Advice for The Coming New Year

Let this coming year be better than all the others. Vow to do some of the things you’ve always wanted to do but couldn’t find the time. Call up a forgotten friend. Drop an old grudge, and replace it with some pleasant memories. Share a funny story with someone whose spirits are dragging. Vow not to make a promise you don’t think you can keep. Give a soft answer. Free yourself of envy and malice. Make a genuine effort to stay in closer touch with family and good friends. Find the time to be kind and thoughtful. All of us have the same allotment: 24 hours a day. Think things through. Forgive an injustice. Listen more. Be kind. Apologize when you realize you are wrong. Try to understand a point of view that is different from your own. Few things are 100 percent one way or another. Lighten up. When you feel like blowing your top, ask yourself, “Will it matter a week from today?”. Laugh the loudest when the joke is on you. The sure way to have a friend is to be one. Avoid malcontents and pessimists. They drag you down and contribute nothing. When courage is needed, ask yourself, “If not me, who? If not now, when?” Take better care of yourself. Remember, you’re all you’ve got. Walk tall, and smile more. You’ll look 10 years younger. Don’t be afraid to say, “I love you.” Say it again. They are the sweetest words in the world. If you have love in your life, consider yourself blessed, and vow to make this the best year ever.

~ Ann Landers

Holy Father,

God of our yesterdays, our today, and our tomorrows.
We praise You for Your unequaled greatness.
Thank You for the year behind us and for the year ahead.
Help us in Your new year, Father, to fret less and laugh more.
To teach our children to laugh by laughing with them.
To teach others to love by loving them.
Knowing, when Love came to the stable in Bethlehem, He came for us.
So that Love could be with us, and we could know You.
That we could share Love with others.
Help us, Father, to hear Your love song in every sunrise,
in the chriping of sparrows in our backyards,
in the stories of our old folks, and the fantasies of our children.
Help us to stop and listen to Your love songs,
so that we may know You better and better.
We rejoice in the world You loved into being.
Thank You for another new year and for new chances every day.
We pray for peace, for light, and for hope, that we might spread them to others.
Forgive us for falling short this past year.
We leave the irreparable past in your hands, and step out into the unknown new year knowing You will go with us.
We accept Your gift of a new year and we rejoice in what's ahead, depending on You to help us do exactly what You want..
I say it again, we rejoice!
In Jesus name,
Amen.

A Prayer for the New Year

O God of new beginnings and wonderful surprises, thank you for the gift of a new year. May it be a time of grace for me, a time to grow in faith and love, a time to renew my commitment to following Your Son, Jesus. May it be a year of blessing for me, a time to cherish my family and friends, a time to renew my efforts at work, a time to embrace my faith more fully. Walk with me, please, in every day and every hour of this new year, that the light of Christ might shine through me, in spite of my weaknesses and failings. Above all, may I remember this year that I am a pilgrim on the sacred path to You.

Amen

The Day After Christmas

Anonymous

It's one day after Christmas
I'm crabby and I'm broke.
I'm so full of ham and fruitcake
I think I'm gonna croak.

It's nice to see the relatives
I wonder when they'll leave.
They've been camping in my bathroom
since early Christmas Eve.

They're eating everything in sight
and sleeping in my bed.
I been sacked out in the basement
with my spotted beagle, Fred.

The relatives have all gone out
and left their screaming brats.
The toilet bowl is all plugged up
and I can't find the cat.

It's Christmastime at my house,
the relatives are here.
They eat me out of house and home.
and drink up all my beer.

I love the decorations,
and the sleigh bells in the snow
But I wish those pesky relatives
would take their kids and go.

Those cookie crunchers fed the dog
a twenty pound rib of roast.
His feet are sticking in the air
like skinny old fence posts.

Now they're in a free-for-all,
the girls against the boys.
They're fighting over boxes
'cause they're bored with all their toys

My mother-in-law is snoring
in my favorite TV chair.
Those kids are stringing lights on her
and tinseling her hair

I oughta wake her up
before the fireworks begin.
But I wanna see those blue sparks fly
when they plug her in.

