Dear Reader:

Executive Guidepost editor, Rick Hamlin, had a little one-minute video clip on the Guidepost website in which he considered how singing a Christmas carol can be linked to prayer.

We hear Christmas carols everywhere this time of year….in the car, while shopping, at church, at parties and celebrations…we are undulated in beautiful, upbeat Christmas carol music. Yet we still let ourselves fall victim to the inner misperceptions that we aren’t enough,  because we don’t have enough to buy those we love what they might wish for…or what we think they should have.

Yet…if we take a break from all the busyness and craziness of advertising and sales propaganda hitting us  24/7 and instead turn the lamps down low and listen to Christmas carols…the flip-side answers for gratitude for what we do have are all there….food, a roof over our heads, loving family, special friends and a little baby who brought love into the world… They are sung to us in the messages of the Christmas carols. *And you won’t  find one carol proclaiming over-buying, self-induced stress, loud noises, fake smiles and total exhaustion.

Here are just a few lines from some of our favorite Christmas carols…

*“Silent night, Holy night…all is calm…all is bright.” Why not walk outside one night and look up at all the stars… so calm and so bright? It doesn’t cost a dime and yet peace envelopes us if we take the time to admire God’s Firmament- the best show in town… at no cost.

*Joy to the World the Lord has come. Haven’t we all been in a position where we are waiting on one cousin, sibling, uncle, aunt, parent or grandparent to arrive in order for Christmas to begin? We have already prepared Him a room (top bunk bed in Johnny’s room). We can’t imagine the holidays without this person and then suddenly the doorbell rings and there he/she is! The joy of Christmas has arrived. And everyone “repeats the sounding joy.”

*“It Came Upon a Midnight Clear“- Sometimes if I wake up and can’t go back to sleep around midnight or so…I love to walk out on the porch and just listen to the sounds of stillness in the neighborhood. On other nights I can hear music and laughter coming from the club when a party is going on… which is just one street over from me…and the sounds makes me smile. “The world in solemn stillness lay to her the Angels sing.”

So the next time we get caught up negatively with all the fabricated Christmas busyness… let’s use the carols in prayer. We can all sing and make a joyful noise… even if not in tune.

So until tomorrow…Remember the Psalms were all musical originally…I think God loves to hear us sing our prayers to Him and for us it can bring calm and peace back to Christmas.

“Today is my favorite day”…Winnie the Pooh

Yesterday morning I went over to Vickie’s house across the street…she was running something off for me since my copier has stopped copying…and was I in for a treat. Vickie has been a busy elf…everything around and inside her cozy home is beautiful!

Yesterday was actually the warmest day we have had in awhile…so I looked over the garden and to my surprise…the azalea bush was starting to pop out again…even after all these freezing nights we have had lately…and the white camellias are just beautiful!

I used the two white camellia blooms and  two of the azalea blooms to make a small centerpiece for the kitchen table. *And Doodle dropped off some of her mouth-watering lemon squares to share with the medical team at the Wounded Care Center. They will be so happy…delicious!

Doodle said for me to open her gift since it was Christmas items…a theme…Sammy the Cardinal…beautiful redbird place mats, napkins, kitchen towel, angel holding a red bird and a red bird Christmas tree ornament….I love it! Thank you Doodle for this and everything you have done for me these past months….bandaging, feeding, driving and loving…you are the best!