Dance Your Shoes Off!

What a wonderful video to see on a beautiful Sunday morning!

Enjoying good health

Walter Bruening from Great Falls, Montana passed away at the age of 114; can you imagine living until you are that old? I do not know about you, but there are some days I just feel old. I know I need to take better care of myself by eating healthy, getting my share of exercise and better manage stress because I have way too much of it in my life. Guess you could say I need to get my butt in gear because at the rate I am going my overall health is not as it should be. As I read his story he passed on some advice that I think everyone could benefit from.

Here's the world's oldest man's secret to a long life:

— Embrace change, even when the change slaps you in the face. ("Every change is good.")

— Eat two meals a day ("That's all you need.") Try telling that to my belly J

— Work as long as you can ("That money's going to come in handy.")— Help others ("The more you do for others, the better shape you're in.") Something we all need to do! And have gotten away from doing.

Then there's the hardest part. It's a lesson Breuning said he learned from his grandfather: Accept death. "We're going to die. Some people are scared of dying. Never be afraid to die. Because you're born to die," he said.

There’s a Country song by Tim McGraw “Live Like You Were Dying” I love this song. I have my days when I moan and groan about having to do this, that and the other; we all are guilty of this. We spend all of our energy arguing with loved ones, holding grudges, dreading Mondays when they roll around, spending so much time working because all we can see is dollar signs; what we need to do is WAKE UP because all of the above that I had mentioned means absolutely NOTHING – when our time on earth is through we cannot take with us money, clothes, jewelry, cars, homes etc. We are MISSING the key point of our existence: we should be spending our time making a difference in the lives of others and enjoying the beauty of God’s handiwork. Yes, Mondays are dreadful but we should be thankful that we were given another day to live, to laugh, to love and to make a difference in the lives of those we encounter on a daily basis.

My question to you is, what do YOU plan on doing with each day that you have been given? How do you plan on making a difference not in your life but in the lives of others? What are some things in your life that you need to change so a longer life is what you can live?

Remember to live, laugh and love today because nobody is guaranteed tomorrow.

As Always,

Faith, Hope, Peace, Prayer and Love

Early Intervention Is The Key

April is Autism Awareness month so I want to take this time to share my son's story { the picture above is of my son} and his journey of living with PDD-NOS and MID {Mild Intellectual Disability} and what we, as parents can do for our children when we expect something isn't right.

When our son was two years old we noticed he was not developing like the other children his age. If he wanted something he would grunt and point at the desired object or he would sign what he wanted. There were times when he would bang his head against the wall; he would even line up his match box cars every time he played with them. Immediately I took these concerns to his pediatrician and it was then she told us he was just "lazy" she advised us to make him ask for what he wanted and if he wouldn't say what he wanted we were not to give it to him. Of course with him being our first child I thought "OK, she is the doctor, she is the one with the degree she has to know what she is talking about. I remember the feeling I had felt when I left the doctor's that day - I had this feeling in my heart and in my gut that kept telling me he wasn't lazy that there was something seriously wrong with him. Our son banging his head against the wall just didn't seem normal to me; right then and there I knew I had to find answers and get him the help he needed.

I had spent countless hours at the library researching everything I possibly could about every disability that I could think of. I wrote down my findings on notebook paper and it wasn't long before I began setting up doctor appointments. We took him Johns Hopkins and met with a doctor who specialized in pediatric Neurology, we took our son to have a video fluoroscopic evaluation of feeding and swallowing function procedure done because he had difficulty with swallowing; we took him to see a speech pathologist because he could not utter one word; we took him to several doctors and every time we would leave their office we found ourselves back at square one. As parents we were growing inpatient, frustrated and we were extremely upset because our child was suffering physically, mentally and emotionally. Every time a doctor would say "our sons case baffled them" I would bring up my findings and say, "well could he have this, could it be that, I read about this" every single doctor remained clueless. Even though the doctors were of no help I was not about to give up on my child - there had to be one doctor out there who would HELP and who would LISTEN it was just the matter of us finding him or her but I was determined to find the right doctor for our son, but in the meantime.....

He was enrolled into an Augmentative Communication Program at t he age of three where he was taught to talk verbally and also taught to talk through sign language. Our dining room turned into a classroom where I would work with our son to strengthen his tongue muscles and I worked with him to talk verbally and by using sign language. His favorite song was "I Believe I Can Fly" so I learned the song in sign language and taught him to sing his favorite song in sign language {and to this day that song remains to be his favorite.} When he would come home from school he couldn't even tell us about his day, he couldn't even say I love you and as a parent it hurt because the last thing we wanted was for him to struggle the way he was. I remember one day when I was sitting in the dining room waiting for him to come home from school he came over to me and for the first time he told me he loved me {through sign language} it was at that moment I felt like I had bonded with my son. I held him in my arms as tight as I could while the tears poured down my face. I also remember the time when I was sitting in the kitchen and he climbed onto my lap. He told me he had to take him to the doctors. I had asked him if he was feeling sick and his response to me was "I want the doctor to make me neat, not stupid." At that moment I got all choked up; I told him "Dalton, you are neat and I would not trade you in for the world; God gave to you an extra pair of wings because you are extra special." Oh how the flood gates had opened. The search continued to find the right doctor for my son. His teacher who taught the Augmentative Communication Program informed us that the program was no longer going to exist; my husband and I were both devastated because the program had helped our son tremendously. I wrote an article and submitted it to our local newspaper expressing my concerns for the children who had benefited from this type of program and who were now going to be "left behind."

