesirable responses that cause break down in communication and barriers
to be built.
1. Criticizing
2. Name Calling
3. Diagnosing
4. Praising Evaluatively
5. Ordering
6. Threatening
7. Moralizing
8. Excessive/Inappropriate Questioning
9. Advising
10. Diverting
11. Logical Argument
Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-81784821561116481942012-01-28T10:57:00.000-08:002012-01-28T11:26:05.526-08:00Barriers to Communication
A barrier to communication is
something that keeps meanings from conversations. Meaning barriers exist between all people,
making communication much more difficult than most people seem to realize. It is false to assume that if one can talk be
can communicate.
-Reuel Howe,
Theologian and Educator
Have you ever entered a
conversation excited and thrilled onlyCris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-58314136660486518172012-01-26T06:52:00.000-08:002012-01-26T06:52:09.581-08:00Remember
Enjoy the questions as much as the answers.
Offset what is wrong by making twice as many things right.
Do not insist on everything being your way. Life is full of surprises.
Surprises are full of life!
Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-69987467378413028012012-01-25T11:20:00.000-08:002012-01-25T11:29:41.600-08:00A Three-Hour Tour
Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale
a tale of a grateful trip,
that started with a coffee cup,
and ended with a sip.
The call came at a certain time,
The friends were sure to share,
The conversation set sail that day,
for a three hour tour,
a three-hour tour.
The chatter started getting deep,
the emotions came to head.
If not for the courage of the fearless Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-46296171233952483352012-01-24T16:31:00.000-08:002012-01-24T16:31:18.931-08:00Happy Heart-Healing Body
Greetings
From The Front Porch!
Battling
sadness “There are times when even to live is an act of bravery.”
Accident
proverb
For
those of you who are chronic pain patients, I believe that this quote rings
true to you. The days when all you can
do is lift your head from the pillow to greet the sun is the day you also need
to realize “you are brave.”
It Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-16080547003499974202012-01-23T15:32:00.000-08:002012-01-23T15:32:09.215-08:00Lighten Up
Greetings from The Front Porch,
To learn something about my dependence on technology, and
show that this is not the only way for me to live, I have chosen to avoid using
my cell phone and computer on Sundays.
For those of you who might have felt neglected or rejected
by my lack of my responding to your voice messages and emails, it was actually
for the benefit ofCris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-13664191248741085552012-01-18T12:51:00.000-08:002012-01-18T12:51:13.188-08:00"I don't feel old just outdated."
How to stay
young and age gracefully. As a woman over the age of forty I feel like I am in
a constant battle to do both. Is it
possible to stay young and grow up gracefully at the same time?
There are
false messages sent through advertisements that come in the form of
anti-aging. Our society has treated
aging as if it is a bad habit or a cold war. It is a selling tactic that keepsCris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-59607660506942406332012-01-17T06:41:00.000-08:002012-01-17T06:41:51.342-08:00Challenge
“What is the one thing, that if you achieved it over the next week or so would make you really pleased with yourself?”
I would love to hear your answer, keep it simple and straight forward.
Cris
Crisnole@hotmail.comCris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-31600406382081037862012-01-12T05:45:00.000-08:002012-01-12T05:47:21.355-08:00True Beauty
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True beauty is in the way she laughsTrue beauty is in her eyesTrue beauty is how sheCris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-34603704827905727482012-01-05T13:42:00.000-08:002012-01-05T14:03:44.565-08:00What you can do!
“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with
what you can do.”
John
Wooden
Greetings from the Front
Porch!
I love John Wooden, his
legacy of leadership and his commitment for growth is the reason I would pick
him if I had the opportunity to go back in time and spend one day with anyone,
His insight, integrity and
faith have been a guiding force in my pursuit to become a participant Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-51381382068389202682012-01-03T21:39:00.000-08:002012-01-03T21:39:04.933-08:00Walk beside me and be my friend!
Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk
in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.
Albert
Camus
Bare Naked Ladies, no I am
not talking about the music group for those of you who remember them from back
in the day.
I am actually referring to a
group I belong to of women from my community.
We started meeting a few
Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-42205149909803466802012-01-01T11:40:00.001-08:002012-01-01T11:46:32.410-08:00Happy New Year “Another fresh new
year is here . . .
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!
This bright New Year is given me
To live each day with zest . . .
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!
I have the opportunity
Once more to right some wrongs,
To pray for peace, to plant a tree,
And sing more joyful songs!”
William Arthur Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-20677451084366796762011-12-31T09:47:00.000-08:002011-12-31T14:56:02.531-08:00Lessons Learned 2011
Dear Family and Friends,
WOW, they say as we get older time seems to fly by even
faster. I am officially older because
this was the fastest year I can ever remember.
As I bring this year to a close I cant help but think about
all the lessons I have learned and all the memories I have made.
