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Every year, we bless our home. Or at least we try. This year, we were a week late. It’s a beautiful tradition, inspired by the Book of Exodus, that you can do with your kids.

First, find some chalk. If you’re house is like ours, there’s a piece of chalk somewhere. Under a couch cushion, under the kids bed, in the garage, on the driveway. The list is endless.

According to Aleteia, a priest traditionally, blesses chalk on the Feast of the Epiphany by saying the following prayer (from the Roman Ritual):

Bless, + O Lord God, this creature, chalk, and let it be a help to mankind. Grant that those who will use it with faith in your most holy name, and with it inscribe on the doors of their homes the names of your saints, Casper, Melchior, and Baltassar, may through their merits and intercession enjoy health in body and protection of soul; through Christ our Lord.

Being the head of the household, I usually bless the chalk, then while marking the doors 20 +C +M +B 21 with chalk, I pray the blessing.

Bless, + O Lord God almighty, this home, that in it there may be health, purity, the strength of victory, humility, goodness and mercy, the fulfillment of Thy law, the thanksgiving to God the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. And may this blessing remain upon this home and upon all who dwell herein. Through Christ our Lord.

20 +C +M +B 21

As the article in Aleteia clearly states, [t]here is no “guarantee” that a home marked with Epiphany chalk will be protected from all illnesses, it does remind us that God is the giver of all gifts and he can lead us into good health. The spiritual needs of the family should always be in the forefront of our mind, knowing that God will lead us through every dark valley — and from the looks of things, it may take us all of 2021 to climb out of the dark valley of 2020.

Thank you to Aleteia for reminding us to bless our house again this year. The steps and prayers below come directly from their website. So, please, support them by visiting their website.

I hope you take the time to bless your home. God bless!

James is the author of Corporation YOU: A Business Plan for the Soul, The Christmas Save, and two children’s books: The Second Prince and Klaus: The Gift-giver to ALL 

As a writer, James has been featured on The Inside Success Show, Bob Salter (CBS Radio),  Mike Siegel, Mancow, and more.  

Beyond writing, James worked with At-Risk youth in Southern California for over six years.  His contributions to the classroom — featured on local television and in the LA Daily News and the Los Angeles Times’ Burbank Leader — earned him the honors of “Teacher of the Year”.    James was also twice honored by a CASDA Scholar as the teacher who had the greatest influenced that student.   As an educator, James also appeared twice on America Live with Megyn Kelly. 

Today, James lives in New York where he continues to teach — and write.   Besides his books, you can follow his musing on this blog Corporation You.

To contact James or book an interview, please contact Mark of Goldman/McCormick PR at (516) 639-0988or Mark@goldmanmccormick.com.

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Image by David Schwarzenberg from Pixabay

There it was: The most disgusting, yet loving, caring, heartwarming gift ever!

You see, our seven year old knew that Mommy and Daddy wanted to make a special drink that required mint. However, we didn’t have any. So, he went outside by himself, on one of the coldest days of the year, and dug in the snow until he found some mint. Some old, frozen, decomposing mint.

Next, he placed it in a coffee mug and added some water with sugar. He adds sugar to everything.

Later, I came into the kitchen and discovered what I thought was just his latest concoction. That’s when I discovered one of the greatest gifts I ever received.

“Of all the gifts I received for Christmas, THIS was my favorite gift!” I told him, as my heart melted. I even took a sip and sent him off with a hug.

Ten minutes later, he was back to normal, getting in trouble for not going to bed on time and picking on his big brother.

That’s what Christmas is all about!

James is also the author of Corporation YOU: A Business Plan for the Soul, The Christmas Save and two children’s books: The Second Prince and Klaus: The Gift-giver to ALL 

As a writer, James has been featured on The Inside Success Show, Bob Salter (CBS Radio),  Mike Siegel, Mancow, and more.  

Beyond writing, James worked with At-Risk youth in Southern California for over six years.  His contributions to the classroom — featured on local television and in the LA Daily News and the Los Angeles Times’ Burbank Leader — earned him the honors of “Teacher of the Year”.    James was also twice honored by a CASDA Scholar as the teacher who had the greatest influenced that student.   As an educator, James also appeared twice on America Live with Megyn Kelly. 

Today, James lives in New York where he continues to teach — and write.   Besides his books, you can follow his musing on this blog Corporation You.

To contact James or book an interview, please contact Mark of Goldman/McCormick PR at (516) 639-0988or Mark@goldmanmccormick.com.

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Father and Son (Source: Unsplash | Pixabay)

My boys are young — too young for “The Talk”. You know “The Talk” I’m speaking of … The Sex Talk.

Though I haven’t had to start having “The Talk”, I’ve notice my oldest is starting to get curious. So, I started planting the seeds for “The Talk”.

You can say the genesis of my talk has begun — and I started with the Book of Genesis.

First, we read a kid’s bible, Genesis 2-3. Next, we went start to the source:

1 Of all the beasts which the Lord God had made, there was none that could match the serpent in cunning. It was he who said to the woman, What is this command God has given you, not to eat the fruit of any tree in the garden?
2 To which the woman answered, We can eat the fruit of any tree in the garden
3
 except the tree in the middle of it; it is this God has forbidden us to eat or even to touch, on pain of death.
4
 And the serpent said to her, What is this talk of death?
5
 God knows well that as soon as you eat this fruit your eyes will be opened, and you yourselves will be like gods, knowing good and evil.
6
 And with that the woman, who saw that the fruit was good to eat, saw, too, how it was pleasant to look at and charmed the eye, took some fruit from the tree and ate it; and she gave some to her husband, and he ate with her.
7
 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they became aware of their nakedness; so they sewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves girdles. [1]

I explained to my boys,”As you grow, there will be plenty of pieces of fruit that may look good. It’s difficult to know what’s the right and wrong fruit to eat – that’s why God gave you Mommy and Daddy.

“As you age, things will get progressively harder. However, no matter what questions you have, you can come to Mommy and Daddy.”

So, if you are like most parents of younger kids and dread the day you’ll have to have “The Talk,” take the first step now, let God do the talking — and start with the Book of Genesis!

Start early and start simple … and that’s the genesis with “The Talk”.

Source: Pixabay

 

James DobkowskiJames Henry is the author of Corporation YOU: A Business Plan for the Soul, ‘Twas, and the new book series Hail Mary. To contact James or book an interview, please contact Mark of Goldman/McCormick PR at (516) 639-0988 or Mark@goldmanmccormick.com.

 

 

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