Hope for the World

Posted byHanging on to HopePosted inHanging on to HOPE - from Acknowledgement to Action

For me, the month of December initiates and launches a special season of Caring and Sharing and a renewal of Faith and Hope that our world and the individuals within it will experience Peace.

Our nation and the world in which we live and breathe appear to be more divided and divisive than ever before. We have seemingly become entrenched in our own opinions, thoughts and beliefs and refuse to look for common ground with those we disagree with.

These are choices we make. But we have the opportunity to choose a different path instead of staying entrenched in negativity, hate, and intolerance and start listening to individuals who we disagree with and respect their opinions and their right to express them. 

It is up to us, individually, to choose our reactions and responses rather than closing our minds and hearts to others.

There is HOPE for our nation and the World if we:

CHOOSE to Listen

CHOOSE to Believe

CHOOSE to have Faith

CHOOSE to Care

CHOOSE to Share and

CHOOSE to ACT with love, honor, and respect.

Choose your response!

Updates for December have been included on the following “Hanging on to Hope” web pages:

  • Punchlines

       Simon and Specs friend, Sally joins them again this month in the Cartoon section:

  • The HOPE and HUMOR section features two authors, Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas, who combined to write an excellent guidebook entitled Humor Seriously:  Why Humor is a Secret Weapon in Business and in Life. We’ve highlighted a few insights from the guidebook which articulate the importance of humor in all aspects of our lives.
  • And you won’t want to miss our featured “PUNSTER OF THE MONTH”, John G. Moore, who has been including a weekly pun on his Facebook pages since 2010. John has included many of these puns in his recently published book, Puns for Groan People. A few samples are included in the “PUNSTER” section on the Punchlines page.
  • Our Book Summaries page includes brief summaries of Your Greatest Power by J. Martin Kohe and THE CHOICE: Embrace the Possible by Dr. Edith Eva Eger. Both books deal with our power to choose. J. Martin Kohe claims that our power to chose our thoughts, beliefs, attitudes and actions is the greatest power we have and Dr. Eger would almost certainly concur with Kohe’s assessment.  Having survived the holocaust and ultimately chosen a life of service as a therapist, Dr. Egar made a decision to choose her responses and reflects this in the title and contents of her book.  As she emphatically states:

“What happened can never be forgotten and can never be changed. But over time I learned that I can choose how to respond to the past.  I can be miserable, or I can be hopeful – I can be depressed, or I can be happy. We always have that choice, that opportunity for control.”

Eger, Dr. Edith Eva ( 2017),  THE CHOICE: Embrace the Possible.  Scribner / Simon & Schuster, New York, NY. page 6. 

May you Choose . . .

To Experience the Hope contained within this Holiday Season and

Share your incredible Life with others!

Gregory Charles Reynolds

December, 2021

Published by Hanging on to Hope

Gregory Charles Reynolds has been on a spiritual quest for most of his life. As a student at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota, he studied religion, philosophy, and art. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hamline in 1971 and has a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Minnesota. After a rewarding 32-year career working in the Finance and Education and Training organizations within 3M Company, he retired in 2007. In 2016, he came out of retirement to work for a non-profit organization and subsequently "retired" a second time in 2020. Gregory is no stranger to adversity and the struggle we each face to not only survive, but attempt to thrive under adverse conditions and circumstances. Recovering from a heart attack in 2008, he found renewed strength, support and belief in the power of an awesome God. He could not have done this alone, and is extremely grateful to family members and friends who guided him through a difficult time. Having witnessed the effects of illnesses and diseases like cancer on close friends and family members, he is constantly reminded that adversity impacts not only the patient or victim, but also those who care about the health and wellbeing of others. Believing that adversity in all our lives is not optional, Greg has continued his quest to find meaning and purpose in life and has established this website and blog to create hope in the future for all of us.

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