Tag Archives: lake austin

Class Highlight: Lake Escape

Lake Escape

Leader Kathleen Parker

If you are in need of the perfect mid-week mini-“stay-cation” then Lake Escape is for you!
Set on beautiful Lake Austin, our class heads out from Walsh Landing at 9:30am on Wednesdays for our fun adventure on the boat.

Whether it is trying out water skiing, learning to wake surf {which by the way is the most fun you can have on the water} or just riding on the boat, your “inner child” will surely be brought out! You may end up jumping off a rope swing or doing a cannonball off the back of the boat, so come with a fun and adventurous spirit!

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We arrive back by 1:30pm at Walsh Landing, but you won’t want to get off the boat!

So, if you want the PERFECT ESCAPE to SUMMER FUN, come out and join us!
Life is too short to stay on the shore and watch the boats go by….JUMP ON!!
You will be hooked!

View Class Schedule

Member Spotlight: Nancy Dacy

5 Ways to Jump Into Fall

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Fall brings with it all sorts of fun traditions and fuzzy feelings. Jump into the season with us with one of our 5 favorite ways of getting in the fun fall mood…

1. Fill the House with Fall Scents

by Neissa

“I love purchasing spice candles and filling my house with the scents of fall.

I also love putting a pot roast and veggies in the crock pot, leaving my home for several hours and then walking into a house filled with the delicious scents of the roast and veggies. It warms my heart!”

by Catherine

“One of my favorite ways to get into the spirit of fall is by filling the house with a yummy fall/holiday scent on the stovetop. My mom always did this growing up and I loved it! You can create a super simple holiday season scent by just putting a teaspoon or 2 of cinnamon and a few cloves in about 3 c. of water and bringing almost to a boil, then letting it simmer on the stove and adding water as needed.

For those who prefer a more specific recipe, this one from One Good Thing looks like a great option as well!”

2. Soak Up the Fall Weather

by Sha

“I love Fall because it’s the best time to be on the lake. Boat traffic dies down, sunsets are incredible and the water is absolutely gorgeous! We like evening picnics on the boat with family and friends, go for a swim, and watch the sunset. It’s a mini vacay 10 minutes from home! The temperatures are even still pleasant enough for skiing or floating. We like to take our family and friends out for evening picnics, see the beautiful fall color changes and watch the sunset. It’s a mini vacay 10 minutes away from home, and we come home feeling energized and refreshed. As soon as Labor Day weekend is over, our favorite time on Lake Austin begins!”

by Kathleen

Halloween Lake Escape

“Lake Austin is all ours in the fall! In October, the water is warm, the Indian summer sun us shining and nobody else is on the lake. I break out my “shorty” wetsuit in November, and then my full wetsuit in December. The best Lake Escape is our ‘Halloween Special Edition:’ one in which we all waterski and wake surf in costume.”

by Jill

“I love the Fall! I love the first cold front where we can enjoy cool mornings… I love being able to sit outside on my deck and read the paper and have coffee with a blanket on because it’s a little chilly. I also just get a reenergizing, frisky feeling when I am outdoors in that first cool weather change!”

3. Swap Out Your Closet

When Cary can’t have what’s on the left, she goes with what’s on the right

by Cary

“Every September, as I’m about to just stick my head in an oven and be done with it all, there arrives a tiny shift in the air. Ever so tiny, because it’s still 90 degrees outside, but a shift nonetheless. And as Burt proclaims in ‘Mary Poppins,’ I sense that ‘somethin’ is brewin’ and bout to begin’…so I excitedly power down the oven and make a mad dash to my closet. Once there, I catch my breath, brace myself and, with a vengeance, I fling aside the light cottons (I want to stick them in the oven too) and…there is my Autumn, in all its hued glory! Shining down on me — my validation that true Texas autumn has officially arrived — PLAIDS! CHECKS! Hues all a-burgundy, just waiting for me to don them (sometimes all at once) and go walk my frisky pups. And while the pups’ “frisk” lasts about 10 seconds, my coffee-like buzz remains, because I know that soon….well, sort of soon…well, sometime in the next 2 months…the temps will dip below 80 and my Fall hues and I will dance our Frisky Dance!” (photo caption: “When I can’t have what’s in that first picture, I go to what’s in the next one…)”

by Molly

“Although it takes more time and thought to get dressed, I really love wearing jeans with boots and a colorful scarf as often as possible. It makes me feel snuggly and warm like the holidays :)”

by Neissa

“Nothing beats opening up the windows in my home and wearing sweatshirts :-)”