The greatest lesson I learned this year came in the form of
allowing my children toCris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-89905526121784027842011-12-21T15:39:00.000-08:002011-12-21T15:39:54.872-08:00Greetings from the Front Porch: Below is an article I recently wrote in regards to walking through the back end of the loss of my mother. For those of you who have ever lost a loved one, you will know the process it takes to step through all the emotions of grief and the relief when the day finally comes and you find that you can finally let go. Not of the memories but of the things. When youCris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-77755174799256860102011-12-14T09:57:00.000-08:002011-12-14T16:17:29.608-08:00Dwelling In the Desert!Years ago I was encouraged by a leader to take the last several days of the year off and pull away by myself and plan for the following year. Below is what came out of my pulling away on the week of December 26 2011. Here I am almost a year later, understanding the importance of planning, but not holding onto tightly to the plans.Mark out a straight path and stick to it, it being faith, Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-36032728135092156982011-12-05T13:31:00.001-08:002011-12-05T13:31:35.619-08:00Many Faces of Mrs. Sacramento!Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-41298361476911267692011-11-27T13:15:00.000-08:002011-11-27T13:15:07.075-08:00Thank You 4 Your Yes!Dear Family and Friends,I write today with a grateful heart and a spirit of gratitude for all of you who have chosen to be the hands and feet of Jesus to the least of these. As of last Sunday, we have accounted for almost 400 incarcerated sisters in regards to the Christmas card outreach. That is amazing, considering we are at the time of year where most people seem to be the busiest and spent Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-82890240907524182032011-11-17T13:42:00.000-08:002011-11-17T13:46:14.675-08:00Buried Treasures!
Deep within the fabric of the American way, buried on the outside of many towns all across America, hidden among the American dream are treasures ready to be found.
Like a piece of fabric woven together, these treasures, each one, representing brokenness behind bars, a life just waiting to be set free. I took my first step onto the prison grounds, my eyes started to well up and tearsCris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-13217707316218486982011-11-16T10:38:00.000-08:002011-11-16T10:38:26.995-08:00Who I Am!I am a woman on a mission with a passion to minister, mentor and motivate community leaders on how to advocate for the prisoners inside and outside the prison walls.
Currently I am an ordained minister with The Way of Life Ministries in Sacramento California.
National Speaker with Daughters of Destiny prison ministry.
Titleholder for Mrs. Sacramento United States preparing to run for Mrs. Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-71230159192655903302011-11-15T08:54:00.000-08:002011-11-15T12:24:59.833-08:00Blessings Behind Bars!Dear Front Porch Community,A few of you have already heard of this mission, but many have not. Daughters of Destiny national women’s prison ministry has the wonderful opportunity each year to bless Inside Daughters with a little message of love in the form of a Christmas Card.Very few inmates receive encouraging mail throughout the year let alone at Christmas when they are feeling especially Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-25944206162070580262011-11-15T08:48:00.001-08:002011-11-15T08:48:42.147-08:00Time To Fly!
I think as of yesterday I finally understand what the butterfly must feel like when it first takes flight.
Spreading my wings and flying in the direction the wind blows, trusting that God is bigger then my doubt and more faithful then my fear.
Fully confident in my calling to reach out to the least of these, the hurt, the lost the left behind. I will not be shut down or shut up Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-29303151602938512542011-09-06T12:32:00.000-07:002011-09-06T12:32:34.054-07:00Schools Is In Session!Dear Friends, just a quick note to say “hello” and a simple note to share with you my readers where I am at in this season of my life. As of last week, I am officially a student, back in the system of academia.
As someone who thrives on time management, I am loving the process of deadlines, calendar usage, to do lists and sticky notes that are needed for keeping up with class work. It is nice Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-76975770660532110982011-08-23T14:17:00.000-07:002011-08-23T14:17:48.104-07:00I Am Not Old!
Greetings from The Front Porch!
I might be middle aged but I am not old. Despite what the commercials might say or the ads might read, in God’s economy, I am young, I am youthful, and I have only just begun. Age is more of an attitude then a number, the older I get the more I find this to be true.
The look on her face was that of shock and pleasure as she sized me up, from the top of my headCris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-81627590840488881032011-08-22T13:22:00.000-07:002011-08-22T13:28:45.341-07:00Family Values
Greetings from The Front Porch!
Thank you Tony for taking the time to hear the still quiet voiceof God speak to your heart!
This is not what we will become; it is what we have become! NOLE Family Values
Never ever, give up!
Offer hospitality always!
Love God and others!
Experience life!
Never ever, give up!
2 Corinthians 4:16 (TLB)
That is why we never Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-39229151500066550982011-08-09T12:18:00.000-07:002011-08-09T12:18:00.729-07:00Sweet Spot!
Greetings From The Front Porch!
As I continue to fine tune my own dreams and passions I have come to the realization that my sweet spot is not in creating community but rather helping people put dimensions on their dreams and helping them marry their passions with their purpose.
The reason I am so passionate myself about community is that I am aware of the fact that it takes community to Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-19973017224302065852011-08-02T10:53:00.000-07:002011-08-02T10:53:02.450-07:00I will love you in my silence!
Greetings from The Front Porch!
