MIKE RUFFIN: Christmas is a season for encouragement

kAm%96C6 2C6 EH@ A6@A=6 x ?6G6C E9@F89E x H@F=5 >66E @? E9:D D:56 @7 962G6?i p? :?E6C?6E C6256C 7C@> 2 4@>>F?:EJ :? H9:49 x H2D?’E <?@H?[ 2?5 @?6 @7 E96 :?5:G:5F2=D H9@ 925 D@>6E9:?8 E@ 5@ H:E9 2 G@:46 x 962C5 E92E =65 E@ >J D2=G2E:@?] {6E >6 6IA=2:?]k^Am

kAm~FC :?E6C?6E >:?:DECJ 92D 364@>6 H:56DAC625 @G6C E96 A2DE ad J62CD] |J H63D:E6[ k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]56G@E:@?D]4@>QmHHH]56G@E:@?D]4@>k^2m[ :D @?6 @7 H@C=5UCDBF@jD >@DE A@AF=2C H63D:E6D 7@C 56G@E:@?D] x? 724E[ :EUCDBF@jD 86?6C2==J 7@F?5 @? E96 7:CDE A286 H96? E96 <6JH@C5D U>52D9j r9C:DE:2? 56G@E:@?D U>52D9j 2C6 FD65] wF?5C65D @7 E9@FD2?5D @7 A6@A=6 7:?5 >J H63D:E6 6249 J62C] (9@ H@F=5 92G6 6G6C E9@F89E v@5 4@F=5 >2<6 E92E 92AA6?nk^Am

kAm$6G6C2= J62CD 28@[ >J H:76 2?5 x H6C6 :? {@F:DG:==6[ z6?EF4<J[ 2EE6?5:?8 2 r9C:DE:2? 6G6?E 2E E96 z6?EF4<J u2:C 2?5 tIA@D:E:@? r6?E6C] (6 DE2J65 :? 2 9@E6= ?62C E96 r@?G6?E:@? r6?E6C] ~?6 >@C?:?8[ ;FDE 367@C6 ?@@?[ E96 7:C6 2=2C> D@F?565] (6 H6C6 :?DECF4E65 E@ 6I:E E96 3F:=5:?8 G:2 E96 DE2:CH2J] x ?@E:465 2 J@F?8 >2? :? 2 H966=492:C H2:E:?8 H:E9 9:D >@E96C] $96 =@@<65 7C:89E6?65] x 2D<65 96C :7 x 4@F=5 96=A 96C] p?@E96C 86?E=6>2? 2?5 x A:4<65 FA E96 H966=492:C 2?5 ?2G:82E65 @FC H2J 5@H? 7@FC 7=:89ED @7 DE2:CD] $96 =@@<65 D@ C6=:6G65 H96? H6 2CC:G65 @FED:56]k^Am

kAmpD H6 DE@@5 :? E96 A2C<:?8 =@E[ H6 :?EC@5F465 @FCD6=G6D] %96 J@F?8 >2? :? E96 H966=492:C H2D :? 9:D >:5\E@\=2E6 EH6?E:6D] “w6==@[” x D2:5] “x’> |:<6 #F77:?]”k^Am

kAmU=5BF@j*@FUCDBF@jC6 |:<6 #F77:?n[UC5BF@j 96 2D<65] U=5BF@j%96 |:<6 #F77:? @7 k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^s6G@E:@?D]4@>Qms6G@E:@?D]4@>k^2mnUC5BF@jk^Am

kAm“%92E’D >6] pC6 J@F @?6 @7 >J :?E6C?6E C6256CDn”k^Am

kAm“*@F 36E x 2>[” 96 C6A=:65] “x =@@< 7@CH2C5 6249 H66< E@ C625:?8 J@FC 56G@E:@?D] *@F 92G6 366? DF49 2 3=6DD:?8]”k^Am

kAm%96 3:886DE 7CFDEC2E:@? H:E9 2? :?E6C?6E >:?:DECJ :D J@F C2C6=J >66E 2?J @7 J@FC C6256CD] “(6==[ E96 3=6DD:?8 :D 2== >:?6[” x E@=5 9:>] “*@F’C6 E96 7:CDE :?E6C?6E C6256C @FED:56 @?6 @7 E96 4@>>F?:E:6D :? H9:49 >J 4@=F>? 2AA62CD :? AC:?E E92E x’G6 6G6C >6EP”k^Am

kAmx’G6 @7E6? H@?56C65 :7 E96 H66<=J 56G@E:@?D E92E 2AA62C @? >J H63D:E6 >2<6 2?J 5:776C6?46] x 5@ 962C 7C@> D@>6 =@J2= C6256CD 7C@> E:>6 E@ E:>6[ 2?5 x 2> 8C2E67F= 7@C E96:C 6?4@FC286>6?E] qFE[ E@ 962C 7C@> @?6 @7 >J 2?@?J>@FD C6256CD[ x E9@F89E[ H2D 2? 2?DH6C E@ AC2J6C] xE H2D v@5’D H2J @7 6?4@FC28:?8 >6 E@ 4@?E:?F6 E@ 7:89E E96 8@@5 7:89E] %92?< J@F[ tC:4[ 7@C =:7E:?8 >J DA:C:ED]k^Am

kAmx’G6 HC:EE6? 367@C6 23@FE >J D2=G2E:@? 6IA6C:6?46] %H@ J@F?8 3@JD C@56 5@H? 2 4@F?ECJ C@25 H:E9 2 =@F5 DA62<6C C6A62E65=J D2J:?8[ “#6A6?E[ C6A6?E[ 7@C E96 <:?85@> @7 962G6? :D 2E 92?5]” $6G6C2= 52JD =2E6C[ x 2446AE65 r9C:DE 2D >J D2G:@C]k^Am

kAm(6 H6?E E@ 5:??6C @?6 6G6?:?8 H:E9 >J H:76’D A2C6?ED] (6 H6C6 D62E65 2E 2 E23=6 ?6IE E@ 2 A2DE@C E96J <?6H] p7E6C H6 DE2CE65 E2=<:?8[ x H2D E6==:?8 E96 A2DE@C 23@FE >J D2=G2E:@? 6IA6C:6?46] &?36=:6G23=J[ E96 >2? H9@ 5C@G6 E96 ECF4< 7@C E9@D6 EH@ J@F?8 3@JD H2D D:EE:?8 H:E9 E92E A2DE@CPk^Am

kAmw6 C6>6>36C65 E96 3@JD 2?5 5C:G:?8 E96> E9C@F89@FE E96 4@F?ECJD:56 E92E ?:89E] w6 2=D@ E@=5 >6 E92E[ F?7@CEF?2E6=J[ 3@E9 E96 J@F?8 >6? 925 A2DD65 2H2J]k^Am

kAm“%92?< J@F D@ >F49[” x E@=5 9:>] “x 2> D2G65 E@52J 3642FD6 @7 J@FC 72:E97F=?6DD]”k^Am

kAmr9C:DE>2D :D 2 D62D@? ;FDE 3688:?8 7@C 6?4@FC286>6?E] u@C D@>6[ :E 42? 36 2 D62D@? @7 8C62E ;@J[ @C 2 D62D@? @7 C62= 8=@@>] *@FC 3C@E96CD 2?5 D:DE6CD :? r9C:DE — C682C5=6DD @7 H9:49 D62D@? E96J >2J 7:?5 E96>D6=G6D — >2J ?665 2 H@C5 @7 6?4@FC286>6?E 7C@> J@F] xE’D 2 8:7E E92E 4@DED G6CJ =:EE=6]k^Am