Obituary – Brenda Joyce Crnokrak – Coello, IL

August 23, 2015 By Leave a Comment

COELLO — Brenda Joyce (Hodge) Crnokrak, 72, died Friday, Aug. 21, 2015, at home.

She was a homemaker.

Brenda was born Feb. 6, 1943, in Christopher, the daughter of Fred and Marcella (Whittington) Hodge.

She married Danny Crnokrak on Aug. 1, 1987, and he survives of Coello.

Brenda is also survived by her stepchildren, Rhonda and Bruce Todd of Johnston City, Brent and Jill Crnokrak of Christopher, Kent and Sandy Crnokrak of Collinsville, and Bill and Jeanne Crnokrak of West Frankfort; eight step-grandchildren; five great-stepgrandchildren; and brother and sister, Gary Hodge of Streamwood, and Phyllis Grant of Joppa, Maryland.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, August 25, in Gilbert Funeral Home in Christopher, with Brother Bert Mitchell officiating; burial will be at Maple Hill Cemetery in Sesser. Visitation will be from 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society and will be accepted at the funeral home

For more information, visit gilbertfuneralhomes.com.

Filed Under: Obituaries

Muir’s Morning Motivational Minute

August 23, 2015 By Leave a Comment

‘You can’t have a good day with a bad attitude, and you can’t have a bad day with a good attitude.’

The greatest definition I’ve ever heard about attitude, I repeat parts of it on a regular basis, comes from author and minister Charles Swindoll. I have this on a sign above my desk. It reads:

‘The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, than being gifted or skilled. It will make or break a company, a church or a home. The remarkable thing is that we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past … we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we react to it. And so it is with you … you are in charge of your attitude.’

God’s blessings to you on this day! Have a great Sunday and a blessed day!

 

 

Filed Under: Faith Matters

Muir’s Morning Motivational Minute

August 22, 2015 By Leave a Comment

‘A negative thinker sees a difficulty in every opportunity. A positive thinker sees an opportunity in every difficulty.’

I work hard these days to avoid contact with what I call ‘the black cloud’ people. These are the folks that walk around, like the little guy in the cartoon, with a black cloud hanging over their head. Everywhere they go, it rains. Don’t you know people just like that? If you mention that it’s a beautiful day, they will promptly tell you that it’s supposed to rain and storm in a few days. If you tell them all the things going right in your life, they’ll quickly tell you all that could go wrong. If you walk on water, the haters will say its because you can’t swim. In short, anything you mention they’ll find a negative or a way to hang a dark cloud over an otherwise sunny day.

Run from negative people and go out of your way to avoid them. But, also be thankful for negative people, because they’ve shown you exactly who you do not want to be!

God’s blessings to you on this day! Have a super Saturday and a blessed day!

 

Filed Under: Faith Matters

Muir’s Morning Motivational Minute

August 21, 2015 By Leave a Comment

‘Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go, they merely determine where you start.’

This quote holds so much truth and instruction in only one sentence. Many of us, myself included, have been in difficult situations where you feel as though those circumstances are the determining factor in what your future holds. Instead, as this wonderful quote points out, those trying circumstances should be looked at as the starting point, the beginning, a genesis to a new page in your life’s story.

Every day, in fact ever minute, starts a new page in your life story. You hold the pen in your hand, you are the author of your story. Don’t let circumstances hold you back, let them be the starting point to success, achievement and happiness.

God’s blessings to you on this day! Have a great Friday and a blessed day!

Filed Under: Faith Matters

Obituary – Sandy Neal – Whittington, IL

August 20, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Sandy Neal, 74, of Whittington, IL passed away Tuesday, August 18, 2015.

She was born in Steel City, IL on April 14, 1941, the daughter of John A. Logan and Opal (McCarty) Crisp.

She married Melvin Neal on September 26, 1958 and he survives.

Sandy’s top priority in life was spoiling her grandchildren and great-grandson. Sandy worked for Wal-Mart for 18 years and retired from managing the snack bar there. She was a wonderful wife, mom and homemaker.