Top Things to Do the Day After Christmas


 After Christmas Christmas Leftovers .I personally love the day after Christmas. It's the best time of year. Presents are open, the kids are distracted playing with their new toys, and all the cooking is over with. Christmas is the stressful time of
year, and most of us can't wait for the day after Christmas to come so that you can finally relax. But what should you do on the day after Christmas? Where should you go? Well here are a few of my fun tips to get you on your way.
1. Kick Everyone Out of Your House
Yeap we often have to many guest in our houses during the Holiday. So when December 26th rolls around it's time to kick everyone out. Help your guest pack their stuff up. Make them a plate of leftovers for their trip back to where ever they came from. Pretend that you will miss them dearly but be firm in expressing that it's time for them to go back to their home. Cause just like a hotel check out time is 11am...so let your guest know that they need to have their stuff packed and out of the door by 11am.
2. Don't Cook! Go out to dinner!
You have had enough cooking to last you until next Christmas. Even though you have leftovers in the refrigerator you should take yourself out with your spouse for a quite evening of dining. Pick a place where there will not be to many kids around and where you can listen to modern music, feel sexy, and have a cocktail without being eye-balled by your in-laws.
3. Return the Crap
Now if you are a daring soul and want to risk going to the mall then do so. You WILL receive some craptastical gift from your kids or in-laws. But while it is the thought that counts you had your eye on something else and not that crap that you got. So take it back and get what you want. The day after Christmas is one of the biggest shopping days of the year. So be warned that you might risk long lines and tons of people out and about.
4. Do Nothing At All
Sometimes the best thing to do is to do nothing at all. Sit at home and play game on your computer. Take a relaxing bath. Catch up on some sleep. But take the day after Christmas as some personal time for you and you only.

Wishing You A Very Merry Christmas

A Visitor on Christmas Eve

by

Joseph P. Rogers

It was a cold, cloudy, blustery night;

Even the moon gave little light.

Santa’s sleigh flew beneath the storm

So that his reindeer would meet no harm.

The nine reindeer flew very low,

Just above the new-fallen snow.

Although Santa slowed down his reindeers’ dash,

Into a snowbank, they did smash.

That Christmas Eve, Santa crashed his sleigh,

But it did not cause him any dismay.

He knew that he had friends nearby,

And his reindeer would again soon fly.

“This was not a night to be aloft.

At least this snowbank is very soft!”

“My good, faithful team of reindeer,

Take a break and rest right here.”

“I will be back in a little while;

I’ll bring you treats to make you smile.”

After bidding the reindeer goodbye,

He trudged through snowdrifts very high.

Santa knew that he must hurry

So that the world’s children would not worry.

He had presents to deliver,

And needed to fly his sleigh over hills and rivers.

Under glowing trees on Christmas morning

Would be the presents for which children were yearning.

Santa thought about the three kings

Who to the Christ Child gifts did bring.

“Like those wise men who followed a star,

Every year I travel far.”

Santa hoped that he would not have far to roam

Before he spotted his friends’ home.

And he had forgotten to bring his cell phone!

“There is their house!” Santa called out with glee.

“Soon my friends I shall see.”

“I want to see David, Eve, and Jessy,

And, of course, my good friend, Lexi!”

After Santa rang the bell,

He knew that all was well.

The family’s faces were all alight

To see their visitor this holy night.

“What a wonderful surprise!

We cannot believe our eyes!”

“Come in, Come in,

See our tree;

You are as welcome as can be.”

Santa entered the home, warm and bright,

Glad to be in from the cold, windy night.

The Christmas tree with sparkling lights

Was truly a lovely sight.

On the tree, every color could be seen:

Red, yellow, orange, blue, white, and green.

His friends treated Santa like a king,

And to him some hot cocoa they did bring.

“Thank you, Lexi, oh so much!

By your kindness, my heart has been touched.”

“But now I must be on my way

Because it will soon be Christmas Day!”

Shortly after bidding his friends goodbye,

He returned to his sleigh to find

The reindeer ready to fly.

“Our journey tonight earns you honor;

Good work, Rudolph, Blitzen, Comet, Cupid, and Donner;

Well done, Dasher, Dancer, Vixen, and Prancer.”

“Dash away! Dash away!” was Santa’s joyful cry

As they ascended into the sky.

Christmas Eve was transformed into a magical night,

Filled with goodness, wonder, and light.

I Believe in Santa Claus

I am a woman of deep faith and treasure the story of the first Christmas and do believe that the birth of Christ is the real reason for the season. The gift of the Christ Child from God was and is the greatest gift ever given to those of us who believe.

All major faith systems have the message that it is important to give of ourselves, to give love, to give respect, and to give to those less fortunate than us. Giving is a very important aspect of any faith.

