21Jun 2020 by Thrive
Spotlight: Nicole Monk-Murphy

Spotlight: Nicole Monk-Murphy

Lifestyle
Healing by Design By Martti Peeples Nicole Monk-Murphy comes from a long line of strong, devout women, including some who have dedicated their lives to helping others through their careers in the medical field. Nicole is the youngest of her parents’ children. Her mother, the late Bernice Monk, was like no other. Bernice taught and led by example, with love at the forefront of everything she did. At just 15 years old, Nicole joined her mother and two sisters, Erika and GiGi, at St. Joseph Nursing Home, working as a receptionist every weekend. Nicole worked her way up to Accounts Payable after nearly seven years at St. Joseph. In 2001, an event happened which would forever alter Nicole’s life. In August of that year, the family matriarch passed away from…
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21Jun 2020 by Diana Creel Elarde
That Which Connects Us All

That Which Connects Us All

Life & Community
By Diana Creel Elarde There is so much space and distance in 40 years apart, and yet I knew as soon as I heard the word ‘hospice’ that there was only one place in the world I needed to be. Throwing my suitcase in the back of the small SUV, I quickly made the departure from the Omaha airport toward Lincoln, hoping to make it in time. Time! It takes on an entirely different connotation when needing to connect for the last time. When I finally arrive, we hug as we assess each other. Then we truly hug. I hold my cousin’s weakened body as memories of childhood sleepovers, birthday celebrations, and family holidays come flooding through. What tied us then, ties us now. We sit, we share, holding hands…
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21Jun 2020 by Ina Fernandez
We Are All in This Together-Financially Too!

We Are All in This Together-Financially Too!

Finance, Life & Community
Ina Fernandez CPA, President & CEO, Fern Capital Inc. We’re hearing the phrase “we are all in this together” everywhere in the media during the Covid-19 crisis. It’s true from both a health and a financial perspective this time. So, here are some suggestions for people in different financial situations caused by the Covid-19 crisis. Out of work and running out of emergency funds If you fall into this category, you are likely the intended target of various congressional bills passed and in the process of passing these days. Control what you can, as your family comes first in this scenario. So, ask for forbearance from your landlord or mortgage company, utility and phone companies, credit card processor, or internet service provider, for example. Many of these companies understand that…
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30Dec 2019 by Martti Peoples
The Life of a Traveler

The Life of a Traveler

Health and Wellness, Lifestyle
By Martti C. Peeples The year was 2014. I had spent the weekend at Oprah Winfrey’s “Live Your Best Life” tour. Oprah had an exercise in the booklet we received. One of the exercises was called “Capture your new vision.” This is part of what I wrote: “I want to start preparing now to overcome my fear of leaving my current job and home and walking into my next Chapter.” By February 2016, I had resigned from my job and was venturing out into the travel business. Now, how did I get here? Well, between 2014 and 2016, a traveler started working at my job. This person was mentioning how much money he was making doing the same exact thing I was doing, yet making twice the amount. Let’s just…
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30Dec 2019 by majallen
Think ‘Bout It

Think ‘Bout It

Life Coaching
By Majallen Cespedes Hey guys! It’s been a while since I've last submitted an article, but today I'm going to talk about something that’s had a direct, positive impact on my life. I want to share this knowledge and these understandings with you all in hopes of helping anyone reading this to achieve their most high sense of self and peaceful existence. Life is hard. No doubt. As we’re all growing, maturing, and experiencing transitions in our life like graduating from high school, we’re starting to get a sense of what it’s like to be an adult: drifting away from those you thought you’d know forever, rekindling old friendships because you’re now more mature, heartbreaks and relationships, struggling with managing your money or struggling because you’re trying to make some…
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30Dec 2019 by sara
On Faith and Housing Justice

On Faith and Housing Justice

Homelessness, Inequity, Life & Community, Poverty
By Sara Constantakis, Thrive Detroit Copyeditor I would like to believe that I am a person who has always been concerned with justice. Throughout most of my adult life, I have volunteered for organizations that help people -- teaching reading to children and adults, or raising money for organizations that fight diseases -- but I don’t know if, at the time, I ever thought of those activities as justice work. This past November, I was asked to give a reflection at my church on the role of justice in my life. As I was putting together my reflection, I realized that it has been through my experience with Unitarian Universalism that I have learned the most about what justice means, the different types of justice, and how justice plays out…
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