4. Embrace the Festive Decorations

by Amy

“Halloween is ALWAYS anticipated at the Younkman house! Every year we decorate, carve pumpkins, roast the seeds (yum!), and of course dress up. Ever since the kids were toddlers, we have made trash bag ghosts stuffed with newspaper which we hang up all over the yard.”

by Molly

“I love driving down Exposition Boulevard and looking over at Tarrytown Methodist Church to see their lawn full of beautiful pumpkins!”

by Neissa

“I love pumpkin shopping and decorating my house and front porch for the Fall.”

5. Get Out & Enjoy the Fall Festivities

Sweetberry Farms

by Jill

“I love to go to the Fall Festivals around Austin. I have been taking my kids for years to the Sweet Berry Farms Fall Festival near Marble Falls. They have a pumpkin patch, hayrides, mazes, all kinds of fun activities, and they still love to go even now as teenagers!”

It’s Not What You Endure, It’s How You Endure It

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iGnite - unshakeable faith iGnite Members Christie Skinner (left) and Kerrie Pennington (right) at Christie’s home while the iGnite Community helped her sort through her salvaged items on Sunday.

“Forget what you can’t control and focus on what you can control: your attitude, your faith, and your perspective. Choose to make the best of every situation that comes your way.”
(Anonymous)

Point to Ponder:
How do you tend to react when faced with personal loss or tragedy?

by Neissa Brown Springmann

As our iGnite community received word of via email this weekend, on Tuesday iGnite member Christie Skinner’s home burned. Upon learning the news, I sent Christie a text extending my sympathy, care and prayers. Honestly, I was nervous to reach out because I feared my text would be burdomsome. But, I tried putting myself in her shoes and I knew that I would appreciate friends reaching out. I didn’t expect or need a response, though what I received just minutes later blew my mind. Here is our exchange:

Neissa: “Hello Christie, Kathleen let me know about your home and I want you to know how very sorry I am. I am so thankful you all are okay. Please know that Russell and I are praying for you all and will continue to pray for you throughout the recovery process. Know that you are loved and being thought of.”

Christie: “Thanks!! It’s pretty sad but it’s just stuff!! And amazingly we are in the process of buying a little condo on Lake Austin so God’s timing is really good!!”

Neissa: “Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help.”

Christie: “You can bring me a Diet Coke on ice anytime you happen to be around.”

My initial reaction was, “Really? Did I read that correctly? How is it possible for someone to have lost so much yet have such tremendous perspective? And, she’s only asked for a Diet Coke? I can do that!”

I was briefly able to stop by Christie’s home today, Sunday, while our iGnite community helped her sort through her items. I’ve always thought that if a big project or job needs to get accomplished, the quick solution is a group of committed women. Indeed the job was getting done, and Christie’s spirit was contagious. She was positive, smiled and did what she needed to do. The entire sight was inspiring, like Christie’s faith and attitude.

I am always amazed by the events, circumstances and losses that the human spirit is able to endure. Most everyone faces some type of tragedy or difficult circumstances in their life, though what distinguishes one person from the other is not what they endure but how they endure it. The way I see it is we have choices: we can either (1) endure alone, without faith, think that life is out to get us, God is trying to punish us, give up and have a bad attitude — or, we can (2) let go of our pride, let others know how they can help us (even if it’s simply a Diet Coke on ice!), pray for unshakable faith, ask for others who have unshakeable faith to pray for us and trust in the plans that God has for us: a plan to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

While we all will not experience the tragedy of a burned home, we all will experience loss in our lives. It is for this that having an unshakable faith, never underestimating the power of prayer, surrounding ourselves with a community of people who also have unshakeable faith, and trusting in the promise of a future is crucial. There’s no doubt that life is going to shake us over and over again, but it doesn’t have to break us. Thank you, Christie for showing us this!

