Letting Go

Sometimes you have let go of something from yesterday if you want to latch onto something for today. 

-Maybe you need to let go of an old job in order to take a new one.

-Maybe you have to let go of an old relationship before fitting a new one into your life.

-Maybe you have to let go of other priorities on your time or money before grasping that new opportunity.

For a while you may feel suspended in mid-air. You've committed to something new and let go of the past, but you have not yet grasped what is ahead. You feel vulnerable and you may be frightened, but you know that the only way you can reach the new is to let go of the old.

You don't realize that if you stop looking backwards craving the love and acceptance which you didn't receive from your past, then you might open your eyes to what is available for you now.  But you have to let go.  If only you could see that looking back into an incomplete and imperfect past, with regret, blame, guilt or resentment is keeping you from the treasures that await you here now.
The past has gone.  You cannot rectify something that is no longer with you.

Letting go doesn't mean you don't care or that you shut yourself down-it simply means you stop trying to force outcomes. It means you give up resisting the way things are and trying to do the impossible. It means simply that you concentrate on what is possible through Christ and with gentleness, kindness, and love press forward into the future.

Some things you cannot change, but many things will change if you are willing to just let go of them. So as we approach 2012 just let go and let God have His way in your life. You'll find then the joys of today outweigh the sorrows of yesterday and that tomorrow will take care of itself.

Happy New Year!

10 Steps for 2012

1. Take the life that you have been given and guard it daily.

2. Think positive and rest in Christ Jesus.

3. Face the challenges that life has laid at your feet.

4. Be thankful for each day the Lord gives you.

5. Give forgiveness to yourself if you stumble and fall.

6. Put forth your best effort everyday in all that you do.

7. Take the love that you’re given and return it with care.

8. Have faith in God's promises in each step of your journey.

9. Take time to find the beauty in the things that you see.

10. Remember life’s simple pleasures are closer than you think.

Forgiveness Is The Sweetest Revenge

Forgiveness truly is the sweetest revenge.

-It can turn an enemy into a friend.

-It can free a heart from the chains of anger, hatred, and pain.

-It can open a soul to the sweetness of love and joy once again.

-It can help you to live by the Golden Rule and to create a Golden Life.

-It can bring you back to oneness with God in everything you think, feel, and do.

That is why we should often pray, "God help me to forgive, help me to give, and help me to love."

So as we prepare to enter 2012 let go of the things that have held you back or harmed you by simply forgiving those who have wronged you or treated you in a negative way in 2011. Your whole new year will be ruined if you allow their attacks on you to make you bitter rather than make you strong. Find the strength within your heart to forgive and 2012 will bring a sigh of relief and healing for the pain they put you through.

Trust me I know.

Chill

A common American expression is, "Chill." Are you anxious and uptight? Chill. Need to de-stress? Just take it easy? Chill.

Chilling is pretty good advice, actually. Especially if the word "chill" is spelled this way:

C - Calm down. When you're anxious, frenzied or pressed, stop. Take a deep breath and ask yourself, "Why?"

H - Hold back. Set a reasonable pace. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. If you want to last, pace yourself. And take time to rest.

I - Indulge your desire for fun. Do something fun everyday and try to put fun in your usual activities.

L - Learn how to just be. You already know how to do. Take time to be. Don't measure your life by what you accomplish, but by who you are. Be present. Be attentive. But be.

L - Let it go. You are not responsible for everything and everybody. You don't have to do it all yourself; you don't have to do it all right now. And some of it you may not have to do at all.

You may feel like you're wrestling with an unsolvable problem or maybe you just feel as if you're living too fast. If you need some relief, "chill" is a good word to remember. Spell it right and you just might get something you don't expect-joy, peace, and happiness.

Change

Arnold Toynbee, in his work THE STUDY OF HISTORY (1987), says that the great lesson of history is this: civilizations that changed when confronted with challenges thrived. Those that did not change died. In other words, when life got hard, it killed off those who didn't make needed changes. The key to survival is often about "change."

And what about us? What about you and me? It's good to accept ourselves as we are, but when an unhealthy attitude or a destructive behavior gets in the way, when we wish we could change something about ourselves, we had better change. People who embrace change thrive; those who resist it die.

