• Strength, Courage, & Wise Decisions
• Trust In Yourself
• A Lesson In Survival From Libby
• Related Articles

Dear Reader:

For our first e-newsletter, we address the difficult times we are currently facing, as a society and as individuals. We share with you not only words of encouragement, but also a realistic look at how we can change directions. When we find ourselves stuck, we must keep fighting. When our decisions have severe consequences, we must take action and help ourselves. No one is perfect, but there is always hope if we are willing to change and take responsibility for ourselves!

--Anna & Ellie Sherise

By Anna & Ellie Sherise

It is easy to get discouraged. Our country is facing some extremely challenging times, and it does not look like things will be looking up any time soon. Unemployment, housing foreclosures, and credit card debt are a daily reality for many of us, and the related stress can take a toll on our relationships and our health. In these situations, we can feel like we're falling into a deep, dark hole in which there is no way out. However, if we allow our lives to come unraveled by our overwhelming circumstances, there will be no recovery. For us to survive, we must resolve to never surrender to our circumstances.

So, what does this mean? It means that we must find our strength. Read More

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By Dr. Don

The economy is down. Unemployment is up. Foreclosures on home mortgages are rising. Sales are down. Your employer is starting to cut back. It is tough, and it may get tougher.

But you can do this. You have done this before. You have met so many other challenges, and you have been successful. It is just tough now. Something that you can over come. It is always a learning process. Living near the edge in term of your finances may work much of the time, but having some backup, some "rainy day" funds may still be needed to cover when it turns for the worst.

You are resourceful. You can find a way through these tough times. You can learn from it. You can come out stronger and better able to meet these challenges. Trust in yourself.

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By Anna Sherise

Our old black Lab, Libby, is a great example of courage, strength, and survival. Whenever I am tempted to give up and call it quits, I think of her and what she went through, and it reminds me that I shouldn't give up. I must never surrender to my circumstances.

When Libby was just a year old, we got her a puppy so that she wouldn't be lonely. Since she spent most of her waking hours outside by herself, we thought she would like to have a furry friend. As a Thanksgiving surprise for our family, my husband and I found Sydney, a beautiful, purebred, Golden Retriever puppy. Immediately, we all loved Sydney. She was playful, loving, and seemed to fit right into the family. As her first year with us progressed, she and Libby became good buddies, so much so that Sydney would not let Libby out of her sight. Wherever Libby went, Sydney would follow. Read More

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Ask Anna & Ellie:
Getting Back Up When You're "Down On Life"

Dear Anna and Ellie:

I'll spare you all the gory details, but let's just say that at this point it seems like life isn't all it's cracked up to be. (In the last three months alone, I was diagnosed with a lifelong, life-changing illness, my daughter had major complications in a major surgery, and my husband was informed that he is about to lose his job.)

Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to go jump off a bridge or anything. I'm just severely disillusioned. With people, with religion, with politics, with all this crap that happens day in and day out. Read More

Free Writing Fridays:
Freedom, Personal Responsibility, & You

Magna Sententia places a great deal of value on personal responsibility (i.e. including the right people in your life, admitting and honoring your limitations, setting attainable goals for yourself, as well as taking responsibility for your daily needs, financial well-being, future, health, happiness, actions, and children). This sounds like a whole lot of work (and it is!), much more work than letting someone else take charge of all these things. So what's the benefit? What has personal responsibility ever done for us? Read More

Ask Anna & Ellie:
Should I Lend Money To My Adult Son?

Dear Anna and Ellie:

My 26-year-old son wants to borrow money from me and I am not sure I want to lend it to him. He is very responsible and I think he would pay me back, for some reason though, I just don't know if lending him money is a good idea.

Since he graduated from college, he has paid back his college loans, paid for his apartment, purchased furniture and other living necessities, and always pays off his credit cards. Like I said, he is responsible. I don't know why I am hesitant. What do you think? Read More

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