Santa Claus personifies that act of giving and the magical feeling when you have given selflessly to another. He allows the child in all of us to remember the wonder and delight that the Christmas season brings to us all. He reminds us that we receive blessings or gifts when we follow our faith and live a good life. His message of being a giving spirit transcends to all faith systems

A Story So Old....

The fire is bright, a crackling sound
The wonderful smell of wood smoke abounds;
A sigh slips out, as I hang my head
A feeling so heavy, a feeling of dread.

I look to the window, the snow falling down
A curtain of white, a carpet is found;
The twinkling of lights, the shine of the tree
Such beautiful things, it must mean something to me!


The smell of the baking, those cookies, divine
Out of the oven, they cool in a line;
The presents all wrapped, colors red, green and white
It all works together, such a beautiful sight.


So, why am I feeling this sadness, so low
I sit and I question, as I add one more bow;
The toiling, the cooking, the work, all aplenty
It’s nothing so different, the lists are so many.

I go to the shelf and pull down one “Old Book”
This maybe will cheer me, I’ll have one more look;
I flip through the pages and find the old story
I know it by heart, I can see all its glory.

A mother so young, and a man full of faith

The journey they took was more than a place;
Such blessings bestowed, on these two, did they know?
The wonderful gift, she surely would sow.

Such darkness with starlight, and straw, all aglow
A beautiful child, in a manger, so low;
The sheep and the donkeys, the cows lying down
A cry and a smile, such love did abound.

A humble beginning, but lessons were learned
I thought of my Saviour, my heart was up-turned;
No longer the sadness, no longer beguiled
The gift of “The Father”, Jesus, “His” child.

I finished the story and sighed once again
Only, this time, a sigh of rejoicing within;
A tear of the joy from the story, I shed
Like sheep with the shepherd, I too felt led.


To tell you just read it ~ accept his great love
An act all too simple, it comes from above;
So, bless you, my dear ones, a moment, just take
This glorious Christmas, Oh let us awake!


To sit and remember the story, so old
The Christ Child, our Saviour, “The Book”, it has told….

Our Deepest Fear....

I want my readers to understand that I am a work in progress. I have many faults and short-comings as a woman. As a result, I often feel inadequate.

However, feelings of inadequacy are not my biggest fear. My biggest fear is that I am brilliant. My deepest fear is that I am powerful beyond measure.

We were made for greatness, but we are scared to offend, scared to push buttons, scared to be beautiful.

I hope to leave you with a small gift this Christmas - a gift that comes in the form of words. Words wrought together with passion, experience, and love.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and famous?" Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.

Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking, so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us. It's in everyone, and as we let our own light shine, we consciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.





.

In my daughter's eyes I am a hero

I am strong and wise and I know no fear

But the truth is plain to see

She was sent to rescue me

I see who I want to be

In my daughter's eyes

In my daughter's eyes

Everyone is equal

Darkness turns to light

And the world is at peace

This miracle God gave to me

Gives me strength when I'm weak

I find reason to believe

In my daughter's eyes

And when she wraps her hand around my finger

Oh it puts a smile in my heart

Everything becomes a little clearer

I realize what life is all about

It's hangin' on when your heart

Is had enough

It's givin' more when you feel like givin' up

I've seen the light

It's in my daughter's eyes

In my daughter's eyes

I can see the future

A reflection of who I am

And what we'll be

And though she'll grow and someday leave

Maybe raise a family

When I'm gone

I hope you'll see

How happy she made me

For I'll be there

In my daughter's eyes



My Three Beautiful Daughters





My Three Daughters



Christmas Angels

 

Angels are widely believed to be helpers and intermediaries between God and humankind.


Creatures of intensely blinding light, they often "turn down" their brilliance and assume normal human form to walk among us as they fulfill their specific missions.


People who study angels believe that the light of an angel is so intense because they originate from the highest light source: God. They have been known to have physical strength so incredible that they can perform other amazing feats.



According to the Bible, the first Christmas angel appeared to Mary and told her that she would have a son called Jesus. Joseph was also visited by a Christmas angel who told him what his role in this world-changing event would be.


After Jesus was born, another group of Christmas angels appeared to the Wise Men, as well as to a circle of Bethlehem shepherds, The shepherds found the stable where the child Jesus lay, When the Wise Men arrived, they gave the first Christmas presents ever - gold, frankincense and myrrh.