The conversation over the phone ended with me simply saying, “I will love you in my silence.” My heart broke for my sweet precious friend on the other end of the line, for her pain and her struggle were not new to her or to me.
A conversation many years ago came floating to my mind as I hung up the phone with one friend I remembered what this older friend hadCris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-49166398789148566212011-08-01T06:37:00.000-07:002011-08-01T06:37:35.363-07:00The Challenge with Change!
Greetings from The Front Porch!
All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another.
Anatole France
As I walk away from one season and enter into another, my heart is heavy for what I do leave behind but my mind is racing a hundred miles an hour at the thought of what is to Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-91668920780876653312011-07-01T09:09:00.000-07:002011-07-01T09:09:52.983-07:00Freedom and The Fourth of July!
Greetings from The Front Porch!
Happy almost Fourth of July! We are just days away from our annual Front Porch Fireworks display, brought to you by the community of Antelope and those who love to linger on The Front Porch.
This year we decided to pool our money together to buy the mother Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-24290266426602741132011-06-28T13:49:00.000-07:002011-06-28T14:03:25.312-07:00Time to Walk and Talk!
This Sat. July 2 @ 7:00AM
OK, the peeps have spoken, Community Walk this Sat. starting from the Front Porch at 7AM! I will see if The Midnight Smoker is available. We will walk about three miles with a Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-15926807359524964462011-06-22T21:46:00.000-07:002011-06-22T21:46:06.868-07:00Hello Summer!
Greetings from The Front Porch!
Happy summer, it is finally here. Just a few weeks ago, my daughter told me she thought summer vacation should not start until it stops raining. I had to agree with her, as they ended their school year with thunderstorms and rains coats, you would have thought they were entering into winter break instead of summer vacation.
Now we are into our 28th Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-90343757182778608042011-06-19T09:15:00.000-07:002011-06-19T21:29:24.221-07:00Happy Father's Day
Greetings From The Front
A day to remember and a day to be thankful. As I sit and listen to my children prepare breakfast for my husband my own mind wonders back in time.
Early morning greetings to my gruff father who showed little emotion,that fact still never stopped all six of his children from pouring on the love and celebrating this day.
We had a tradition of baking cakes Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-16435422710539487902011-06-01T13:18:00.000-07:002011-06-01T13:18:53.628-07:00Goal Setting
Greetings From The Front Porch!
Creating S.M.A.R.T. Goals
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Specific
A specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general goal. To set a specific goal you must answer the six "W" questions:
*Who: Who is involved?
*What: What do I want to accomplish?
*Where: Identify a location.
*When: Establish a Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-15166871109866614432011-05-26T18:21:00.000-07:002011-05-26T18:28:59.172-07:00Proactive Participation In Your Health!
Water
Rest
Veggies
Working out
Greetings From The Front Porch!
How many of you had goals that you declared back in the beginning of the year? Some of us resolved to lose a certain amount of weight, eat better, sleep more, and rest well. “This will be the year I finally quit---------!” We start out with Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-54333610689972300342011-05-25T11:51:00.000-07:002011-05-25T11:59:46.289-07:00Summer Time Is Here!
Resources Below
http://holidays.kaboose.com/summer/http://www.familiesonlinemagazine.com/teens/
Greetings From The Front Porch!
Are you excited or what? Summer time is here and kids are getting ready to settle into home as if they were bears getting ready to hibernate for the season. Let’s be honest, how many of you dread this time of year?
It was not that long ago that just the thought Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-14581236025907417942011-05-19T06:25:00.000-07:002011-05-19T06:25:37.138-07:00Guest Blogger Patricia Koza
Greetings From The Front Porch!
Since The Front Porch is about creating and connecting so we can live in community as we gather and grow, for a reason, season or a lifetime. I have challenged a few of my besties to step outside their comfort zone and put the pen to the paper or should I say the finger to the keys. Though we are not professional writers or trained storytellers, we Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-58282450395410582522011-05-18T08:06:00.000-07:002011-05-18T16:42:14.078-07:00Nothing Hits The Spot!Greetings from The Front Porch!
A gentle reminder, The Front Porch is more about an attitude rather than an actual place. An attitude that two are better than one. It is possible to experience The Front porch from a distance. So relax, read and enjoy the view. I hope you find The Front Porch an amazing place to visit!
Nothing Hits The Spot!
Nothing hits the spot like a good cup of Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-2828659104345248692011-05-12T10:10:00.000-07:002011-05-19T06:42:41.005-07:00Beauty Into My Brokenness
Greetings from The Front Porch!
Flowers are those little colorful beacons of the sun from which we get sunshine when dark, somber skies blanket our thoughts. ~Dodinsky
I never thought that flowers could mean so much and speak so loudly when given at just the right time for just the right reason. The smell of this particular bouquet made my nose want more as the sweet sent lingered in the Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-54052020385415304192011-05-11T20:14:00.000-07:002011-05-13T13:47:35.751-07:00Grief and Gratitude Collide!
Greetings from The Front Porch!
We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey.