If you have been waiting for a sign to make that needed change, this may be it. I am convinced that it is never too late to be the person you might have been. It's never too late to be happy. It's never too late to do something different or to do something better. It's never too late to change a habit. It's never too late to live.

Begin making that necessary change today. Then tomorrow, and every tomorrow thereafter, can truly be different.

Teach The Children

Just a week before Christmas I had a visitor. This is how it happened. I just finished the household chores for the night and was preparing to go to bed when I heard a noise in the front of the house. I opened the door to the front room, and to my surprise, Santa himself stepped out from behind the Christmas tree. He placed his finger over his mouth so I would not cry out. "What are you doing?" I started to ask him. 
 
The words choked in my throat, as I saw he had tears in his eyes. His usual jolly manner was gone. Gone was the eager boisterous soul we all know.  He then answered me with a simple statement, TEACH THE CHILDREN! I was puzzled: What did he mean? He anticipated my question, and with one quick movement brought forth a miniature toy bag from behind the tree. 
 
As I stood there bewildered, Santa said, Teach the Children! Teach them the old meaning of Christmas. The meaning that a now-a-day Christmas has forgotten! 
Santa then reached in his bag and pulled out a FIR TREE and placed it on the mantle. Teach the Children that the pure green color of the  stately fir tree remains green all year round, depicting the everlasting hope of mankind.  All the needles point heavenward, making it a symbol of man's thoughts turning 
toward heaven. 
 
He again reached into his bag and pulled out a brilliant STAR. Teach the Children that the star was the heavenly sign of promises long ago.   God promised a Savior for the world, and the star was the sign of fulfillment of that promise. 
 
He then reached into the bag and pulled out a CANDLE. Teach the Children that the candle symbolizes that Christ is the light of the world, and when we see this great light we are reminded of He who displaces the darkness. 
 
Once again he reached into his bag and then removed a WREATH and  placed it on the tree. Teach the Children that the wreath symbolizes the eternal nature of love. Real love never ceases. Love is one continuous round of affection. 
 
He then pulled out from his bag an ornament of HIMSELF. Teach the Children that Santa Claus symbolizes the generosity and good will we feel during the month of December. 
 
He reached in again and pulled out a HOLLY LEAF. Teach the Children the holly plant represents immortality. It represents the crown of thorns worn by our Savior. The red holly berries represent blood shed by Him. 
 
Next he pulled out a GIFT from the bag and said, "Teach the Children that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. Thanks be to God for His  unspeakable gift. Teach the Children that the wise men bowed before the holy babe and presented Him with gold, frankincense, and myrrh. We should give gifts in the same spirit as the wise men." 
 
Santa then reached in his bag and pulled out a CANDY CANE and hung it on the tree. Teach the Children that the candy cane represents the shepherd's crook. The crook on the shepherd's staff helps bring back strayed sheep from the flock. The candy cane is the symbol that we are our brother's keeper. 
 
He reached in again and pulled out an ANGEL. Teach the Children that it was the angels that heralded in the glorious news of the Savior's birth. The angels sang 'Glory to God in the highest, on earth, peace and good will.' 
 
Suddenly I heard a soft twinkling sound, and from his bag he pulled out a BELL. Teach the Children that as the lost sheep are found by the sound of a bell, it should bring people to the fold. The bell symbolizes guidance and return. 

Santa looked at the tree and was pleased. He looked back at me and I saw the twinkle was back in his eyes. He said, "Remember, teach the Children the true meaning of Christmas, and not to put me in the center, for I am but a humble servant of the One who is, and I bow down and worship Him, our Lord, our God." 

When It Comes To Christmas

When it comes to Christmas, I feel like the man who was once asked to name the 10 most important people in the history of the world, as he reckoned them. His list was impressive. When he finished, he was asked why he had not named Jesus Christ. “Oh,” he said, “because he doesn’t belong on that list. You see, Jesus Christ is incomparable.” He was right, of course.

That’s how it is with the celebration of the nativity. It is the singular event on the calendar of Christians the world over that has no equal. Christmas is everything.

I am aware that people groan about the claptrap of commercialization, exploitation, and degradation associated with the secularization of the season. But that’s of little concern to me. For those who are proper believers, Christmas is the premier season of the year that can be said to have a heart. Name all of the other holidays you’ll find something unique about each, but Christmas is special. It is a day when no one is left behind. It is the true Jesus day for one and all.