Today Christmas angels are alive and well, appearing just in time to help save or comfort their human friends. They appear to us in a variety of disguises, But their mission is obvious. They are sent to help people in times of great need.

It wasn't that anyone had been forgotten, no children had been slighted or made unhappy and no adult had been left unremembered.  The presents had all been distributed and all the stockings were beautifully filled- all that is except one: One stocking that had never been hung.  It was the stocking intended for the child of Bethlehem.  Of all the people belonging at that Christmas gathering, only He had been forgotten.  Only He had been left out of the festivities.  This didn't seem quite right, inasmuch as it was His birthday that was being celebrated.   Since then the little white stocking has hung in the center of all our stockings.  On Christmas Eve,  we gather in the living room to recall and express our feelings of that Christmas Eve so many years ago.  During this time, we reach into this stocking and pass out the papers that were placed in the stocking the year before.  Each person quietly reviews last years gift and then privately writes down his or her offering or gift to Jesus.  The new gifts are then placed in the stocking to be reviewed the next Christmas Eve.  Your gift could include personal goals you wish to achieve, family goals, or ways you will be of service to others in the coming year, maybe a relationship you wish to improve. These are some ideas....Wishing You and your family a Christ-filled Season.

Mother and daughter relationships are complex because the daughter looks to her mother as a role model of what a woman is. As she grows up and sees other woman who live their lives differently, she chooses between imitating her mother or other significant influences in her life. As an adolescent she may come to look down on her mother and think that other woman are much better. Of course she is not a fully grown woman so she does not understand the challenges and choices that her mother faces. It is only when she herself becomes a woman that she can fully appreciate her mother.

I see the countless Christmas trees, around the world below,

With tiny lights, like Heaven's stars, reflecting on the snow.


The sight is so spectacular, please wipe away the tear
For I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.


I hear the many Christmas songs that people hold so dear
But the sounds of music can't compare With the Christmas choir up here




I have no words to tell you, the joy their voices bring
For it is beyond description, to hear the angels sing.




I know now much you miss me, I see the pain inside your heart.
But I am not so far away, we really aren't apart.




So be happy for me, dear ones, you know I hold you dear
And be glad I'm spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.




I sent you each a special gift, from my heavenly home above.
I sent you each a memory of my undying love.



After all, love is a gift more precious than pure gold.
It is always most important in the stories Jesus told.


Please love and keep each other, as my Father said to do,
For I can't count the blessings or love He has for each of you.


So have a merry Christmas and wipe away that tear,
Remember, I am spending Christmas  with Jesus Christ this year.

History of the Candy Cane

One of the most often seen symbols of Christmas is the candy cane. Not only are candy canes used as a sweet Christmastime treat but they are also used for decoration. How did this seasonal candy get its familiar shape, and when did it become part of Christmas tradition?






When the practice of using Christmas trees to celebrate Christmas became popular in Europe the people there began making decorations for their trees. Many of the decorations were food items including cookies and candy. The predecesor of our modern candy cane appeared at about this time in the seventeenth century. These were straight, white sticks of sugar candy.






Part of the Christmas celebration at the Cologne Cathedral were pagents of living creches. In about 1670 the choirmaster there had sticks of candy bent into the shape of a shepherd’s crook and passed them out to children who attended the ceremonies. This became a popular tradition, and eventually the practice of passing out the sugar canes at living creche ceremonies spread throughout Europe.






The use of candy canes on Christmas trees made its way to America by the 1800’s, however during this time they were still pure white. They are represented this way on Christmas cards made before 1900, and it is not until the early 20th century that they appear with their familiar red stripes.






Many people have given religious meaning to the shape and form of the candy cane. It is said that its shape is like the letter “J” in Jesus’ name. It is also in the shape of the shepherds’ crook, symbolic of how Jesus, like the “Good Shepherd” watches over his children like little lambs. It is a hard candy, solid like a “rock”, the foundation of the Church. The flavor of peppermint is similar to another member of the mint family, hyssop. In the Old Testament hyssop was used for purification and sacrifice, and this is said to symbolize the purity of Jesus and the sacrifice he made.






Some say the white of the candy cane represents the purity of Jesus and his virgin birth. The bold red stripe represents God’s love. The three fine stripes are said by some to represent the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Others say they represent the blood spilled at the beating Jesus received at the hands of the Roman soldiers.






From its plain early beginnings to its familiar shape and color of today, the candy cane is a symbol of Christmas and a reminder of the meaning of the holiday.