~Kenji Miyazawa
Tick tock, tick tock, the sound of the clock in the background sends a message to my brain that time is still moving, yet why does it feel like it has stood still?
Why it is when life becomes hard and death becomes the theme, when grief is gripping at ones heart that Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-21595509439022166792011-05-10T13:31:00.000-07:002011-05-19T06:40:12.554-07:00Daily DozenGreetings From The Front Porch!
Many people have asked me recently about how I keep myself focused on the God stuff over the good stuff. So, below is what I call my Daily Dozen taken from one of my favorite authors/speakers John Maxwell. This is a list I keep close to me at all times, going over it, reevaluating why I do and making sure that my what’s line up with my why. Feel free to have fun Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-24948821587734714322011-05-07T21:16:00.000-07:002011-05-19T06:41:39.197-07:00Rise and Shine!
Greetings from The Front Porch!
One by one they arrived on The Front Porch. The crust of sleep barely off their eyelids, “it seemed like a good idea at the time,” came from one of the voices in the group in regards to their yes just days before.
If we were in the middle of the country I believe a rooster would have been crowing at the very moment we chose to step of the sidewalk Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-37097301889709798412011-04-28T19:27:00.000-07:002011-05-19T06:44:12.256-07:00Feet on The Front Porch!Greetings from the Front Porch!
Feet on The Front Porch, that is the best way to describe what it felt like to enter into my morning with a dear friend who said yes to an invite.
Tap, tap, tap, came the noise from the Front Porch window, it was just a few minutes past the changing of the guard when I looked up and saw the biggest smile and brightest eyes looking through my window and waving atCris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-30698041035500123262011-04-18T08:10:00.000-07:002011-04-18T09:47:15.944-07:00Healing Rain!Greetings from The Front Porch!
Healing rain is a real touch from God. It could be physical healing or emotional or whatever.
Michael W. Smith
The cold hard cement pressed against my hot sweaty back as I lay down to stretch the muscles in my legs, I hoped as I laid there that I wasn’t in an oil spot left from the car, but my muscles needed stretching more than my clothes needed to be kept Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-17250205979009480172011-04-12T21:55:00.001-07:002011-04-12T21:55:42.830-07:00Preserving Porches"Porches are as synonymous with American culture as apple pie.
While not unknown in colonial times, they rose to nationwide popularity
in the decades before the Civil War, and remained in fashion for almost
one hundred years. Ironically, the very social and technological forces that
made them both popular and possible were eventually responsible for their decline."
-- from Kahn, Preserving Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-56910014402825281842011-04-02T21:37:00.000-07:002011-04-12T15:06:48.529-07:00Sometimes I thank God, for unanswered prayers!Greetings From The Front Porch!
When a sad song is not sad anymore, when putting one foot in front of the other does not cause me to freeze and when I finally love being me that is what 42 years young looks like!
Today I celebrate 42 years of life on this great big ball called planet earth. When the words celebrate leave my fingers and form on my screen, I cannot help but smile to myself and Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-9780863283086912062011-03-30T08:00:00.000-07:002011-03-30T08:04:37.442-07:00Living In My Why!
Greetings from The Front Porch!
The weeks leading up to the conference brought me to my knees, good thing He promises to show up best in my weakness. A bomb threat, news of a friend’s terminal illness, the loss of a life an almost head on collision and revolving illnesses throughout the home with my children.
These were just a few of the trials that led up to the day of the Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-57178495280566334352011-02-22T21:14:00.001-08:002011-02-22T21:16:07.693-08:00Got Friends!Circle of Friends:
By: Point of Grace
Dedicated to all those amazing friends God has blessed me with!
-----------------------------------------
We were made to love and be loved
But the price this world demands
Will cost you far too much
I spent so many lonely years
Just trying to fit in
Now I've found a place in this circle of friends
In a circle of friends
We have one Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-9881872039738989662011-02-17T12:02:00.000-08:002011-02-17T12:02:52.331-08:00Smudges, smears and fingerprints!
Greetings From the Front Porch!
Have you ever had a friend speak an amazing word over your child and about your child and you thought to yourself, "They must be thinking of someone else’s kid"?
Life had caught both of us off guard, days turned into months and months into a few years. However, as we sat together it felt like old times, we folded into the moment and started sharingCris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-57935052718090624162011-02-05T16:30:00.000-08:002011-02-05T16:30:52.884-08:00Happy Saturday!Greetings from the Front Porch!
Happy Saturday my friends, it is a beautiful sunny after noon here in Sacramento, thank you God, just what I prayed for. It seems like lately all we have had is fog, which is hard to get excited about in the morning when trying to get up and go.
It almost feels like a tease, just enough to get us through until the springtime and just enough to remind us that Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-13145842097029904092011-01-31T15:21:00.000-08:002011-01-31T15:21:08.090-08:00Greetings From The Front Porch!
Thank you all for your prayers, they were felt as I traveled up the cost and into Humboldt County. Boy is it good to be home and back in my own bed.