Sandy is survived by her husband Melvin Neal, of Whittington, two daughters Beth Roberts and husband Jeff, of Whittington and Sherry Richardson and husband Stephen, of Benton; three grandchildren Jason Richardson and wife Katie, of Thompsonville, IL, Brittany Richardson, of Memphis, TN and Ethan Roberts, of Peoria; one great-grandson, Brody Neal Richardson, of Christopher, IL, one brother, Donald Crisp, of Benton, two sisters, Martha Carlton, of Benton and June Gaskey, of Hammond, IN.

She was preceded in death by her parents and by eight brothers and sisters, Clarence, Ray, John Robert, Wanda, Katherine, Roger, Keith and Joan.

Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 22, 2015 at Morton & Johnston Funeral Home in Benton with the Rev. Gary West officiating. Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, August 21, 2015 at the funeral home. Burial will be at Shiloh Cemetery, in Whittington.

Morton & Johnston Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Filed Under: Obituaries

Muir’s Morning Motivational Minute

August 20, 2015 By Leave a Comment

‘What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters … compared to what lies within us.’ — Ralph Waldo Emerson

This one-sentence quote deals with three important things that makes up every person’s life – the past, the future and what lies within us. It’s important to point out that two-out-of-three of those don’t matter.

The past is the past and what lies behind us is exactly where it should stay — behind us. Remember, there is no way to start a new chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one. It’s OK to glance back, but that’s not the direction you’re going. As far as the future and what lies before us, that chapter has not been written yet so it does absolutely no good to worry and fret about what might happen. Worrying about the future is like carrying an umbrella with you everywhere you go on the chance that it might rain.

The beauty of this quote comes in the last six words: ‘… compared to what lies within us.’ Because what lies within us is the ability to do whatever we set our mind to do, to dream big, work hard, strive to be better every day, be a positive influence, reach for the stars and choose the exact direction we want to take our life.

God’s blessings to you on this day! Have a terrific Thursday and a blessed day!

 

 

Filed Under: Faith Matters

Obituary – Mary Lou Arondelli – Christopher, IL

August 19, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Mary Lou Arondelli, 83, of Christopher, IL passed away August 17, 2015 at Lavender Ridge, in Mt. Vernon, IL.

Mary Lou was born September 25, 1931 in Christopher, the daughter of John Walker Proctor and Jennie (Short) Proctor.

She was a registered nurse and was a member of First Christian Church, in Christopher.

She married Robert “Bob” Arondelli on October 26, 1952 and he preceded her in death on January 8, 2010.

Mary Lou is survived by her children, Susan and Tob Raben, Christopher, Sandy Jones, Christopher and Bob and Christie Arondelli, of Mulkeytown, IL; grandchildren Ricky and Kim Rowland, Tara Sales, Erin and Erik Moss, Bobby and Jamie Arondelli, Amanda Arondelli, McKenzie Arondelli, Heather Vercellino, Brooke Vercellino, Tiff and Jake Morhet, Todd Jones and Eric and Lisa Jones. She is also survived by 13 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, August 20, 2015 at Gilbert Funeral Home, in Christopher with the Rev. Dan Ison officiating. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. until the time of the service at 11 a.m. Burial will be at Maple Hill Cemetery, in Sesser, IL.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to SSM Good Samaritan Hospice or to the First Christian Church in Christopher and will be accepted at the funeral home

Gilbert Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. For more information go to gilbertfuneralhomes.com.

 

Filed Under: Obituaries

A guide for kindergarten parents

August 19, 2015 By Leave a Comment

During the past few days kindergarteners across the nation — the Class of 2028 — has headed off to school for the very first time.

muir-mug-ihsa-150x150Today’s offering might be considered a survival guide, not for the happy-go-lucky students, but for the nervous, anxiety-ridden parents.

A few years ago I was given the assignment to go to a local grade school and try to capture a story about the first day of school for incoming kindergarten students. So, with camera and notebook in hand I trudged off. Let me describe the scene.

As I walked down the hallway that housed the three kindergarten classes I couldn’t help but notice how almost everybody I passed had a somewhat dazed look in their eyes. Some were walking slowly as if they were unsure about their next step. Others were walking unsteadily, staying close to the outside walls like they were searching for some type of security. Some had a stunned look on their face as if they had just been given some bad news and a few even had tears in their eyes. One or two couldn’t control their emotions and were bawling uncontrollably.