Action Item:
Contemplate Christie’s response to the events of the past week and be inspired by her unshakable faith and ability to accept help in such difficult circumstances.

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Q&A with Instructor Kathleen Parker

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Teaching members how to wake surf at Lake Escape class on Lake Austin

iGnite instructor and water sports enthusiast Kathleen Parker shares what it is that makes her tick and gives her that contagious enthusiasm we all know and love.

1. How did you come to love the water so much?

I grew up on the water. Being blessed with a family lake house since childhood, my siblings and I were on or in the water all day every summer. I am the youngest of 6 kids, so keeping up with 4 big brothers and a sister forced me into the water a little earlier than most. I learned to ski at the age of 5 and was driving the boat and pulling skiers at the age of 9.

2. Any advice for someone who hasn’t ever tried water sports and is intimidated to try them now?

Water is a “happy place.” I read somewhere that people are 60% happier when they are in, on or near water. Wake surfing is a gentle sport for ALL ages. The iGnite Lake Escape is a safe and fun environment with supportive and encouraging women cheering you on. It does not get any better than being on Lake Austin on a Wednesday morning!!

Teaching members to ski, slalom & wake surf at Lake Escape class on Lake Austin

3. What is your teaching philosophy?

I have always loved the saying “Challenge leads to change.” I think this covers all of what we promote in iGnite. Challenging the body, mind and spirit to reach new levels keeps us healthy and strong inside and out. My dad always told us that if we keep our body fit and strong, our mind will follow. Just like keeping a car running–when one part goes, the car stops running.

Leading Cross Training in the park

4. What is the best piece of life advice you’ve been given and from who?

I would like to share TWO. My Dad is fearless in all aspects of his life. He wakes up every morning looking at the day as a “great adventure.” He is 90 years old, a successful real estate investor and still wants to race me down his driveway.

Second, Neissa Springmann (the founder of iGnite) led me to find my passion and follow it and live each day with purpose. I would not be doing what I am doing now if I had not taken that to heart.

5. What is something people may not know about you?

I have triplets! And I can still do the “splits,” but I cannot throw a ball.

6. Outside of iGnite, what is your favorite way to stay active and fit?

Anything that involves having fun! From April to October, water skiing and wakesurfing. In the winter, snowboarding, but we were actually water skiing through December last year!

In Austin? Join Kathleen weekly this summer at one of her many classes:

Cross Training, Cardio Circuit, Total Body Strength & Toning, Lake Escape and Cardio Core

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Yoga Poses to Relieve Tension in the Neck, Shoulders & Spine

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Because many of us store tension in our necks, shoulders and backs, it is crucial to know what we can do to help relieve that tension and physical stress in a safe and healthy way. Whether you spend your days sitting at a desk, running kids around, driving in the car, or however — take the time to do these moves a couple times a week and watch the tension begin to fade!

Poses demonstrated by iGnite yoga instructor Amy Younkman.

Join us for an iGnite yoga class on the lake Fridays at 6:00am and 8:30am! View our class schedule here.

1. Cat/Cow Pose

Cat/Cow Pose

BENEFITS: This pose is beneficial for warming up the spine and stretching the torso and neck while focusing on deeply inhaling and exhaling. It is a great first exercise to begin to tune into the breath, bring suppleness to the spine and create awareness of where you are holding tension. Focus on the breath, each time trying to go a little deeper.
TRY IT! Step 1: Start on all fours in table top position, lining up wrists and knees and keeping your spine and head in a neutral position. Step 2: On the inhale, draw your chest and tailbone up to the sky, allowing your belly to sink down and your eyes to look straight ahead. Step 3: On the exhale, reverse the tilt of your pelvis by curling your tailbone down and rounding your spine toward the sky as you release your head towards the floor. Repeat several times.