OK, so the question I have is this. How could something that looks good from the outside be so toxic on the inside? Looks sure can be deceiving can’t they? My goal for the trip was to take care of some of my Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-39942352849102123212011-01-24T08:57:00.000-08:002011-01-24T08:57:03.918-08:00Humboldt Fog!
Greetings from the Front Porch!
The fog has just lifted over the riverbed here in Humboldt County and I can see the cattle roaming the hillside, eating their morning breakfast of grass and hay while leaving a distinct odor that only a country girl could appreciate.
As much as I love nature, I do wish I were my front porch kissing my kids goodbye as they headed off to school ratherCris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-39304958628357133972011-01-19T08:11:00.000-08:002011-01-19T08:11:13.770-08:00From The Surf to The Slopes!Greetings from the Front Porch!
Well, I went from the surf to the slope within twenty-four hours, now that is living in the moment. My husband and I took off to Santa Cruz on Friday morning and spent three days enjoying one another and ourselves as well as connecting with some old friends who have a place on the cliffs over looking the ocean. There is nothing like starting of the morning in theCris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-34112826147065428442011-01-13T20:59:00.000-08:002011-01-13T20:59:00.029-08:00The Future From The Front Porch!
Greetings from the Front Porch!
Are you ready to find your future while sitting on the front porch! Are you ready to understand how being still and trusting God can give you the opportunity to actually walk out your God given passion and purpose for this life?
Today is the future, does that sound right? The future sounds like tomorrow but in fact, this very moment is the Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-41956944964064432352011-01-12T20:48:00.000-08:002011-01-12T21:03:03.003-08:00Birthday BroccoliGreetings From The Front Porch!
It was the deepest brightest green I had ever seen, the handle of the gift was thick and cold and the texture was bumpy and soft. “Would she really love her present?” Most people want chocolate cake, possibly even vanilla ice cream to celebrate the day of their birth but as I listened well and lived in the moment, I realized that if I brought her cake Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-21434431690370949792011-01-11T18:10:00.000-08:002011-01-11T18:10:59.247-08:00Band-Aids, Kisses and Daddy!Greetings From The Front Porch!
I got up to turn off the lights, she got up to get me and we met somewhere in the middle. As we made eye contact, I could see that she had been crying, her eyes were swollen and her cheeks were red, something had been bothering my fifteen-year-old daughter.
As she got up and was on her way to my room to wake me up at the very same moment, I had stepped outside myCris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-51138808468641892552011-01-10T19:58:00.000-08:002011-01-10T19:58:56.788-08:00Manic Monday!Greeting From the Front Porch!
Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
Have you ever struggled with your faith at the beginning of something? Have you ever thought on Sunday about Monday, “this is it, I will not be shaken?” Only to find yourself worn out, beat up and drained from trusting your check marks, to-do-lists and calendar more then your creatorCris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-80546545279290202452011-01-06T15:44:00.000-08:002011-01-08T15:47:27.990-08:00Finances and The Front Porch!Greetings from the Front Porch!
Part 4
Faith, family, friends and today is finances. You may ask what do finances have to do with the front porch? At first glance, I would have to say, nothing. However, as I sat and pondered about the porch and my pocket book I am moved by the thought of how rich I really am, not necessarily financially but relationally.
There was a time not so very long agoCris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-43388856443095513532011-01-05T11:49:00.000-08:002011-01-05T11:49:42.634-08:00Friendship is the foundation of the front porch!Greetings from the Front Porch!
Make new friends but keep the old; some are silver and the other gold! I will never forget the first time I heard that song, being young and foolish I thought it was rather corny, but as I sat down to share today about how the front porch fits into friendships, I could hear this little tune being hummed in my head.
My front porch for years use to be an Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-48480666825651316502011-01-04T22:18:00.000-08:002011-01-04T22:18:53.217-08:00Greetings from the Front Porch!Once again, I am speaking figuratively because today there was warning of ice forming on the sidewalk. Being outdoors was not an option for someone who lives for three digit days.
Therefore, today from the warmth of my sanctuary inside my home and from a philosophy of the front porch, I will share with you how this family uses the front porch to draw closer together, learning to use the simpleCris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-82419416864630130102011-01-03T12:01:00.000-08:002011-01-03T12:05:31.411-08:00Greetings from the Front Porch!OK, I am not actually out on the front porch but I have come to realize that The Front Porch is not just a place but also an attitude, a philosophy of community. The Front Porch has become a place where people can join in creating community, for a reason a season or a lifetime.
I have spent the last several months just pressing into prayer and asking God to reveal to me my greatest passion in Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-9475771032631711092010-12-06T10:54:00.000-08:002010-12-06T15:39:30.564-08:007 Years!
One gold coin placed in my hand, the Roman numeral 7 with the word years were engraved on the front and my grace is enough for you was engraved on the back. I wrapped my fingers around the token and I said a silent prayer of thanksgiving to the one who paid the price to set me free.