Throughout my son's schooling I was his advocate; I was his voice. I stayed on top of things; I kept documentation of every conversation, every observation. I was a stay at home mom which allowed me to volunteer in his class and on the days I didn't volunteer I would pop in and make sure the teachers were following his I.E.P and when I felt like they were in violation I called one emergency meeting after another. I was not going to allow the school system to "fail" my child because he had rights that needed to be met! When he reached high school we decided that it would be in our son's best interest if he was in the life skills class which would help him be more successful in society because there will come a time when my husband and I will not be around and I want to make sure our son will be able to function and survive on his own.

It wasn't until the age of nine when he was diagnosed with PDD-NOS Autism {Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not otherwise Specified}, he showed some signs of Autism but not all of the signs and he was also diagnosed with being mild mentally retarded. Looking at our son one would think there isn't anything wrong with him; he is now 19 years old, he is able to talk {he never shuts up, sweet music to my ears} he has a job and he graduates June 4, 2011. Our son is a typical teenager - attitude and all, lol. If it is one thing that I have tried to instill in him it is "too never use his disability as a crutch and his disability does NOT define who he is." I am extremely proud of his progress and I always told him as long as I am alive he will never be alone.

My advice to parents who may think there is something wrong their child: Do not ignore your gut feeling and always follow your heart. Do not let the frustrations or setbacks prevent you from finding the right doctor. You need to be sons or daughters advocate - never give up fighting for your child, they need you to be their voice.

As Always,

Faith, hope, peace, prayer and love

Let Us Turn To God In Prayer

When problems arise in our lives it is so easy for us to complain about our load. Our emotions become out of sort which leaves us struggling emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. We do not have a problem turning to God when things are going right in our lives but as soon as we are faced with heartache, with setbacks or with disappointments we do not give God the time of day because we try to do what "we" can to fix the underlying problem. Problems are a part of life regardless how big or how small therefore we cannot allow them to wear us down and cause us to distance ourselves from the only one who can make what is wrong once again right. We need to turn our problems over to God and not give them a second thought. This is hard I know, but God does not want us to live in doubt or in fear, he wants us to live in happiness and in joy in spite of what comes our way. We have to look for the good in the bad and realize things are not as bad as we think they are. We need to believe that while things may be rough and very painful that we will come through out of the situation or the circumstance regardless how much damage has been done. If you are going through a tough time turn to God in prayer; the weight of worry, doubt and fear will be lifted. Allow God to carry your burdens so you no longer have to.

Let us not spend our time complaining

Because emotionally it is draining

We don’t do ourselves any good when we

Focus on the bad because it inhibits us to see

That whatever we are going through isn’t as bad as it appears to be

We cannot allow the problems of each passing day

To get the better of us in the worst kind of way

So in our faith and in our hope we must remain strong

And rely on God at all times to direct us along

Problems regardless how big or how small

Should not have impact on us at all

As God tells us not to doubt and not to live in fear

Because for us He always near

So let us turn to him in prayer

And give to him the burdens that are hard for us to bear.

Pamela Lawson

February 18, 2011

In Our Own Busyness

In our own busyness let us keep in mind

That “time” for others is something we must find

As there are so many who need from us a helping hand

Who need the hope, the faith, and the courage to be able to withstand

The things in life that cause their spirit to become broken

So let our love, our patience’s and our understanding be their greatest token

Approachable we should be so others don’t feel like they are an inconvenience or bothersome

For they need to know to us at any time they can come

So let us not turn our backs on those who bear a heavy heart

As we are in their lives of a very vital part

We can make a difference in the lives of others in some small way

All we have to do is be willing to give to them the time of day.