Children anticipate it throughout the year and for more reasons than just a pile of wrapping paper and toys that will too soon be cast aside. The baby Jesus in the manger, the songs, the stories, and the celebration mark the soul in a wonderful way. And if you take the time to think about, there’s something quite miraculous in how young children are drawn to Jesus with an instinctive kind of love. That is as true today as it was when He took them in His arms and blessed them, as only deity could.

But what about the rest of us?

Well, it’s our day, too, and I’ll tell you why. We are living in a frightful time in the history of our planet. There are wars, natural disasters, a culture gone mad, and a clash of civilizations the likes of which we have never seen before. Sit down with any parent or grandparent and ask them what they think their offspring will experience, as opposed to what we have known of life. Most likely you’ll see a look of concern and uncertainty on their faces. And there is reason for concern and uncertainty. We live in a world where boundaries have been broken, morals corrupted, and millions of people exist without any spiritual guidelines. It’s not a pretty picture, but it’s an accurate one.

But, be that as it may, it isn’t all there is. And that’s because of Christmas. Not just a cheery few days to break the icicles off a dreary month or dampened spirits. It’s the reality of what took place in a stable two thousand years ago. The world talks and sings of a love it actually knows nothing about. God delivered love in Bethlehem that day. There is endless talk of peace in a world that is incapable of achieving it. Peace, true peace, arrived by special delivery among wondering shepherds and caroling angels. We hear words spoken about the goodness and fraternity of humankind that are more shallow speech than reality. God’s goodwill was nestled in the arms of a young Jewish mother in that little town of Bethlehem that we sing about.

The peace, joy, and goodwill He brought to all who would receive Him are ours to have. And with them, everything else good, bad, or indifferent becomes less relevant. Therefore, Christmas separates itself from every other season of the year. Why? Because the Incarnation is indispensable. Without His coming, we are irreparably lost, but because He came we can be found.

Merry Christmas!

 

IMMEDIATE DOWNSIZING MEASURES EMPLOYED

The recent announcement that Donner and Blitzen have elected to take the early reindeer retirement package has triggered a good deal of concern about whether they will be replaced, and about other restructuring decisions at the North Pole.

Streamlining is due to the North Pole's loss of dominance of this season's gift distribution business. Home shopping channels, the Internet, and mail order catalogs have diminished Santa's market share. He could not sit idly by and permit further erosion of the profit picture.

The reindeer downsizing was made possible through the purchase of a late model Japanese sled for the CEO's annual trip. Improved productivity from Dasher and Dancer--who will retrain at the Harvard Business School--is anticipated. Reduction in reindeer will also lessen airborne environmental emissions for which the North Pole has received unfavorable press.

I am pleased to inform you that Rudolph's role will not be disturbed. Tradition still counts for something at the North Pole. Management denies, in the strongest possible language, the earlier leak that Rudolph's nose got that way, not from the cold, but from substance abuse. Calling Rudolph "a lush who was into the sauce and never did pull his share of the load" was an unfortunate comment, made by one of Santa's helpers and taken out of context at a time of year when he is known to be under executive stress.

Today's global challenges require the North Pole to continue to look for better, more competitive steps. Effective immediately, the following economic measures are to take place in the "Twelve Days of Christmas" subsidiary:

The partridge will be retained, but the pear tree never turned out to be the cash crop forecasted. It will be replaced by a plastic hanging plant, providing considerable savings in maintenance.

The two turtle doves represent a redundancy that is simply not cost-effective. In addition, their romance during working hours could not be condoned. The positions are therefore eliminated.

The three French hens will remain intact. After all, everyone loves the French.

The four calling birds were replaced by an automated voice mail system, with a call-waiting option. An analysis is underway to determine who the birds have been calling, how often and how long they talked.

The five golden rings have been put on hold by the Board of Directors. Maintaining a portfolio based on one commodity could have negative implications for institutional investors. Diversification into other precious metals as well as a mix of T-Bills and high technology stocks appear to be in order.

The six geese-a-laying constitutes a luxury which can no longer be afforded. It has long been felt that the production rate of one egg per goose per day is an example of the decline in productivity. Three geese will be let go, and an upgrading in the selection procedure by personnel will assure management that from now on every goose it obtains will be more productive.