Last night I received my recovery coin, seven years of walking through the process of recovering Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-348536188697926512010-12-01T09:19:00.000-08:002010-12-01T09:19:26.929-08:00Sometimes life just hurts!The song the Christmas shoes were just ending on the car radio and I could not hold my tears back any longer. I pulled into a parking spot, gripped the steering wheel and felt the heartache of the realization that this would be the first Christmas without my mother the emotions broke through the cold morning air and childhood memories from Christmas past came rushing at me like a stampede of Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-67080074474376953932010-11-16T13:17:00.000-08:002010-11-16T13:17:16.320-08:00More Than A Habit!“How do you know when your habit has become an addiction?” Yes, I was talking to myself once again. A question I presented to myself in the most delicate manner as I was driving home from physical therapy session.
“Should I still be lifting weights?” This question was asked by me but not to me this time but rather to my therapist just before my session ended.
I asked this because of the Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-55319814572392298372010-11-15T09:56:00.000-08:002010-11-15T09:56:53.956-08:00A Preighbor!Anyone can be a neighbor but it takes a very special person to be a preighbor! A neighbor lives next to your house a preighbor lives next to your heart.
“Do you know what I love most about Chris?" A question my fifteen-year-old daughter presented me with, one early morning as she was recovering from a bought of dehydration and a trip to the emergency room.
Of course, I thought! Chris, beingCris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-92077023321360898692010-11-09T15:01:00.000-08:002010-11-09T15:01:36.785-08:00Question Of The Day!A beautiful dance happens when two people experience life together, in its fullest. There is nothing more true to this then when those two people are grown adult siblings, namely my brother Pat and I.
Life filtered through the lens of our childhood past and present memories, our experiences over the last few days made for delicious story, full of aroma and flavor. The sent of our childhood Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-25782268089125796662010-11-04T08:16:00.000-07:002010-11-04T08:16:22.419-07:00On The Other Side Of The Bed!
The good news is she was just dehydrated. She had been fighting a headache for over 24 hours, chills and a slight fever. They gave her fluids and something for the pain and released her within a few hours.
That was the prayer as we left the house in the middle of the night, doctor’s orders over the phone, E.R. bound. Because of her complaint of pain in the neck and eyes and her lack of Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-26412784424658777982010-11-01T12:24:00.000-07:002010-11-01T12:24:35.202-07:00She Is Married!
I cannot believe it has been over a week since our daughter became a wife! She was simply stunning, a beautiful bride married to an amazing man! Here are just a few photos, I will post more as they come in. I was blessed to be part of the special day, from the makeup to the hair do to the I do! I shed only a few tears during the ceremony but the flood of uncontrollable tears came during the Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-84320873837114255842010-10-07T11:38:00.000-07:002010-10-07T11:38:30.162-07:00Oatmeal makes me sad.How can a bowl of oatmeal make me sad? Why do warm peaches, wet blueberries and salty cereal make me want to cry?
She would take the bowls out, I would pour the milk, she would measure the fruit and I would cook the cereal. I would grab the saltshaker and she would lecture me on my health. This simple habit was part of our morning routine for almost a year and the very reason why oatmeal makesCris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-55086675190188789462010-09-03T15:17:00.001-07:002010-09-03T15:17:59.526-07:00Day Of Rest!Today was my day of rest, my Sabbath if you will. Instead of taking off to the hills of Auburn, I decided to stick close to home and instead of going to Auburn, I created an Auburn moment just blocks away. With my journal in one hand and my computer in another, I headed to the local coffee shop and open shopping center to sit in the sun and soak up the surrounding.
Finding Auburn for me Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-36283107006218458552010-08-25T12:54:00.000-07:002010-08-25T12:54:33.998-07:00Going Back In Time!Shalom!
His bed if you would call it that, was a plastic box hooked up to machines and monitors’ that took on a life of their own. I could hear the sounds of his roommates crying from their little plastic boxes as well, all just waiting to be held, fed or changed. The smell of sterilized plastic lingered in every corner of the room. The look in the eyes of the other parents coming to visit Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-91563301629948980012010-08-24T14:52:00.000-07:002010-08-24T14:52:24.539-07:00Navigating Through The Teen Years!
1. Listen well.
2. Ask good.
3. Pause often.
4. Start all over.
My daughter arrived home from school, plopped herself down on her usual spot and took on that usual look of “I need to talk to you.” Without saying any words the look in my eyes told her I was ready to listen, to give her my full attention. She opened her mouth and began to share about her day, her time on campus, in the Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-67499729034563131362010-08-19T12:07:00.000-07:002010-08-20T07:49:00.054-07:00YES!It’s not fair! I wanted to throw myself on the floor as if I were two years old again and just heard no for the first time. I wanted to throw out all I knew to be true and just bathe myself in a pity party, a full blown adult tempter tantrum was just waiting to be released.
