Merry Christmas

Christmas Flames

It's not easy selecting the right image for my Christmas cards.  This year I tried to interject color, travel, season, and spirit.  Without a doubt these Chinese Buddhist candles reflect all four sentiments perfectly and are clearly within the purview of Christmas sentiment.

This year, I worked on keeping my dreams and spirits alive.  There were days my spirits were low and I reached out to you to rekindle my flames.  As strong as I wish to be, I recognize that I shine brightest when I am next to you.  I recognize that together our lights can make a beacon to guide others through the journey of the night.

We must understand journeys of life are comprised of collections of days and nights.  At the onset of darkness there's always the hope of light and day.  Christmas is the season of sharing.  You may think that you have nothing to give or share, but think again, you have your light.  Share it with someone this season.  The beauty of candle light is that it can be shared with other unlit candles at any time.  

There are some that share how God has been great to "them" and they credit God for all kinds of personal victories.  I see this on facebook all the time.  They claim He has selected them and only blessed them with his abundance, as if they had just won the God lotto.  This disturbs me.  I can't think of anything that thousands of unemployed have done to alienate God.  Why would God forsake them?  Did God forget them this season?  There are many that deserve to win the God lotto.  No I believe that God blesses the poor and the poor in spirit.   According to Christian teachings they, not the lucky, will inherit the earth and his Kingdom.   If you really want to win, share your light with those:  the downtrodden, the beat up, the homeless, the sick, the victims, and the unemployed.   "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for their's is the Kingdom of God."

Christmas is not about your blessings.  It's about the blessings that you can give others.  Count your blessings and share them with others.  Light the world with your deeds, empathy, and compassion not your smugness.  What a bright place this could be even in the darkest of nights.