2. Bridge Pose

Bridge Pose

BENEFITS: Great for stretching the chest, neck and spine while calming the mind and stimulating the abdominal organs, lungs and thyroid. Bridge is a great release for the low back while energizing the legs and stretching the iliopsoas and thighs.
TRY IT! Step 1: While lying on your back, bend your knees and place your feet hip distance apart, about 8 – 10″ from your sit bones. Step 2: Press your feet and arms actively into the floor and lift your hips, keeping your knees directly over your heels. Step 3: Draw your sternum towards your chin and try clasping your hands and reaching your fingers and tailbone towards your heels, creating length in the neck and broadening across the front of the chest.

3. Reclined Abdominal Twist

Reclined Abdominal Twist

BENEFITS: Stretches the lower back and tones the abdominals while stretching and strengthening the abductors and obliques. Twists aid digestion, improve breathing and ease back and neck tension.
TRY IT! Step 1: Bend both knees into chest, tuck the chin in slightly and gently push the lower back and sacrum toward the floor. Step 2: Extend your arms out to the side in touchdown position, palms facing up. Step 3: On an inhalation, pin your inner thighs and knees together. Step 4: On an exhalation, lower both knees to the right, twisting through the abdomen as you turn your head and look to the left. Try to keep your shoulder blades looped down your back pressing towards the ground. Step 5: On the inhalation, return the knees and head to center. Step 6: On the next exhalation, lower your legs to the left as you turn your head to the right. Inhale and return the knees and head to center. Repeat 2 – 3 times.

4. Forward Fold with Arms Washing Overhead

Forward Fold

BENEFITS: Calms the brain, helps relieve stress in the neck and shoulders, stimulates the liver and kidneys, releases the low back and stretches the hamstrings, calves and hips.
TRY IT! Step 1: Clasp your hands behind your back, draw your shoulder blades down your back, broaden across the chest, and reach her knuckles down towards the ground as you straighten your arms. (You can also clasp a belt or towel behind your back if your shoulders are tight.) Step 2: On an inhalation, lift your clasped hands up behind you and begin to fold forward, bending from the hip joints, not from the waist. Step 3: Release your head towards the ground and melt your chest towards your thighs. Keep a gentle bend to your knees if your hamstrings are tight. Step 4: Let your extended arms wash overhead. With each inhale, try to expand and lengthen; with each exhale, try to relax and soften deeper into the pose. Stay here for 8 – 10 breaths.

So Simple, Yet Magical!

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I believe that water is the only drink for a wise man. — Henry David Thoreau

Action: Start each day with a giant glass of water and drink a LOT of water throughout the day as well as before, during and after exercising. Make sure to drink at least the daily recommended 64 oz.

by Sha Klatt

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! How many times have we all heard this? We all know we should drink 6-8, 8 oz. glasses of water each day, and it’s actually more important than you may think. Recently, I have heard several scary stories related to dehydration. Five people in our community, ranging in ages from 16-60 lost consciousness and some were seriously injured when they fell, leaving them hospitalized and placed on IV’s for several days, ALL because of dehydration.

I have had three less-serious dehydration scares of my own. In the past several years, I have had more and more headaches. Last year I had three unbelievable migraines that sent me to the emergency room for very expensive headache relief. I tried to figure out what was triggering the migraines, a glass of wine? A margarita? The high altitude of an airplane flight?

Finally, I realized the common thread… all of these activities were dehydrating. After an 8-week experiment, I have become a HYDRATION ADVOCATE! I started paying attention to my water intake, making sure I was actually getting the recommended daily dose, and lo and behold, I haven’t had one headache since! I can have a glass of wine or a margarita and not get a headache, as long as it’s accompanied by a large glass of water. Now, when I feel a headache coming on I start drinking water and POOF, the headache is gone. It’s so simple, yet magical! Plus, I really do feel so much better when I’m properly hydrated.

Staying hydrated is such a tremendously important topic that I am challenging you to pay extra attention to your water (not tea, soda or coffee) consumption, especially in this scorching summer heat. I promise you will be doing your body a huge favor! You’ll perform better both physically and mentally, feel awesome and have tremendous energy.

Let’s start each day with a giant glass of water and don’t forget to drink a LOT of water before, during and after you iGnite (or exercise elsewhere). Make sure you get the daily recommended 64 oz. and avoid using the grocery store purchased water bottles, as our landfills are filled with plastic, (which takes 450 to 1000 years to decompose!) and is actually very difficult and costly to recycle. Use and refill a reusable water bottle instead!