Of course, I should explain that what I just described were the poor parents who were tackling for the first time the 13-year adventure known as the public school system. As far as the first-year students were concerned, they seemed oblivious to their nervous-wracked parents and were doing just fine.

Speaking from experience, many young parents who are sending their first child off to school in the coming days are in for a real life lesson. First, they will learn, perhaps for the first time that their child is not perfect and in fact might not be the smartest, brightest, funniest, most creative, athletic kid in the class. For some parents this will cause great alarm.

I recall 30 years ago when my oldest daughter Lyndsay headed off to kindergarten. She was, in my estimation, brilliant. She could read, she could write, she knew all of her numbers. So, imagine my alarm when on about the second day of school her teacher sent home a note saying that she couldn’t tell time. My first reaction was horror. How could that mean teacher say that about my intelligent, perfect daughter? After reading the note, in my mind her school career was ruined. It was my first recollection that my children are not perfect. Somehow though, we managed to get through the traumatic ordeal and she made it through the next 12 years with flying colors and even learned how to tell time.

Of course, I also quickly realized that there was a reason she couldn’t tell time — every clock in the house was digital and she had no idea what the hands on a clock meant.

Despite the fact that it has been two decades ago I can still remember the worry attached to sending a child off to public school for the first time. How will they react when I’m not around? Will they get along with others? Will they be accepted by the other students? And the list of worrisome questions goes on and on. As much as I hate to admit it, I even drove by the school during those first few days to see if I could get a glimpse of her on the playground. While some people might not understand that mentality, there are many people this very week that will know that feeling well and will be asking themselves those same questions.

And of course there will be memories forged by the Class of 2028 that will last forever.

My wife Lisa still tells the story about the way her son reacted to a teacher’s question when he was in kindergarten. When asked by the teacher what his middle name was, Josh thought for a second and said “oo-wah.” The teacher asked him if he was sure his middle name was “oo-wah.”

“My name is Joshua (Josh-oo-wah) so my middle name must be “oo-wah,” he told her.

Despite the fact that Josh is 34 years old his mother still occasionally refers to him by his kindergarten middle name — ‘oo-wah.’

As a word of encouragement to all the rookies that will be sending kids to school for the first time this year, trust me when I tell you that it will get easier. In fact, in a few years when you become summer activity director/taxi driver/ATM machine for your child you will look forward with excitement to the start of another school year.

I’m certain the Class of 2028 will do just fine as they embark on their educational journey. We’re counting on them; they’re our future. As far as the poor parents, just make sure your perfect child can tell time and also that they know their middle name.

And oh, one more thing; if a kindergarten-induced anxiety attack hits you; it’s perfectly all right to drive by the school once in a while.

Filed Under: Columns

Muir’s Morning Motivational Minute

August 19, 2015 By Leave a Comment

‘Today will never come again. Be a blessing. Be a friend. Encourage someone. Take time to care. Let your words heal and not wound.’

What a great and simple set of instructions — only five short sentences — to start not only ‘today’ but every single day. And the real beauty in these instructions is that none of them are time consuming, tough tasks. Instead they are simple things we can all do in our daily lives, jobs, work, travels, etc.

Today will never come again – carry those five simple sentences with you on your way!

God’s blessings to you on this day! Have a wonderful Wednesday and a blessed day!

 

Filed Under: Faith Matters

Muir’s Morning Motivational Minute

August 18, 2015 By Leave a Comment

‘Knowledge is knowing what to say. Wisdom is knowing when to say it.’

Two short sentences, one right behind the other make up my quote for today. But my, oh my, how far those two sentences are apart. And that vast difference is created by one word in each sentence – ‘what’ and ‘when.’

Looking at that quote it seems our prayer should be for a measure of both knowledge and wisdom — the knowledge to know what to say and then combine that with the wisdom to know exactly when to say it. And certainly, gaining the knowledge to know what to say is not nearly as difficult as mastering the art of knowing when to say it. For some people, myself included, learning to bite your tongue is a great way to attain the wisdom to know when to talk and when to shut up.

God’s blessings to you on this day and my prayer is that we all gain knowledge and wisdom with our daily words. Have a great Tuesday and a blessed day!

 

Filed Under: Faith Matters
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