That is when I decided I would go for a walk and get out of my own head, me, myself and I don’t usually do well there when Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-21009544279255510942010-08-16T16:13:00.000-07:002010-08-16T16:13:07.155-07:00Embracing the call!We are on the second week back to school. One in Jr. and another in High School not to mention preparing for a wedding for our oldest. This is a new season for us as a family. I am embracing the call of being home and being present for my children when they walk through the front door as well as my husband. How do I do that? I have to say no too many things right now and yes to the most importantCris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-49587212009995337072010-07-04T17:33:00.000-07:002010-07-04T17:33:35.206-07:00"Living Life"
"Life is not a race - but indeed a journey. Be honest. Work hard. Be choosy. Say 'thank you', 'I love you' and 'great job' to someone each day. Go to church, take time for prayer. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh. Let your handshake mean more than pen and paper. Love your life and what you've been given, it is not accidental - search for your purpose and do it as best you can. Dreaming doesCris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-45928183577250120492010-06-28T14:38:00.000-07:002010-06-28T15:19:05.630-07:00"Easier Said Then Done"“Easier said then done,” those were the thoughts that rolled around in my head as I hit enter on the key pad of my computer. Live in the moment! Pressing into the pause! Embrace the now! Carefully chosen words were posted on my page to encourage others who came by to peak at and possibly pick up a few tools. As I encouraged those who have chosen life to now start living life, I realized that as ICris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-18175178864002791212010-06-26T20:54:00.001-07:002010-06-26T21:00:47.212-07:00Welcome To The Change!As I step out of one season and into another, I decided to let the season flow over into my blog as well. I love how God comes along and gently allows certain doors to shut and giant chapters to come to an end. I have spent the last several years drawing closer to my creator through the wonderful world of running and all of a sudden, that running has come to a stop. Once again, I have to stand Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-41412013013678848382010-06-24T13:22:00.001-07:002010-06-26T20:32:56.947-07:00Under Construction!!!!!!!!!!Friends, as you can see, my blog is undergoing a few changes. Please be patient with me as I focus on His Face and try to become as purposeful and intentional about my posts.Thank you all for your love and support over the last several years, cheering me on as I ran my race.Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-68797588727973095132010-05-31T09:40:00.000-07:002010-06-02T09:50:32.260-07:00The GardenIt was the very first morning in over two weeks that I finally felt hope, the flavor of the day had entered back into my morning routine and I found that I could taste life once again as I rolled out of bed and into the beginning of a new day. The joy that was so much part of my everyday life was back, I was doing a little dance in my heart as I sat in my reading room taking in the moment and Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-26293343918002491002010-05-30T08:17:00.000-07:002010-05-30T08:21:47.369-07:00My Mom“When I stopped seeing my mother with the eyes of a child, I saw the woman who helped me give birth to myself.” -Nancy Friday "A mother is not a person to lean on, but a person to make leaning unnecessary." -Dorothy Canfield FisherIt was my honor and privilege to have spent the last twelve months of my mom’s life with her when she came to live with my family and me last May. Because she chose to Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-75940038548536730912010-05-01T00:37:00.000-07:002010-05-01T00:41:40.504-07:00 These are pictures I took this morning from the Dead Sea, who would have thought, I sat an watch the sun come up from the shore of the Dead Sea!!!! What an amazing experience. I will try to write an entry in the next few days. It has been the most life chaning trip I have ever taken. I am on my way to the Sea of Galalie and then to Nazareth.Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-79498660885589787902010-04-18T09:07:00.001-07:002010-04-18T09:08:48.783-07:00Living In The WhySo it wasn't the sea of Galilee but it was the American River. What is it about water that brings our soul to a place of peace and inner rest? What is it about water that makes us feel alive and well, strong and courageous and able to open up and share things we typically would no share in the hustle and bustle of our busy day on land away from the flow?Yesterday I was suppose to be in Israel andCris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-28547537305535462942010-04-04T22:08:00.000-07:002010-04-07T09:45:19.255-07:00Living in the moment, trusting God with our future! If someone would have told me last week that I would be posting pictures of our family and friends gathering around my mother smiling along with her, I would not have believed it myself. However, since I am the one posting and since I am also one in the pictures as well, I am here to say once again that God shows up best right in the middle of Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-22499616897011523132010-04-03T00:49:00.001-07:002010-04-03T00:50:47.524-07:00Close your eyes and make a wish!Close your eyes and make a wish, we all know the routine. It is hard for me to believe that I celebrated my 41st birthday today. I remember when I was younger being told that time would go by faster as I got older but this is crazy. It seems like only yesterday when I was sitting down in this exact spot, propped up in my big blue chair, computer in my lap ending my day and making fun of what Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-72733473808876736752010-03-16T17:34:00.000-07:002010-03-16T17:47:11.105-07:00Thank you all for your prayers through this process, the power of the Pez and the decision to be fully naked while still wearing clothes has produced this beautiful book. I had the honor and privilege of being part of the process of the book as well as allowing my story to be told. Loving this race! Tears of healing continue to flow from deep inside as I see my story in black and white. Thank youCris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-44009084995055344742010-03-10T07:44:00.000-08:002010-03-10T07:51:14.136-08:00"Say Cheese!"