Good Morning People!!! Emmanuel walked out of the grocery store into the intense heat of the sun. As he did, he couldn’t help but notice a homeless man sitting on the ground with his back against the building. He stopped and asked the man if he needed anything. As this happened, a man walking past them toward the entrance shouted, “No sense in talking to him. He’s a mute, a peddler, and needs a bath!” The man was right—this guy needed a bath and a few bucks, but most of all,

Grand Rising People!!! Jamal had a crush on Christina. He’d spent most of the school year trying to impress her into making things official between them. He knew Christina liked him, but she promised herself that when she started dating, she would do her best in making sure her decision on who to date would be her best one. So she hesitated. One day while working out at the gym, Jamal was approached by a very attractive woman. Their conversation could have easily developed i

Good Morning People!! Wanda sat on the floor in her living room in front of her television, legs crossed, eyes closed, and hands locked together in her lap. She had been sitting in this position for a good 20 minutes, controlling her breathing and focusing on the center of her forehead. Over the past month of practicing this routine, she had noticed her days were easier to conquer, and her level of happiness had grown. Not only had she been practicing the art of meditation, b

Grand Rising People!!! Han and Derrick both worked at the towns Kawasaki motor plant. Both worked on the welding line welding the ‘A’ arms for the ATV suspension system. Derrick always finished his quota by mid day, while Han used up most of his morning and afternoon completing his. The difference between the 2 welders was all of the imperfections that Derrick seemed to always have. Han’s work, although done at a slower pace, was always perfect. By the end of quarter, both me

Grand Rising People!!! Felix was the owner of a successful coffee bar. Despite its growing success, it wasn’t always the preferred place to drop in for that morning cup of Joe. You see, in the beginning, Felix hired many of his own family and friends to help with the daily operations of the business. This wasn’t the smartest idea because many of them ignored the rules, which reflected on the location’s performance and growth. Some set their own schedules, while others took ad

Good Morning People!!! Gary picked up the phone and called the number he had received from his good friend. It belonged to a guy he’d been following on social media—someone who delivered messages that helped shed positivity on the world. The man just so happened to live within the community, and when he picked up, Gary explained his situation and how he needed serious help. But before he could fully explain, he burst into tears. Hearing Gary’s reaction, the man on the other e

Grand Rising People!!! Growing up as a middle child, I found it a little harder to fit in. I didn’t feel equal. I felt different. I wasn’t the firstborn, nor the baby of the household, so I pretty much screamed for any attention I received. Unfortunately, the only time I managed to get attention was when I got myself into trouble. In school, I tried fitting in, only to be called names because my clothes were different. I’ve been called strange, weird, and different my whole l

Grand Rising People!! Cindy struggled to complete her last abdominal rep. When she had originally started her journey to a better, slimmer body, she couldn’t even complete two reps. Yet now, she had just completed three sets of 50. Sixty-five pounds down from her starting weight, she now leads the class that she originally joined less than eight months ago—the same class that helped her transform. In the beginning, she didn’t believe she could shed the extra pounds that once

Good Morning People!!! Chester pulled his truck up to the menu screen in the drive-thru, stared at the display for a few seconds, and placed his order. He ordered a large coffee, a small oatmeal with fruit, and a breakfast hash brown. The stop was part of a morning routine he’d practiced for years. As he pulled up to the pay window, he couldn’t help but notice two small children bouncing away in their car seats in the minivan behind him. As he took in the scene, he was abrupt

Good Morning People! Britney sat waiting on her front porch for the Carolina blue conversion van to pull up. She was awaiting the arrival of three of the people who had helped her change her life. You see, just over a year prior, she had been fighting addiction and depression. When her new friends showed up in her life, they quickly showed her that all she needed was the right attention and a little bit of love. This triggered a response in her so profound that she developed

Good Morning People!! Two years ago, I decided to upgrade my insurance by adding something to the policy that I would normally pass on: a vision policy. I had been waking up every morning, and for some reason, I was finding it harder and harder for my eyes to focus and adjust when I first opened them. My wife suggested that I get an eye exam. I did, and never in a million years was I expecting to receive the results I got that day. All my life, I rocked that 20/20 vision, and

Good Morning People!!! Nick pulled up to the job site, parked his truck, turned off the ignition, took a deep breath, and sighed. He was about to put on his tool belt for the very last time. For the past 10 years, he had worked as an electrician during the day. But for the last four years, his evenings had been spent going to school. Even now, he still didn’t fully understand why, out of all the careers he could have chosen, he decided to become a nurse. Maybe it was because

Good Morning People!!! Jermaine had come a long way. In his younger years, he’d been known for involving himself in a bunch of negative activities. These activities created a revolving door effect that led him in and out of the system. He’d first started out using drugs, but soon after, resorted to selling them as well. That was his past life though. Jermaine no longer had the desire to indulge in any negative behavior because after his last visit to jail, he found GOD acquir

Good Morning People! When Holly was just a young child, she spent most of her playtime pretending to be a nurse working in a small nursing home, just like her mother. She would lay many of her dolls out as if they were patients being tended to. As she got older, though, life happened, and her path seemed to drift away from that passion. As an adult, Holly applied for many positions—convenience store cashier, bank teller, and most recently, teacher’s aide. Although all of thes

Good Morning People!!! Chuck placed his index finger on the infrared clock-in pad and clocked into his shift at the job he’d been working at for the past seven years. He was no longer excited about walking through the door. He was no longer motivated to give it his all. Over the years, Chuck felt a sense of obligation to the owner—showing up, overperforming, and clocking out hours after his original shift time—yet his boss seemed to value him less as the months passed. In the

Good Morning People!!! With sweat and blood running into His eyes and tremendous pain erupting through His body, Jesus walked through the village carrying the weight of the world, wearing the crown of humanity’s sins. He was on His way to be executed before many. Because of the love He had not only for His Father, but also for His blind sisters and brothers, Jesus was willing to trade His life for the redemption of all humankind. It was a price He was willing to pay because H

Good Morning People!! Trenton stepped into the elevator and pushed the button that would take him to the fifth floor. Today was the day he would land the job he had been working toward for the past four years in college. As the elevator doors opened, his phone buzzed. He immediately checked it, put it back in his pocket, and stepped out. While sitting in the lobby awaiting the interviewer, his phone buzzed again. Once more, he removed it from his pocket, glanced at it, and sh

Good Morning People!!! Today is a new day, so take a moment to think about everything you’ve been through in your life. Take a moment to revisit all of your wins and losses—your failures and your achievements. There is only one common denominator in everything you’ve ever experienced—only one person who has witnessed every single event. That person is you. You have been the voice constantly cheering yourself on this whole time. Now, don’t get me wrong—there may have been othe

Good Morning People!!! Curtis looked his younger brother in the face and told him what he needed to hear. His brother had so much going on that he wasn’t seeing their mom as much as he should. So Curtis gave him the best reason to finally make the time. “Mom is slipping away, bro. Everything’s shutting down in her, and if you want more memories, now’s the time.” At first, his younger brother thought Curtis was being negative—but not wanting to find out the hard way, he made t

Good Evening People!! Hattie and two of her roommates sat on the elevator floor with their knees drawn up. They’d been stuck between the 3rd and 4th floors of their apartment building for hours. During this unfortunate event, Hattie’s roommates, already frustrated, ambushed her about her late portion of the rent—now her third time being late. They also brought up how it was likely because of her boyfriend. Instead of spending her money on herself, she allowed her unfaithful m