What Jesus wants for Christmas

Sunday, Christmas Day, someone wants to be with you.  His name is Jesus.  Jesus wants to be with you as he was with all of us on that 1^st Christmas Day…when he became human, like us. That’s what Jesus wanted for Christmas.  He loved us so much that he could not bear to be separated from us or for us to be separated from him…so he became like us, not only to be with us then and now…but to take us to himself for all eternity so that where he is, we also might be. 

Because Jesus wanted to be with us for Christmas, he united himself with each of us to share with us his divinity.  He assumed our humanity so that we might become like him, not as slaves or servants, but that we could share in his life and power.  When Jesus became like us…we could become like him.

Because Jesus wanted to be with us and one of us on that 1^st Christmas day, he reconciled us to each other and with God, our Father, he began a life as one of us and through his life, his teaching, his suffering, his death and resurrection…we were set free.  We were rescued.  And…all of this came about because Jesus wanted to be with us, to be one of us, on that 1^st Christmas Day.

How special are we, we have been made new, whole, rich…sons and daughters of our God and Father because Jesus wanted to be with us, one of us on that 1^st Christmas day.  As we approach Christmas, we should be gald…rejoice…because Jesus, who shares his life with us, who delights in us…wanted to be with us…for Christmas.

Why We Rise and Fall with Sports Teams

If you're a sports fan, you know it happens.  If you're the die hard fan a a particular team, you KNOW it happens.  The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.  The baseball playoffs are right around the corner.  Some fans can hardly wait, some are already waiting for next year, and some are agonizing over the last spot.  Boston or Tampa Bay?  Atlanta or St. Louis?  It all comes down to the final days.  You're talking about it at work.  Reading about it online.  And I know more than a few of you are praying about it at night.  But why? Are you taking home the ring or the financial benefits that go with it?  Are you pitching the final inning or driving in the winning run?  Well, no.  But for a few weeks in September and October (and lately into November), everyone is a kid again...and every one of us pretends we can.  We're out on that field with them and we feel what they feel.  That's the magic of sports.  Feel your heart pound...look away from the TV screen...fall to your knees....jump with joy.  It's Playoff time and that's what you're supposed to do.

It's the little things...

So what makes you happy?  Really.  Not what would make you happy, but what makes you happy...right now. For me it really is the little things. I love knowing that when I get home, my husband and my dog are there to greet me--which isn't really a little thing, it's a HUGE thing.  I love hugging them and love loving them.  Driving someplace with no traffic makes me happy.  So does a good meal at a restaurant I thought was gone for good.  I nice sunny day with warm temperatures and no humidity makes me happy...but so does a snow day.  Sundays watching football makes me happy, and I'm even happier if the Giants decide to play to win.  A phone call or email from a friend always makes me happy.  Reminiscing about the fun things in life is great.  Looking forward to a vacation, even if it's a year away makes me happy.  I could go on and on about the every day things that make me happy.  So now it's your turn.  Make a list.  You'll be surprised at just how happy you really are.

What's standing in your way?

You've got so many things you want to accomplish.  Whether it's at work, at home...or maybe a personal goal, there's much to do.  So what's standing in your way?  There are lots of excuses...no time and no money come to mind as the top two.  I hate excuses.  The only thing standing in your way is you.  You can find a way to do,to learn, to try anything.  Really.  Step out of your little box of comfort and accomplish something today.

Facing the End...

The Oprah Winfrey Show ends on May 25th....but you knew that already....

Whether you like her or not, you have to admit she has made a huge impact on lives and pop culture.  Everyone knows who she is.  Everyone knows of her generosity.  Everyone knows her television show has been on for 25 years...if you didn't know these things, wake up, take heed and find out what you've been missing before it's too late.  The lessons she has taught us are many.  You have the power to be the person you want to be.  YOU have the capacity to forgive, to heal and to love.  She and Gayle King have shared their friendship with us and reminded us of our BFFs and all the fun we have together.  One of Oprah's favorite quotes from Maya Angelo is, "people will always show you who they are.  Believe them the first time."  I love that.  Her guests have been the celebrities we love, the controversial figures we needed to learn more about and the everyday people we were inspired by.

I will be watching on May 25th, and yes, I will be have a little lump in my throat and tear in my eye.  Good-byes are just not my thing.  While Oprah will do many things on OWN, I will miss the consistency of a show that's aired every day since I was 20 years old.  While I didn't watch it all the time, I knew it was there.  Thank you, Oprah, for the lessons, the laughs and the inspiration.  I wish everyone was a little more like you.

Finding the Perfect House

It's not easy deciding where to live.  So many factors...what's the neighborhood like, how far is the commute to work, are there stores nearby...and of course, is the house perfect.  I love my house.  I've been living in it for almost six years.  Finding this house was a process I won't ever forget.  You wouldn't believe how some people show their house.  One place we looked out was a complete piggery.  Stuff was everywhere.  The next house was just even worse...the woman had, in her bathroom sink, a dirty cloth she used to remove the 10 pounds of make-up she had on the night before.  Really?  Driving to see what eventually became our house we were a little worried.  It's near a college and when we turned down our street, it didn't look the best.  About halfway down the street, it started to turn nice.  Then we saw our little house.  Our eyes lit up, but we hadn't been inside yet.  By now we knew what could be behind the doors of a seemingly nice house.  Then we walked in.  This was it!!  I'd always heard that when you find the right house, just like when you find the right person to marry, you just know it.  Well, we knew it.  The house was perfect.  It had everything we said we wanted and it was immaculate.  The people who live there obviously loved the house too.  It was a seamless transaction and we couldn't be happier.  I really want to hear how you find your house.  If you're in the process of looking for one, tell me what kind of horror stories you've encountered.  I know some of you have some stories that are doozies, so let's hear 'em.  And remember, no matter how many times you walk into the wrong house, when you walk into the right house, you will know it.

Waiting for vacation

There's something about the anticipation of a vacation. No matter how old or young, vacations bring out the best in us.  We're more ourselves.  We let loose, try new things, become adventurous and somehow become better people.  Kids count down to summer vacation and all the things they're going to do.  As adults we count down to a vacation to have a few days off from work and time to spend with our families...worrying about nothing except what weather will be like.  I've got a vacation booked and every time I log on to check on a detail, the website flashes how many days until I leave.  It's very exciting.  63 days until we don't have to worry about work, doing yard work, cooking dinner, or hearing an alarm go off at an un-Godly time of day.  The only bad thing about vacations is that they're not real life....and they end.  But not before they give us enough to make it through to the next vacation.  Hope today finds you thinking about your next vacation and the excitement of just being you for a while.