MERRY CHRISTMAS and a Happy Holiday Season to all.

Karyn and I had a wonderful opportunity to visit our oldest daughter and her family in Fargo, North Dakota, this past November for Thanksgiving. I must say that those cold breezes and snow from that "Wide Open Skies" land up North really got us in the mood for an old-fashioned Christmas--with smoke circling from fire places, dogs romping in snow banks, crystal blue skies and stars as bright as our world of hope for all of you.
Fathers, Mothers, grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, uncles, and neighbors all look forward to this time of year when we open our hearts and homes to the wonder of sharing and the promise of rebirth to our roots of care and unconditional love for others. This is a glorious time. This is such a rare opportunity to see our lives anew in the eyes of a child who has rushed from his and her bed to see the wonders under the tree, the new born child in a manger, the frost on the window and the tingling snow flakes falling--if only in our mind's eye as we survey this beautiful world.
During this time of merriment and thankfullness for the gift of life, as we in the ARKGroup gather around the tree this Christmas morning with our loved ones and extended families, we will have you in our hearts.
MERRY CHRISTMAS from our family to yours.

We encourage you to share our website (www.thearkgroup.org) with your friends and colleagues. The ARKGroup's website can assist you in obtaining any information you need (both faith- based and secular) about the Adults Relating to Kids' programs and processes for teachers and schools, parents and others who would be intentional in the lives of children. Visit our site today!
Bill
William R. Duffy
National Executive Director
281-537- 1301

Life is found not so much in caring more about being loved than being what you love. Enduring people have found that the answer to their life's purpose is buried not in passionate love or painful commitments, but in the struggle over both together, working in a tension of harmony.

We encourage you to commit to renewal and growth with education and networking facilitated by the ARKProgram DVDs: ARK for Teachers, ARK for Parents (faith-based and secular), ARK Facilitator Training, The ARK Group Process and an Introduction to ARK hosted by Pat Summerall. Order today at www.thearkgroup.org. The ARK Program has excellent lessons, DVD's, manuals, workbooks, texts and advertising materials. They will equip you to provide life-changing ARK programs including breakthrough parenting and teaching "skills courses." With your help, we can make ARKRelationships the norm for the 21st century family, church, school and community.

UPDATE ON OUR FAITH-BASED PROGRAMS

For our friends and followers, we have had outstanding, record-breaking participation through October with over 270 churches in the Dallas and Houston areas participating in our ARK for Parents faith-based church programs. The Facilitator training, (which prepares churches to provide this outstanding program either to the entire congregation or to smaller groups, such as Sunday School classes) can be scheduled to fit the schedule of those who commit to serve as facilitators. Thanks to wonderful gifts by kind benefactors, we are able to provide ARK for Parents Programs to manychurches who require scholarship assistance. The program includes facilitator training, lessons on DVDs, books, and a host of supporting materials and services. We invite you to makesure that your church takes advantage of this wonderful opportunity. Contact us today by e-mail, letter or by telephone in Dallas at 817-268-2100 or Houston at 281-537-1301 to reserve these programs for your church and to enable your church family to become the parents and intentional adults in the lives of children who will change the world through your care.

From the book "Success Built to Last" by Jerry Porras, Stewart Emery and Mark Thompson: " We have learned that, for the most part, extraordinary people, teams and organizations are simply ordinary people doing extraordinary things that matter to them."

The election of a new President.
The birth of a new baby.
Graduation.
Marriage.
The first day of school for your child or neighbor's children.
Your first chore done well.
Your first job.
Your first thousand questions to Mom, Dad, Brother, Sister, Grandparents.
That first mountain you climbed.
Your first bike, Red Ryder, doll, electronic gadget, new car, house, career change, promotion, and raise.

What would you add to this infinite list?

As a parent, I hoped I would provide a defining moment in my children's memories in regard to how they would hear my words and feel my love, and I hoped I would imprint in their little bones those values and principles and treasures which I held most dear and wished for them with all my soul.

br> Is not Hope a wonderful defining moment?

I hope my loved ones listen to the best in me and are safe. In this defining moment of Christmas, I hope they know happiness, the joy of giving and the wonder of the child in all of us through the Birth celebrated on December 25th.

Let us have your suggestions of hope and we will share.

