Merry Christmas everyone, many people are either celebrating, suffering, remembering, or in some way being ultra sensitive during the Christmas season. I've often found myself being terse and judgmental because "Jesus is the reason for the season," and someone is just not falling in line with my expectations of how Christmas should be tagged. With the passing of my beloved daughter, and the overwhelming rush of sentiment for both the living and the dead, I am galvanized by the kindness of others, and committed to the reflection of Hannah's Foundation for Helping Hands, as an outreach for the ages in Hannah's memory and another way in which God's love for us can take on the flesh of people helping people. Mike Manning

Recent "Helping Hands" events which are perpetuating a new circle of concern for others:

•  a young boy in Texas upon hearing of Hannah's passing devoted his Clarinet concert to Hannah's memory
• an elderly woman who had lost her husband and was afraid to travel alone, was accompanied by a stranger in the airport.
• a van door that had been disabled by a hit and run accident was fixed by American Auto and the owner blessed the family in need.
• a guitar was given to a young man who had spent countless hours denying his own needs to attend to the needs of a dear friend in medical sickness.
  
• a business man and his family went shopping for Christmas gifts for the poor
• a business man and his wife sponsored a Catholic Mass, Feb 8th at 8:30 at Our Lady of Snows in Reno, NV for Hannah Marie Manning. (all are welcome to attend)
  
• Horizon Church responded with several gift cards in Hannah's memory as the first institutional gift to be given away by Hannah's Foundation for Helping Hands.

Merry Christmas everyone! This is truly a season of generosity and new beginnings for us all. Everyone should strive for meaning and closeness during this and every season in 2011-2012.

Greetings everyone! As many of you know, and new subscribers to this blog will find out, there has been a death in the family. Hannah Marie Manning passed away December 12th, 20011 from heart complications after her liver transplant. In the wake of her loss came an outpouring of love and kindness that has spawned the formulation of Hannah Marie's Foundation for helping Hands. Although I have started it, her father Mike manning, you will see that it is a never ending extension of her life through our combined efforts to see her overriding dream of being surrounded by those she loved, become a reality. It is for those in need, in some unforeseeable future that "Hanna's Hands" are reaching out. Imagine being able to fund a family member's trip and living expenses so that father, mother, brother or sister could spend quality and quantity time bedside, with a seriously ill loved one. (Ps 37:4-6) "He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun." Everyone take up your own causes, or borrow one from us in 2012. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year!

Just a couple items, and a wish for everyone's 2011 to be the start of something big: Item one, San Diego Convention Center and our ACN International Training Event is next week. I'll share this story with you, but I need to admit that I thought this would be a past memory being told to new partners from the perspective of a RVP by now! For what ever reason I can give you for not reaching my "big audacious goal," (by now) there are underlying factors that expose the reality that ACN is easy, but the private war that we wage against giving up is the real battle that hides beneath the facade we create for everyone around us. Let's just  admit that our dreams and desires are bigger then our skill sets, and go after the prize like our lives depend on it . I can tell you that from the bottom of the mountain I'm standing at, the view up there looks inviting, obtainable, and immensely rewarding. So I am an attender of National events, because I am an ACN business owner. I attended trade shows for my Music Retail and teaching business because I wanted to learn about the industry that was going to provide a future for my family through successful habits I could obtain there. The NAMM show held in California and Texas was very cool because they had entertainment, training and product mixed with nice hotels and scenic beaches. The big difference was I had a badge that read: "Buyer" and I was everybody's best friend as a byproduct of that badge. In ACN, events are all about personal and professional development, with no "Buyers Badge," we are free to bask in the friendships that foster a future no body has control of except us. "Today, I live in a future I made with yesterday's decisions."

Here is that story, I hope you have/ or will create your own soon: "My wrist band is tapped up, it's fragile like the dream it represents; it requires a band-aid to get it, and me, from Detroit to Anaheim, San Jose, Cleveland and North Carolina where I will get a replacement and begin the process of doing it all over again." Mike Manning MM

December is a magical time for children, parents, grandparents- and the music that is such an important part of the season. Think back to a Christmas past, and you can almost taste the holidays as you hear a favorite carol. Everyone gets into the season once Christmas shopping is mostly done, and travel plans are final. Take a moment early on to relax and enjoy friends and family, and don't forget the true reason for the season, as many celebrate the greatest story ever told. MM

Sparks Music is hosting a TuesBusiness Presentation/Training at 6:30 Dec 30th in the Parent Lounge. Open to the public: "make December a month to remember" Nevada Global residual and Bonus money making opportunity!

Merry Christmas everyone! Mike Manning will be gone from December 9th-12th. He is attending International Training for the Manning's ACN business in San Diego California. Although Thurs-Saturday lessons are affected, every attempt will be made to avoid customer inconvenience. Thursday the 9th is an extra day in December, which wont be charged, so anyone needing a make up for Friday and or Saturday will be contacted in advance.

December 19th is our Christmas at Sparks Music all studio recital. It will start at 4:30, and everyone is welcome to perform 2 pieces of music. We will have a pot-luck at the end of the event, please use your imagination to provide a pot-luck item. Sparks Music is collecting food items for a few families in need of a Christmas dinner. Please bring a can of food if its convenient, to Sparks Music anytime during December. There will be no group classes on December 11th. Sparks Music is very appreciative for all of our loyal customers, and we wish you a Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year!   MM

At sparks Music, we have an eight year history of serving the Reno, Sparks area with integrity and commitment to excellence. This blog will in essence be a new voice for a maturing, smarter Sparks Music, and we hope that your input will shape our next eight years. With Christmas just around the corner, and Thanksgiving under our belt, we look forward to a new year, new directions, and new friends. Be blessed and prosper, Mike Manning and partners.

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