Finally, try not to buy into the “celebrity hype” as they promote their favorite water. As clever and funny as some of the advertisements are, such as this weeks video, keep your money in your pocket (think of the money you will save!!) and enjoy the good ‘ole water from your faucet or filter. AND now is the perfect time to replace lost potassium and electrolytes with watermelon. Deeelish!!

In the spirit of properly hydrating, we also encourage you to join in on the iGnite water fun such as the Lake Escape, Swimming, and Yoga on the dock (overlooking the water).

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Grow Inside by Getting Outside

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Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises.
-Pedro Calderon de la Barca

As spring moves in (the first official day is tomorrow!) and brings with it longer days and better weather, lift your spirit by getting outside! A study in Evolutionary Psychology reveals that different natural settings bring about specific emotions in us. So depending on how you’re feeling this spring, head to one of these Austin-area spots to put a smile on your face!

When you need to unwind and relax…
Head down to Lady Bird Lake, Lake Travis, Lake Austin or even a pond or fountain near you and enjoy the H2O. “Water’s aesthetic qualities, such as its rhythmic movement, may induce a calming effect on our psyche,” says study author Joe Hinds, Ph.D.

Water helps us unwind & relax.

When you need to find clarity or do some deep thinking…
Go for a wander in the Barton Creek Greenbelt or another woodsy area. “When we’re isolated from the everyday hustle and bustle, we’re forced to turn inward and connect to ourselves in a deeper and more focused way,” says Hinds.

When you’re feeling lonely and isolated…
Make a trip over to Zilker Park, Pease Park, Rollingwood Park, Bee Caves Central Park or your closest neighborhood park. “Designed to be gathering places, parks give us a sense of togetherness,” Hinds explains. Who of us isn’t perked up by a renewed sense of community? That’s it! Your go-to plan for the days when you need a pick-me-up. Thank goodness we live in a city with endless opportunities to enjoy the outdoors!

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Listen to this song we love, and we know you’ll love too:

Brandi Carlisle’s “Have You Ever Wandered Lonely Through the Woods?”

Other Resources We Think You’ll Enjoy:

Louis Schwartzberg: Nature. Beauty. Gratitude.

Click on the Image above to link to Louis Schwartzenberg’s Nature. Beauty. Gratitude. Ted Talk.

Easier With A Smile

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Spring has sprung and the azaleas, bluebonnets, and buttercups are among the many beautiful reminders of what we have to look forward to everyday and why it’s so easy to smile.

The world always looks brighter from behind a smile. (Anonymous)

Action Item:
Start off each day with a smile and watch the butterfly effect ensue. Clear out the negative clutter and make space for happiness to bloom.

By April Black

I have been trying a sort of social experiment lately. I am not a huge runner, but appreciate jogging the trail on a beautiful day, especially with friends. When I set a time to meet a friend, it motivates me and holds me accountable to actually go. And then, instead of getting bored and glancing at my watch every couple of minutes, the time flies by as we chat while we work our way around the loop. I have actually been enjoying the trail and Austin’s huge run community instead of being completely intimidated by it.

It doesn’t matter that we’re not the fastest or running the farthest – it’s a way of sneaking in exercise and appreciating the outdoors while catching up. As much as I enjoy grabbing a glass of wine after a long day and chatting with friends, this is another great option and way to get in my much needed time with friends, with the added bonus of some exercise and the healing powers of Mother Nature. Friends, exercise endorphins, and fresh air. It’s like free therapy! Everything is easier alongside friends.

A few other times recently, I have grabbed my iPod and even motivated myself to go for a run solo. I don’t view myself as a runner, and as I mentioned, am intimidated by all of the incredibly fit people in Austin and intensity surrounding the fitness community (thank goodness for iGnite and the balance it has provided for me!). Even though I may feel some resistance as I take my initial steps, I have tried to take a deep breath, clear out my negative thoughts, and smile as I run. You would not believe the difference!

At iGnite we cherish the positive attitudes and motivated women who lend us a smile whenever we need.