The seven swans-a-swimming is obviously a number chosen in better times. Their function is primarily decorative. Mechanical swans are on order. The current swans will be retrained to learn some new strokes and therefore enhance their outplacement.

As you know, the eight maids-a-milking concept has been under heavy scrutiny by the EEOC. A male/female balance in the workforce is being sought. The more militant maids consider this a dead-end job with no upward mobility. Automation of the process may permit the maids to try a-mending, a-mentoring, or a-mulching.

Nine ladies dancing has always been an odd number. This function will be phased out as these individuals grow older and can no longer do the steps.

Ten Lords-a-leaping is overkill. The high cost of Lords plus the expense of international air travel prompted the Compensation Committee to suggest replacing this group with ten out-of-work Congresspersons. While leaping ability may be somewhat sacrificed, the savings are significant because we expect an oversupply of unemployed Congresspersons this year.

Eleven pipers piping and twelve drummers drumming is a simple case of the band getting too big. A substitution with a string quartet, a cutback on new music, and no uniforms will produce savings which will drop right down to the bottom line.

We can expect a substantial reduction in assorted people, fowl, animals and other expenses. Though incomplete, studies indicate that stretching deliveries over twelve days is inefficient. If we can drop ship in one day, service levels will be improved.

Regarding the lawsuit filed by the attorney's association seeking expansion to include the legal profession ("thirteen lawyers-a-suing"), action is pending.

Lastly, it is not beyond consideration that deeper cuts may be necessary in the future to stay competitive. Should that happen, the Board will request management to scrutinize the Snow White Division to see if seven dwarfs is the most efficient number

Great Expectations

"Your attitude is an expression of your values, beliefs and expectations." This quote by Brian Tracy says it all. Here are some more inspirational quotes on expectation.

Abraham Lincoln
The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
The little that is completed, vanishes from the sight of one who looks forward to what is still to do.

William Congreve
Uncertainty and expectation are the joys of life.

Orison Swett Marden
We advance on our journey only when we face our goal, when we are confident and believe we are going to win out.

Earl Nightingale
We tend to live up to our expectations.

Claude M. Bristol
We usually get what we anticipate.

Brian Tracy
We will always tend to fulfill our own expectation of ourselves.

Viktor E. Frankl
What was really needed was a fundamental change in our attitude toward life. We had to learn ourselves and, furthermore, we had to teach the despairing men, that it did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us.

Benjamin Disraeli
What we anticipate seldom occurs, what we least expected generally happens.

John Lubbock
What we see depends mainly on what we look for.

Brian Tracy
Whatever we expect with confidence becomes our own self-fulfilling prophecy.

Michael Jordan
You have to expect things of yourselves before you can do them.

Missed Opportunities

The story is told of a young man who wished to marry the farmer's beautiful daughter. He went to the farmer to ask his permission. The farmer looked him over and responded, "Son, go stand out in that field and I'm going to release three bulls, one at a time. If you can catch the tail of any one of the three bulls, you can marry my daughter."

The young man stood in the pasture awaiting the first bull. The barn door opened and out ran the biggest, meanest-looking bull he had ever seen. He decided that one of the next bulls had to be a better choice than this one, so he ran over to the side and let the bull pass through the pasture out the back gate.

The barn door opened again. Unbelievable. He had never seen anything so big and fierce in his life. It stood - pawing the ground, grunting, slinging slobber - as it eyed him. Whatever the next bull was like, it had to be a better choice than this one. He ran to the fence and let the bull pass through the pasture, out the back gate.

The door opened a third time. A smile came across his face. This was the weakest, scrawniest little bull he had ever seen. This one was his bull. As the bull came running by, he positioned himself just right and jumped at just the exact moment. He grabbed... but the bull had no tail!

Life is full of opportunities. Some will be easy to take advantage of, some will be difficult. But once we let them pass (often in hopes of something better), those opportunities may never again be available.

The same thing is also true of opportunities to serve Christ. God often opens doors -- opportunities to speak up for Him, opportunities to minister to someone who is hurting or in need, opportunities to make an influence on the world around us. If we allow them to pass by (perhaps because we are waiting for something easier to come along), we may miss out on them altogether.

