What Makes This Time Of Year Joyous?

Seriously?

With so much hustle and bustle about for the holidays, I think it's definitely healthy to pause and think about it all. 

Life seems to be flying by with work, plans to meet others, cooking to be done, setting up decorations, or preparing gifts for others.  Home Alone, The Grinch, Charlie Brown Christmas Story, A Christmas Story, Elf, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Ernest Saves Christmas, It's A Wonderful Life, or whatever holiday appropriate movie is on TV with fond memories abounding. 

There is candy cane mint hot chocolate, pumpkin/cinnamon spiced ciders, delicious treats all over, and delicious meals only prepared once a year to be eaten.  Oh the pies!  The scent of a  live Christmas tree is overwhelming, and it's humming with life from the ornaments and lights.  The chill from outside makes the warm hearth even more inviting.  Relatives you haven't seen in years may be visiting, or you visiting them is creating a hidden excitement from within you don't care to share.  The decorated lights and ornaments outside in the bleak cold night vibrantly stand out, and they somehow warm our hearts.

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Santa Claus, or whatever...there's just something different about this time of year.  Joy.  Hope.  Encouragement.  Care. They seem to abound even more during the month of December. 

Unfortunately, there are many who don't have anyone to see or gifts to be received/given this time of year.  The may be impoverished, elderly, homeless, or choose to set themselves away from others for this time of year.  Life still goes on in the World.  Simply taking a few minutes to show care to others you don't know, ask about their lives, or help out with something they may not be able to physically do means more than anything one can purchase.  Be intentional.  Choose to Not Ignore those less fortunate than you. 

So simply from me to you, I wish you all a
HAPPY JESUS' BIRTHDAY AND