Peace.....

My Thought for this Day........My hope for you this Day is not that your tinsel is brighter, nor your tree shinier, nor your pile of presents larger. My deepest wish is that your heart is full. I long for each of us to be surrounded with family and friends on this most joyous of days, but deeper still, my wish is that in the very center of your being, you know that the Holy Occasion of this season, can not be measured in earthly terms. I pray that in the midst of the feasts and twinkling lights and cups of cheer, we all not miss the most life altering gift which doesn't lie nestled under the tree, instead it is tucked ever so deeply in our souls. The Light of centuries ago was Heavenly and not only guided the travelers to a barn, but also lead them to a Miracle Birth....what a Symbol of the highest Love imaginable. For unto us a Savior was born, an infant's first cry brought hope and eternal life. The Message of this Season is undeniably the greatest that was, is, and forevermore will be.

Stop.....

My Thought for this Day.......This is the time of year when 'getting your ducks in a row' is kinda like 'herding chickens'. We're here, but we need to be there. We take a quart jar and try to stuff a gallon of whatever in it. We hurry, we scurry, and at times we run circles getting nowhere but to the Point of Exhaustion. Blessed is the person who takes the time to STOP ......just Stop!! I don't think God above sent His only Son so we could become maniacs, wear ourselves out, and spend countless hours, too much money and all our time trying to prove just how wonderful this Season is!! It's not wonderful if you're too busy to get the Message. I am NOT the Grinch who stole Christmas....I just want to be the small tiny voice that says...DON'T MISS THE POINT!!!!! Deck the Halls! Be Jolly! But please, along with all the hustle and bustle, remember.......the greatest gift you can give and receive is the gift of you. You were given the most magnificent gift of all, no tinsel and bright shiny bows needed........just you. That's all it is and will ever be.

Choices........

My Thought for this Day....."And the stockings were hung".......I think we hang our stockings every day. And then we do one of three things. We hide in the corner and wait for someone else to fill them. We turn our backs and simply don't care if they get filled or not. Or we go about the business of stuffing our stockings with Life. Here's the thing......waiting on someone else is like sitting at a red light. You are never fully involved in the flow of traffic. Turning your back is like hiding in the corner with your nose pressed against the wall and your arms crossed over your chest, shielding your heart from others. Filling your own stocking is taking control and Living......not waiting on someone or something else to make Life happen. Every Day is a brand new chance to choose.....Wait, Hide or Make It Happen. Tell me...what'll it be today?

Little...

My Thought for this Day.....It's the little things in life......that thank you...someone opening a door when your hands are full of packages.....a friendly wave from an acquaintance.....a big smile when someone sees you.....a quick hug of encouragement on a bad (or good) day.....a text or phone call to merely say I miss you. These SMALL gestures, no fireworks, no sirens, no standing ovations make up the BIG picture of life. Don't miss their impact because your eyes and ears and heart are waiting on the huge happenings. It's the little things that polish the mirror of your soul so that you may reflect your light into someone else's world.

Envy.....

My Thought for this Day.....Don't let someone else's life minimize yours. I think we live in a world of big, better, best. And each and every day, we tend to compare our lives to the ones who always seem to be in the fast lane, the passing lane, leaving us behind in the dust spewed from their shinier, newer, faster vehicles that they seem to drive with happy abandon and not a care in the world. We fantasize about more money; we diminish our blessings by continually standing in the shadows of the good fortune of those around us. We miss out on the sparkles of our lives because we are mesmerized by the huge firework displays of the lives of those around us. We continually dwell in the bubble of the ' if only'. So here is my hope for you. I hope that you don't let envy steal your joy. I promise you that every life has an outside and an inside and the outside isn't what counts. At the end of every day all cars are parked. And every soul must dwell in the inside, and sometimes the brighter the outside, the darker and more sad is the internal. So forget about who is in the passing lane; life is not a race, but a journey......your journey. Please don't minimize your sparkles. They too shine brightly and lighten the trail that belongs to you.

Labels....

My Thought for this Day.......we are a nation of Label Lovers. And worse still, we are raising a generation of Mega Labelers. If the watch isn't a certain kind, it has no status. If the shoes don't have exactly the right name, they aren't good enough. And good grief....if our sunglasses aren't sporting the correct name on the earpieces, we should hide in shame. Well, here is the true shame......this nation is falling behind on the Acknowledgment of the True Creator. Who made those trees in your yard? Who put those clouds in the clear blue sky...after He made the sky! Who causes the mountains to rise and the valleys to dip? Who ,with a Word, created All? Who,with a thought, developed that most intricate machine that is your human body? When you really stop and think, where are His labels? When His sun comes up this morning in His sky, I dare you to find the name God stamped on any of His mind blowing creations. So truly, honestly and strongly, I say unto you....Stop with the Obsession over mortal names! Until we all bow before our Maker, we will never understand the power of a genuine label.

Odyssey........

My Thought for this Day......As I listen and reflect on the Phil Bennett/Bill Snyder story, I keep hearing the words of Coach Bennett as he narrates the tragic death of his wife. He said it was an Odyssey and Coach Snyder walked it with him. We all have Odysseys to walk. We all don't have Bill Snyder's to walk them with us. So my thought is this......if you are ever going to HAVE a Bill Snyder to walk by your side, you must BE a Bill Snyder. You must be willing to eagerly take up the reins of tragedy and step side by side with the Phil Bennett's of your life. My wish for us all is that such Odysseys never happen, but the reality is that they do and they will. And whether your role is the lead or supporting one, your actions speak volumes. I leave you on this early morn with these final words........we are guaranteed this moment, this breath, this sigh, this laugh, this step, not the next. Never forget words said, or actions taken may truly be the last you have with the people in your life. What will your Odyssey be and with whom will you walk?

Infamy......

My Thought for this Day.........December 7.......a day that was said to be destined to live in infamy. And truly is has. So this brings to my mind this thought. How wonderful that all our days can be ones of infamy......to us. I can't remember your days, nor you mine. And truthfully, no one can remember every moment of our own lives, but we have the opportunity to make every single day special. It only takes a moment of our God given Free Will to capture the essence of life and acknowledge that every day is miraculous. I think we live life in a blur, much like an unfocused camera. The seconds whirl by on a carousel of running circles, never quite catching the wisp of true living. How unfortunate that is. So my hope is this.....at some point everyday you stop, in thought and action and release your activity to the stillness within. And even for a minute make your day miraculously infamous within yourself.

Belief......

My Thought for this Day.......early morning and my thought is ....I Believe. We all believe in many things, but the fact of the matter is one Belief sets the tone for all others. What is your biggest, most life consuming, changing, determining belief? Until you recognize and acknowledge and live that one Belief, all others drift like sand on the beach. So set that belief and then watch how the others fall in line. It's an amazing thing.

Ourself.....

My Thought of the Day......There is one thing we all need to get over, and that is ourselves. We can't help others, pay it forward, be blessings if the mountain of ourselves stands to tall. Think about my words. Then just do it!