“Say cheese!” Those were the words that ran through my head as my family informed me of the very innocent but toxic mistake I made just a few nights ago as they sat down to eat the gourmet dinner I had prepared. From the top of the stairs my husbands voice could be heard through out the house, “your going to love this one” it was in the tone that told me someone did something and it was probably Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-52445688965001010762010-02-25T19:39:00.001-08:002010-02-25T19:48:59.234-08:00Big Foot!Today is the day we celebrate in the Nole household, or at least my 12-year-old son believes we should be and as his mother, I am. Today is the first time since he was a toddler that I had to buy him new shoes not because he wore them out but because he out grew them. This is a big deal to my up and coming teenage son. He wants to be a man so bad but is still such a boy. As he put on his new pairCris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-1981190854203645132010-02-23T14:27:00.001-08:002010-02-23T14:27:24.270-08:00Prison Populations and Recidivism - Governor Arnold SchwarzeneggerPrison Populations and Recidivism - Governor Arnold SchwarzeneggerPosted using ShareThisCris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-35295651958246245792010-01-21T12:35:00.000-08:002010-01-21T12:36:42.149-08:00Our Point Of View!Why do we find it so hard to walk away from letting others really know “our point of view” and run like a bat out of hell when God gently taps us on the shoulder to say, “Excuse me daughter/son…could you please move? You’re in my way.”? I believe, it has a lot to do with perspective. The Encarta dictionary explains perspective as this…a particular evaluation of something; a situation or facts Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-62464689830721736472010-01-12T21:38:00.001-08:002010-01-12T21:40:19.776-08:00Nothing Tastes as good as skinny feels! Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels. Try asking that as a question to the 3,000 children who head home every Friday from school, knowing that their skinny feeling is not by choice, their hunger pains they can’t prevent and the next meal they look forward to will not be until they arrive back at school on Monday.This was just one statistic we heard today as a team of us went to Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-32951789730120226742010-01-09T15:20:00.000-08:002010-01-09T15:39:01.988-08:00Pausing In The Moment! This has to be one of my favorite parts about Running My Race. Pausing in the moment and reaching out to others. Today I had the privilege of celebrating our friends 30th birthday, not with a cake and a party but rather by serving those in our community who are in need.The warehouse that stores the food for this actual food bank was huge. Boxes and boxes of food stored all the Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-89709355117581504152010-01-06T12:30:00.001-08:002010-01-06T12:32:44.896-08:00Deliberately Running My Race! My Story For 2010Cris Perez-NoleRunning My Race"Let Us Run With Perseverance The Race That Is Set Before Us..."Hebrews 12:1My shoes have been tied, my muscles have been stretched and the gun has gone off, the race has begun! This is the year of Running My Race! I will Run The Race that has been set before me, with purpose and intentionCris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-30017242188376262312010-01-01T19:06:00.000-08:002010-01-01T19:17:22.444-08:00The Gun Goes Off!On your mark, get set, go! The gun goes off and race begins. Happy 2010. So many goals, so many dreams. I can't wait to see what this New Year will be like. I am learning so much about my voice and the story I have been called to live. Below is a list of core values that I came up with while I was away for a few days. My life mission statement and goals will reflect these values and help me to Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-58306347606126516502009-12-30T20:30:00.001-08:002010-01-01T07:33:57.407-08:00Don't Be Next!Don’t be next! 92 people lost their lives and many of the deaths were preventable if the people had just listened to the warning. If they had just followed the signs and trusted that, others knew what just might be best for them. Stay behind, stay away and respect! Those are clear directions, yet they still did not head the warning and it cost them their life. As I looked over the sign and onto Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-36285574695143390452009-12-01T21:43:00.000-08:002009-12-01T21:53:25.818-08:00Letting Go So I Can Be! Have any of you ever given something up, only to take it back again? A good friend of mine brought me a book to read this past Sunday, written by a local Pastor and in it, he spoke of coming to the Lord daily empty handed. As I read those words, I was quickly convinced, put the book down and realized that the heaviness of my day and the weight of the load I had started to feel was from my own Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-2454728848363517992009-11-30T21:23:00.000-08:002009-11-30T21:29:07.378-08:00Happy Birthday Daughter!I cannot believe my girl turned 14 today. We started out at Starbucks, worked our way to the mall and then ended up at BJ's for dinner. The most precious thing she said was to her 12-year-old brother, while shopping at the mall today she looked at him and said, "The best gift is you just being here with me." Now anyone who knows my 12-year-old son knows what a big deal this was. He did not Cris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081657624056505469.post-80215313008843360972009-10-30T12:10:00.001-07:002009-10-30T12:11:38.921-07:00Un-Spoken RulesMy heart is broken and I engaged in a bribe just so that I could feel free to post today the devastation I went through as my 12-year-old boy told me to shut up. Well, those were not the exact words he spoke to me but he might as well have said them, when through the changing room door I heard his half boy half-man voice come out loud and clear “could you please stop talking?” “Ouch!” What did ICris Nolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705911733588533757noreply@blogger.com0