Almost everyone on the trail smiles back when I smile at them. Some people have even waved, as if we are great friends passing each other (I have never met these people, mind you). Even when someone looks serious or super focused, when they glance at me and I’m smiling at them, they crack a smile. Suddenly, I am a “runner” on the trail actually enjoying herself and her run. I look the part, out there in my running clothes with my iPod, and it’s as if I’ve tricked myself into enjoying it. And I actually do! The Weekly Intention Guide will help you think through how you can apply this to your life this upcoming week.

Additionally, the people-watching on the trail is fascinating. I am definitely not the fastest or thinnest out there, and even though I do have moments where I find myself staring at the women sprinting by in their sports bras with the rock hard abs, I shift my focus back to whatever upbeat song is playing and slap a smile on my face. It’s hard to stay negative when you’re smiling. Even activities you don’t love to do are far easier with a smile. Everything is easier with a smile.

Then on Thursday, when I showed up to teach the Low-Impact Cross Training Class while Delaine was out of town, people were using the space to film something at the Northshore Overlook and we had to improvise. I was incredibly thankful for everyone’s flexibility and spontaneous spirits as I tossed aside my class plan and we hit the trail for a 3-mile power walk infused with some body weight exercises along the way! We stopped at the “voo doo pew” to admire the lake and do some tricep dips. The purple flowers blooming all around made us stop in our tracks. We found several nooks and crannies to stop and breathe the morning in (and sneak in some pushups!). There is nothing better than friends and smiles on a beautiful day. My morning had been off to a rocky start, and these wonderful women turned that right around for me. Could you use a group of motivated, balanced, and compassionate women in Austin to workout with? Check out our home webpage to sign up for a free week trial!

While this is just one example in my life recently, these same rules can apply to all areas of life. You can go through your daily tasks and the motions of your life dragging your feet, or instead, you can sweep aside the negative thoughts and voices in your head and add some pep to your step, enjoying what you are doing as best you can. Sometimes even when you don’t feel like it, when you start smiling and even fake it at first, often times it really will lift your spirits and turn into a genuine smile after all. And the best part is, while trying to help yourself, you are inevitably helping and touching the lives of those around you, which makes you feel even better!

There are butterflies all around. You just have to make the space and open your eyes to see them. Grab a friend, find a smile, and practice a spring cleaning within yourself. It will improve your health, and can even make your friends friends friends happy! Watch and learn…

JOIN THE DISCUSSION- Who are your most uplifting friends?

Related Posts:

the iGnite blog

Body + Mind + Spirit

Tag Archives: lake austin

Class Highlight: Lake Escape

Lake Escape

You May Also Like:

Member Spotlight: Nancy Dacy

5 Ways to Jump Into Fall

1. Fill the House with Fall Scents

2. Soak Up the Fall Weather

3. Swap Out Your Closet

4. Embrace the Festive Decorations

5. Get Out & Enjoy the Fall Festivities

You Might Also Like:

It’s Not What You Endure, It’s How You Endure It

Point to Ponder:
How do you tend to react when faced with personal loss or tragedy?

Action Item:
Contemplate Christie’s response to the events of the past week and be inspired by her unshakable faith and ability to accept help in such difficult circumstances.

Q&A with Instructor Kathleen Parker

Yoga Poses to Relieve Tension in the Neck, Shoulders & Spine

So Simple, Yet Magical!

Grow Inside by Getting Outside

Easier With A Smile

Lake Escape

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1. Fill the House with Fall Scents

2. Soak Up the Fall Weather

3. Swap Out Your Closet

4. Embrace the Festive Decorations

5. Get Out & Enjoy the Fall Festivities

You Might Also Like:

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Point to Ponder: How do you tend to react when faced with personal loss or tragedy?

Action Item: Contemplate Christie’s response to the events of the past week and be inspired by her unshakable faith and ability to accept help in such difficult circumstances.

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Point to Ponder:
How do you tend to react when faced with personal loss or tragedy?

Action Item:
Contemplate Christie’s response to the events of the past week and be inspired by her unshakable faith and ability to accept help in such difficult circumstances.