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Six Tales of Christmas | When Cookies Crumble · Neighbourly: Real Stories of Care and Community

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  This is Journey with Care, official podcast of Care
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  Impact. Johan here, and today, I will be your
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  guide. Welcome to the special series of Care Impact
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  Christmas, where we celebrate the joy of the Christmas season.
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  As the snow falls outside and the warmth of the holiday spirit fills
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  our hearts, we invite you to gather your closest loved ones,
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  your kids, grandkids, friends, or family. Get
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  cozy by the fire or snuggle up with a blanket and a cup of hot
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  cocoa and get ready for something truly special.
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  Today, we invite you to journey with us through a series of short stories that
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  capture the essence of Christmas. These tales are filled with
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  warmth, care, and loving generosity.
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  So take a sip of that rich hot cocoa, nestle into your
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  favourite spot, and let the glow of the firelight or simply of your
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  Bluetooth speaker bring our stories to life.
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  Welcome back to 6 Tales of Christmas. Today, we unwrap a
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  story that's as sweet as it is profound, a story
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  about Christmas cookies. But not just any cookies,
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  these are the kind who find their way into the precious hands of the most
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  hurting people. So grab a hot drink and settle in for
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  a tale about when cookies crumble.
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  Once upon a time, in the cozy kitchen of the great
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  baker, there lived a batch of Christmas cookies.
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  Each one was lovingly crafted with care and purpose,
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  with ingredients that combine to be so delightful and desirable to
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  everyone who catches their aroma. And the great baker
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  is masterful in his kitchen, knowing just what each
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  cookie is created for and who they are about to delight.
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  A conversation unfolds as he places each warm treat
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  onto the plate. Gingerbread,
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  said the baker. You're strong and bold,
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  made to stand tall for those in need. I need you to go to
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  those who are mistreated and overcooked.
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  Gingerbread puffed up with pride. You got it, baker.
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  I'll stand up for them. No one will catch them. I'm the gingerbread
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  woman. Next came Sugar
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  Cookie, delicately shaped into a sparkling star.
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  You, Sugar Cookie, are here to shine bright and bring joy into the dark
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  places. I need you to go to those who are sad and
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  grieving. Wonderful. Sugar Cookie Twinkled, his
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  sprinkles catching the light. Oh, I'll do my very best to
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  shine brightly within their darkness until the sun shines again.
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  Then came snickerdoodle, warm and golden, dusted
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  with cinnamon. You're the comforter, my dear. You
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  remind others of love and home when they feel lost and alone.
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  Mhmm. Snickerdoodle gave a soft soothing sigh.
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  Ah. I like that, baker. I'll be there for anyone who
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  needs me. Finally, the baker carefully
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  lifted the peppermint shortbread. You, little one,
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  bring refreshment and courage. You're a pick me
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  up gift for those weary hearts. Shortbread
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  beamed, her peppermint swirls gleaming. I'll make
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  sure everyone keeps going, even when life gets tough.
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  The cookies love their special callings and it was true.
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  They came alive when they went to those the baker created them for in the
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  community. They really did wanna make a difference.
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  But as time went on, the cookies began to feel the weight of the work.
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  Gingerbread found himself balancing more than she could handle, her
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  strong arms starting to crack. Sugar cookie's
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  bright sparkles began to fade as he tried to sparkle for everyone
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  around her. Snickerdoodle's warmth started to cool,
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  and Shortbread's peppermint swirls felt stretched thin.
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  Gingerbread, with great worry and sadness, exclaimed,
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  baker, I think I'm breaking. I wanted to be strong, but I
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  don't know how much more I can hold. And then Sugar
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  Cookie softly and wearily whispered, I'm trying to
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  shine, but my sparkles are all gone. What if
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  I'm not enough? Snickerdoodle gently, but
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  worn out mumbled, even cinnamon feels tired.
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  Baker, I don't know if I can keep comforting others.
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  And then peppermint shortbread in a small voice squeaked,
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  I wanted to refresh everyone, but now I just feel
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  crumbly.
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  The baker listened carefully to each cookie, his
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  warm hands gently gathering them up.
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  Oh, my sweet cookies. You weren't meant to do this all on your
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  own. Even the strongest, sweetest, and
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  brightest need care too.
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  The baker continued calmly and reassuringly,
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  I made you with purpose, and I see every crack and
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  crumble, but you're never too broken for me to
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  restore. Let's start with a little rest,
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  a sprinkle of support, and some time together.
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  When you're weak, then you can still be strong.
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  Here, let me teach you.
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  The baker called all his skilled helpers to care for all the
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  crumbling cookies. They worked carefully and
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  skillfully with each cookie that came crumbling back through those
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  doors, soothing gingerbread's cracks,
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  brightening sugar cookie sprinkles, and warming snicker
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  doodle cinnamon, and then refreshing the swirls of shortbread.
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  The baker declared with a satisfied smile, there
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  you are ready to keep going again. But remember, when you feel like
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  you're crumbling, my team of helpers and I are always here
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  to keep you going. The cookies
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  beamed. They realized they didn't have to do it all alone.
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  With the baker's care and support, they could keep fulfilling their
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  purpose. Their calling wasn't easy, but they
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  sure brought a lot of hope into their community.
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  This Christmas, the cookies remind us of the caregivers in our world,
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  the foster parent, the social care worker, the
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  pastor, the good neighbor, those who give so much to
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  others but need a little care themselves.
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  Remember, even when cookies crumble, there's always
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  hope for
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  restoration. This Christmas, you can help
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  keep cookies from crumbling. Care Impact provides practical trauma care
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  training, self care skills, and a nurturing safe place that
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  caregivers need to keep making a difference in their communities. Come
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  shop at careimpactchristmas.com where there are gifts for everyone on your
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  list. Just one virtual cookie of $50 provides an
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  hour of essential training for caregivers with our team of skilled
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  practitioners. Your sweet support will strengthen weary foster
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  parents, adoptive birth parents, social workers, and ministry
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  leaders who care for vulnerable youth in our communities. Help
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  us reach our goal of 10 dozen cookies. That's a 120 hours
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  of essential support for sweet caregivers that are so needed in
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  these hard places. And here's the best part, your generosity
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  will be matched until December 30 first, doubling the impact
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  of every dollar you give because cookies do crumble,
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  but together, we can help gift them restoration. Visit
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  careimpactchristmas.com and give the sweetest gift of the season.