Six Tales of Christmas | When Cookies Crumble

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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.