WHAT IS A GRANDPARENT?

Grandparents are a lady and a man who have no little children of their own. They like other people's.

Grandparents don't have to do anything except be there when we come to see them. They are so old they shouldn't play hard or run. It is good if they drive us to the shops and give us money.

When they take us for walks, they slow down past things like pretty leaves and caterpillars.They show us about colors of the flowers and also why we shouldn't step on cracks. They don't say hurry up.

Usually grandmothers and grandfathers are fat but not too fat to tie your shoe. They wear glasses and funny underwear. They can take their teeth and gum out.

Grandparents are real smart. They have answers to questions like " How do I run out of energy?" and "How come dogs chase cats?" and "Why do fish jump?"

When they read to us, they don't skip. They don't mind if we ask for the same story over and over and over again. "Do it again Grandpa."
Everybody should try to have grandparents if they don't have a tv. They are good companions and keep us busy.

Grandparents know we should have a snack before bedtime and they say prayers with us and kiss us even when we've messed up.

A six year old was asked where Grandma lived.
"Oh,"he said, "She lives at the airport and when we want her we just go get her. Then when we are done having her visit, we take her back to the airport."

Grandpa and Nana are the smartest people on earth! They teach me good things but I don't get to see them enough to get as smart as they are. Nana makes good cookies. It 's funny when they bend over, it takes them a long time to bend back.

We are so lucky to be parents, garndparents and just people who have kids in our lives. As the winter winds blow and the snow and ice cometh, I wish you a Merry Christmas with your kids. Please consider end-of-the-year donations to ARKProgramming that can be a means of giving adults tools for relating to their kids and showing that they care. Give as generously as you can. You will make a lasting different in the lives of deserving children.<br>

Glenn, Bill, Jan, and our entire staff greatly appreciate your contributions in helping us to make caring relationships the norm for kids.

FORGIVENESS is a powerful act of love that evolves from each of us when we can separate behavior of others from their worth as a person and value each life as a gift.

FORGIVENESS is possible when our hearts and minds focus on the kindness of others rather than the mistakes that others make that hurt us.

Our individual acts of FORGIVENESS improve our physical health, lessen our anger, and lower our stress horomones. Life can become lighter, happier and more calm when we forgive. When we focus more on the kindness of others, there is less room in our minds for anger to dominate our lives.

As parents and teachers, many actions of others can invade our minds and cause pain and anger. Sometimes, these thoughts get out of balance with the person we see ourselves to be. Dr. Brooks suggests we think about the emotional relief we can give ourselves if and when we decide to forgive. The good news is that it is difficult to hold two opposing emotions--forgiveness and anger--at the same time.
FORGIVENESS is a fundamental piece of self-esteem in your emotional toolkit. It is a gift that you give yourself...a great gift to contemplate as we enter this Christmas season...a gift of faith from your religious practice and belief in the true spirit of this time.

ARKParenting and ARK for Teachers programs help small-group networks of support to practice and grow their toolsets for parenting and teaching . They enable us adults to participate in FORGIVENESS and allow us to focus on the acts of kindness of our children and students.. ARK programs help teachers,mothers, and fathers to establish firm and consistent expectations while anchoring their children and students in love, warmth, support and encouragement.

To find out about facilitating an ARK Program in your area, give us a CALL!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from that place in each of us at ARK where love and forgiveness lives to that place in you where love and forgiveness lives.

Check out our Dr. Brooks Website for an excellent view on Forgiveness

ARK is always aware of organizations which want to incorporate the ARK experience in their programs but who need financial assistance to do so. Even public schools frequently don't have the resources that will allow them to offer their students the life-changing benefits of ARK. DID YOU KNOW THAT ...your gift of $100. will introduce ARK to a school, United Way supported agency, neighborhood center or church. ... your donation of $1,000. will provide ARK programming for an entire school. ...your contribution of $10,000. will allow the ARKgroup to equip 10 schools within a school district to begin the ARK for Teachers and ARK for Parents programs.

GoodSearch - a way to support ARK while using the Internet. You can contribute to the ARKGroup so that we might invest in your favorite community services, church, juvenile justice program or school--just by searching the Internet or shopping online with GoodSearch - www.goodsearch.com - powered by Yahoo!

Read on at the ARK website...