Use It Wisely

Man's capacity to love is the greatest gift He has. At the root of kindness and love, and each act of love also teaches us a lesson. 

When someone loves us, it teaches us love, kindness, charity, honesty, humility, forgiveness, acceptance, and all of these can counteract all the evil in the world. For every good deed, there is one evil deed. Man alone has the power to control the balance between good and evil, but because the lessons of love are not taught often enough, the power is too often abused.

When you enter someone's life, whether by plan, chance or coincidence, consider what your lesson will be. Will you teach love or a harsh lesson of reality? When you die, will your life have resulted in more loving or more hurting? More comfort or more pain? More joy or more sadness? Each one of us has the power over the balance of the love in the world. Use it wisely!

10 Things Pastors Want For Christmas (And The Rest Of The Year As Well)

1. Pastors want harmony in the churchrather than unresolved and destructive conflicts which damage the testimony of the church in the community.

2. Pastors want to love their church family and want to be love in return.

3. Pastors want honesty and to be told the truth rather than gossip or hearsay.

4. Pastors want acceptance and understanding when it come to making decisions that affect the whole body and not just the negative thoughts of a select few. 

5. Pastors want their church family to be friends with the hurting, lost, and needy; and to welcome all in the house of the Lord.

6. Pastors want and desire comradeship with their church family as brothers and sisters in the Lord.

7. Pastors want their members to pay attention to what God is saying to the church through his/her leadership and act accordingly with faith and perseverance to see that it gets done..

8. Pastors want consideration from their members for their own personal time and privacy.

9. Pastors want positive support from their members. They pray for them to concentrate on his good points rather than his weaknesses and to help him do what God has called him to do in that congregation.

10. Pastors want consistency from their member in their affections, moods, and commitments.

The Power of Laughter-Part 2-10 Things To Do With a Fruitcake Besides Eating It

1. Home base in your family’s annual championship game of snowball baseball.
2. Frisbee!
3. Set it next to a door that stubbornly refuses to stay open. Best used with a door you have no intention of ever closing, as removing the new doorstop may be a challenge.
4. Leave it out for Santa to eat and catch him as he’s trying to wedge himself back up the chimney, weighted down with your fruit cake, a can of pressurized whipped cream, and a quart of whole milk.
5. Stick feathers in it during duck hunting season to make a festive decoy.
6. A dog chew toy. . . what do you mean not even your dog will touch it?
7. Crumble it up into small pieces and. . . . just kidding. We know you can’t actually break up a fruit cake!
8. “Pull!” – An inexpensive skeet. Reusable, too.
9. Use as freeweights to bulk up your biceps.
10. Place in a catapult when besieging a castle. Fire.

The Power of Laughter (Part 1)

Laughter has a powerful effect on your health and well-being. A good laugh relieves tension and stress, elevates mood, enhances creativity and problem-solving ability, and provides a quick energy boost. But even more importantly, laughter brings people together. Mutual laughter and play are an essential component of strong, healthy relationships. By making a conscious effort to incorporate more humor and play into your daily interactions, you can improve the quality of your love relationships—as well as your connections with co-workers, family members, and friends.

Playful communication is one of the most effective tools for keeping relationships exciting, fresh, and vital. Laughter and play enrich your interactions and give your relationships that extra zing that keeps them interesting, light, and enjoyable. This shared pleasure creates a sense of intimacy and connection—qualities that define solid, lasting relationships.
People are attracted to happy, funny individuals. Laughter draws others to you and keeps them by your side. When you laugh with one another, a positive bond is created. This bond acts as a strong buffer against stress, disagreements, and disappointment. And laughter really is contagious—just hearing laughter primes your brain to smile and join in on the fun.

Playful communication helps you:

• Connect to others. Your health and happiness depend, to a large degree, on the quality of your relationships—and laughter binds people together.
• Smooth over differences. Using gentle humor often helps you broach sensitive subjects, resolve disagreements, and reframe problems.
• Feel relaxed and energized at the same time. Laughter relieves fatigue and relaxes your body, while also recharging your batteries and helping you accomplish more.
• Overcome problems and setbacks. A sense of humor is the key to resilience. It helps you take hardships in stride, weather disappointment, and bounce back from adversity and loss.
• Put things into perspective. Most situations are not as bleak as they appear to be when looked at from a playful and humorous point of view.
• Be more creative. Humor and playfulness loosen you up, energizing thinking and inspiring creative problem solving.

