We're in the middle of the "most wonderful time of year" as many call it, Christmastime! Are you and your family full throttle into the yuletide cheer or are you stressed out by all the holiday to-do's...or are you worried about current world affairs (i.e. Paris attacks, San Bernardino shootings, terrorism in general)? How do we balance protecting ourselves and our loved ones with celebrating the most joyous time of the year?
I think we're all trying to figure that out. It seems like we're all struggling a little with the new normal of trying to balance personal safety and peace of mind with the socialism of Christmas and what Christmas truly means. Christmas is about the birth of a baby, our Savior, and what his birth means in the Christian faith. It is overwhelmingly overshadowed by what we've all turned it into...Black Friday before Black Friday, cyber Monday, tree lightings and parties that are about showcasing who the best party host can be and not centering in on what the true meaning of Christmas is and why we are all celebrating it. If we all pulled back from the madness of the season and took heart of the true meaning of Christmas, not only at this time of year but all year, maybe we would be kinder to our neighbors, more understanding of that "crazy" person we just saw make a scene at the mall, or the person that simply "looks" different than we do that we judge immediately. The fact is....we're all HUMAN. We all truly want the same things in life...to love, to be safe and protected, to share our lives with our friends and family and to feel free to live the lives we want. Yes, there are variations to that but at the core we all just want to be ourselves and live our lives. The word "freedom" often gets tossed around, but we do have a lot of freedoms living in the United States that others across the world do not have. Many of those freedoms we take for granted everyday because we are so accustomed to having them. We don't know what it's like not to have them. So, as we all work through (in our own ways) getting through the holiday season, looking back on the year that was and looking to a new year ahead let us take time to search our souls for what truly matters in our lives, how we want to improve ourselves and the world around us and how we can let our lights shine but even more how we can help others let their lights shine! Then, maybe in some small way the world around us will seem less dark and scary and we can unite with our fellow man to create the world we want...and the one we deserve!
May God bless you today and everyday!!
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