Don't Buy This House!

Top ten things you don't want to hear from your real estate agent when you go to 'close' on your new home . . . .

1. "I think unexplained crop circles add a unique flair to any home's garden."
   
2. "Actually, it's only the rear portion of the yard that overlaps the ancient Indian burial ground."
   
3. "Yes, the last owner did donate the house to the Hell's Angels, but I'm told that the judge has ordered them not to come within 50 feet of it."
   
4. "Listen, one bleeding mirror doesn't necessarily mean it's haunted."
   
5. "Your neighbor has assured me that, technically, they're not really 'killer' bees."
   
6. "Even if there was a full-scale mudslide, it's unlikely that it would reach as far back as your property."
   
7. "I read that it's quite common for roaches to grow that big even when not in the presence of radioactivity."
   
8. "Did you know that the famous punk band "Grave Robber" holds their practice sessions right next door?"
   
9. "Yes it's true that they died in the house, but the prosecutor was never actually been able to prove it was murder."
   
10. "Don't worry, you can barely hear the sheet metal factory at night."

Chocolate is a Vegetable

Other little known Chocolate facts:

• Chocolate is derived from cacao beans. Bean = vegetable. Sugar is derived from either sugar CANE or sugar BEETS. Both are plants, which places them in the vegetable category. Thus, chocolate is a vegetable.
  
• To go one step further, chocolate candy bars also contain milk, which is dairy product. So candy bars are a health food.
  
• Chocolate-covered raisins, cherries, orange slices and strawberries all count as fruit; so eat as many as you want.
  
• If you've got melted chocolate all over your hands, you're eating it too slowly.
  
• Problem: How to get 2 pounds of chocolate home from the store in a hot car. The solution: Eat it in the parking lot.
  
• Diet tip: Eat a chocolate bar before each meal. It'll take the edge off your appetite, and you'll eat less.
  
• If calories are an issue, store your chocolate on top of the fridge. Calories are afraid of heights, and they will jump out of the chocolate to protect themselves. (We're testing this with other snack foods as well.)
  
• If I eat equal amounts of dark chocolate and white chocolate, is that a balanced diet? Don't they actually counteract each other?
  
• Chocolate has many preservatives. Preservatives make you look younger. Therefore, you need to eat more chocolate.
  
• Put "eat chocolate" at the top of your list of things to do today. That way, at least you'll get one thing done.
  
• A nice box of chocolates can provide your total daily intake of calories in one place. Now, isn't that handy?
  
• If you can't eat all your chocolate, it will keep in the freezer. But if you can't eat all your chocolate, what's wrong with you?
  
• If not for chocolate, there would be no need for control top pantyhose. An entire garment industry would be devastated. You can't let that happen, can you?

NEWS FLASH:  "Stressed" spelled backward is "desserts."  So, to reverse being "stressed" . . . CHOCOLATE!!!

Kiss Your Luggage Good-Bye

It was the beginning of December.  The trip had gone reasonably well, and he was ready to go back.  The airport on the other hand had turned a tacky red and green with loudspeakers blared annoying elevator renditions of cherished Christmas carols.

Being someone who took Christmas very seriously, and being slightly tired, he was not in a particularly good mood.

Going to check in his luggage, he saw hanging mistletoe.  Not real mistletoe, but very cheap plastic with red paint on some of the rounder parts and green paint on some of the flatter and "pointier" parts, that could be taken for mistletoe only in a very Picasso sort of way.

With a considerable degree of irritation and nowhere else to vent it, he said to the lady attendant, "Even if I were not married, I would not want to kiss you under such a ghastly mockery of mistletoe."

"Sir, look more closely at where the mistletoe is."

(pause)

"Ok, I see that it's above the luggage scale, which is the place you'd have to step forward for a kiss."

"That's not why it's there."

(pause)

"Ok, I give up.  Why is it there?"

"It's there so you can kiss your luggage goodbye."

Eight Gifts That Do Not Cost A Cent!

1. THE GIFT OF LISTENING . . .
   But you must REALLY listen. No interrupting, no daydreaming, no planning your response. Just listening.
   
2. THE GIFT OF AFFECTION . . .
   Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back and handholds. Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for family and friends.
   
3. THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER . . .
   Clip cartoons. Share articles and funny stories. Your gift will say, "I love to laugh with you."
   
4. THE GIFT OF A WRITTEN NOTE . . .
   It can be a simple "Thanks for the help" note or a full sonnet. A brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime, and may even change a life.
   
5. THE GIFT OF A COMPLIMENT . . .
   A simple and sincere, "You look great in red," "You did a super job" or "That was a wonderful meal" can make someone's day.
   
6. THE GIFT OF A FAVOR . . .
   Every day, go out of your way to do something kind.
   
7. THE GIFT OF SOLITUDE . . .
   There are times when we want nothing better, than to be left alone. Be sensitive to those times and give the gift of solitude to others.
   
8. THE GIFT OF A CHEERFUL DISPOSITION . . .
   The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone, really it's not that hard to say, Hello or Thank You.

Dog's Rules For Christmas

1. Be especially patient with your humans during this time. They may appear to be more stressed-out than usual and they will appreciate long comforting dog leans.
   
2. They may come home with large bags of things they call gifts. Do not assume that all the gifts are yours.
   
3. Be tolerant if your humans put decorations on you. They seem to get some special kind of pleasure out of seeing how you look with fake antlers.
   
4. They may bring a large tree into the house and set it up in a prominent place and cover it with lights and decorations. Bizarre as this may seem to you, it is an important ritual for your humans, so there are some things you need to know: Don't wet on the tree Don't drink water in the container that holds the tree. Mind your tail when you are near the tree. If there are packages under the tree, even ones that smell interesting or that have your name on them, don't rip them open Don't chew on the cord that runs from the funny-looking hole in the wall to the tree
   
5. Your humans may occasionally invite lots of strangers to come visit during this season. These parties can be lots of fun, but they also call for some discretion on your part: Not all strangers appreciate kisses and leans Don't eat off the buffet table. Beg for goodies subtly Be pleasant, even if unknowing strangers sit on your sofa. Don't drink out of glasses that are left within your reach unless you can get away with it...
   
6. Likewise, your humans may take you visiting. Here your manners will also be important: Observe all the rules in #4 for trees that may be in other people's houses. (4a is particularly important) Respect the territory of other animals that may live in the house Tolerate children Turn on your charm big time.
   
7. A big man with a white beard and a very loud laugh may emerge from your fireplace in the middle of the night.   DO 'NOT' BITE HIM!!!

How Cold Is It?

We have had some real cold weather the past few days which led me to this thought-How cold is it?

-70+   Californians put on sweaters.
-60+   Miami residents turn on the heat.
-50+   Vermont residents go to outdoor concert.
-40+   You can see your breath.Californians shiver uncontrollably. Minnesotans go swimming.
-35+   Italian cars don't start.
-32+   Water freezes.
-30+ You plan your vacation in Australia.
-25+   Ohio water freezes. Californians weep pitiably. Minnesotans eat ice cream. Canadians go swimming.
-20+   Politicians begin to talk about the homeless. New York City water freezes. Miami residents plan vacation further south.
-15+   French cars don't start. Cat insists on sleeping with you.
-10+   You need jumper cables to get the car going.
-05+   American cars don't start.
-0+   Alaskans put on T-shirts.
-10   German cars don't start. Eyes freeze shut when you blink.
-15   You can cut your breath and use it to build an igloo. Arkansans stick tongues on metal objects. Miami residents cease to exist.
-20   Cat insists on sleeping in pajamas with you. Politicians actually do something about the homeless.
Minnesotans shovel snow off roof. Japanese cars don't start.
-25   Too cold to think. You need jumper cables to get the driver going.
-30   You plan a two week hot bath. Swedish cars don't start.
-40   Californians disappear. Minnesotans button top button. Canadians put on sweater. Your cat helps you plan your trip south.
-50   Congressional hot air freezes. Alaskans close the bathroom window.
-80   Hell freezes over. Polar bears move south. Green Bay Packer fans order hot cocoa at the game.
-90   Lawyers put their hands in their own pockets.
-100 Canadian buildings turn off air conditioning.