Pamela Lawson

February 15, 2011

My Husband Got Me Good - Valentine's Day 2011

Last night my husband had asked me if I got him anything for Valentine's Day. I told him a card that I bought two weeks ago. He told me he did not buy me anything this year. Boy, was I upset and my heart, well, was broken. He of course immediately reminded me how I forgot our Anniversary one year and that I really couldn't say anything about him forgetting to buy me something on Valentine's Day. One year I forgot our Anniversary and he does not let me forget about it and believe me, I felt horrible when I forgot it too. But that is beside the point, lol. Anyway, as he and I watched television {I forgot what show we were watching} this man took his wife or girlfriend out to dinner for Valentine's Day and I turned to him and said "The girl on television is getting more on Valentine's Day than what I was getting - which was NOTHING. Oh yeah, I think that is when he said I forgot our Anniversary. Before I went to bed I put his card on his desk so when he woke up he would see it. I went to bed upset over the fact he said he did not get me anything because at that moment I felt like I was a horrible wife. It's funny how women think, it isn't it? lol. Well, when I woke up this morning my heart was still broken and emotionally I was a mess. We stopped at Dunkin Donuts, he ran in and got his coffee and my oldest son asked me "if I was upset that Dad didn't get me anything for Valentine's Day." I told our son, yes I was but like everything in else I will get over it.

I went into work and told one of my co-workers that I did not get any thing for Valentine's Day and how upset/mad I was. I told her my husband was my Valentine's Day gift - he was my teddy bear with no hair {lmao}. I was trying so hard not to allow my emotions to get the best of me but I couldn't help myself. About 11:00 one of my co-workers answered the door and I heard "I have a delivery for Pamela." The lady walked over to my cubicle and handed me a vase of red roses. I was SURPRISED!! I signed for them and as I read the card I cried. The card said: "From the moment that I put my hand in yours...I knew "forever" would be ours." Then I cried even harder because my husband did not "forget" about me after all. I called him and I thanked him for the flowers. He then said to me, "Did you think I would forget about my baby?" With my lip quivering I told him I was no longer mad at him. lol......I was working a report and I thought something got screwed up, come to find out I was looking at the wrong month. I emailed my supervisor and told her sorry that my husband's flowers made giddier than what I had thought. My supervisor replied back, "lol, guess it is a good thing he doesn't send you flowers everyday." I acted like a teenage girl, giggling all day. Hopefully tomorrow I will bring my A game at work, lol.

I thank God very day for my husband's love. My husband is my best friend and I would not know what I would do if he wasn't in my life. He and I have had ups and downs but our love is what sees us through the hardships in life we have faced. My love for him grows stronger every second, minute, hour of each passing day.

My Valentine's Day turned out to be perfect after all.

Love Is....

We express our love on Valentine’s Day through cards, a night out on the town, flowers, cute little stuffed animals, and even through a box of chocolates. Whatever the sentiment, it makes us feel appreciated, special and loved. When I think about love the following words come to mind; patience, gentle, forgiveness, considerate, trustworthy, faithful, loyal, sacrifice, unconditional and everlasting. Love is not selfish, artificial, ignorant or deceiving. Love at times can be complicated, hurtful, one sided, painful and trivial. Love is meant to be shared not to be taken for granted, love is meant to be joyful not fearful. Love is the greatest feeling, it makes a bad day better, it makes every struggle a little less stressful because when the going gets tough love is a constant reminder that when everything around you gets turned upside down love never falters, it never changes, it remains intact. Some of us have found the love of our life, our soul mate, we have found our perfect match but there are some who are still searching for their prince charming and to them I have to say, “Do not give up.” God will bring you the right man or the right woman with whom you will spend the rest of your life with.

I have been married for 21 years; I did not think it was possible to love someone as much as I love my husband. We have had our share of problems, sure it would have been easier to walk away but love does not give up, love keeps pushing regardless how strong the force. We support one another, we encourage one another. My husband is my best friend. When I look at him I still get butterflies in my stomach and I still get weak in the knees. When I look into his eyes I see the love he has for me, when he holds me I can feel the depth of his love that he has for me. He makes me laugh, he makes me feel safe but most of all he makes me feel loved. Over the years I have learned that there is no such thing as a perfect relationship; it takes determination and it takes commitment to make a relationship work. Communication is the key, setting time a side is vital so the connection doesn’t get interrupted or turned off permanently. It is so easy for love to get distracted and off track when our focus is on other things; work, raising children, taking care of our homes that it is essential that at the end of the day we come together with our loved ones and give to him or her the time that is required and very much needed in order to keep love a top priority. I truly believe “as long as one has love they have everything they need.”

Over the years I have taken inventory of my own heart, for a while I did not think I was worthy of love nor did I think I would find someone who would love me for who I was ~ me. I know there have been times when I have given my husband a run for his money and I know there have been plenty of days when I have made it impossible for him to love me but through thick and thin he has remained by my side. When I have felt like giving up on myself he hasn’t. He has been over the years my greatest supporter and I thank God that I have someone like that in my life. And I have to say, we complement each other very well.

There is so much evilness around us, too much bickering and fighting going on around us if only the world would put as much energy in love the way they do with hatred and resentment our world would be a foundation that is built on love. If hearts everywhere would have the kind of heart that Jesus has we would live in a better and safer place. The human heart is not meant to inflict pain or cause harm, it is meant to do one thing and one thing only and that my friend is to love.

"Don't approach others or your own self with a heart that is closed because a heart that is always opened is able to give, share and receive joy, happiness and love."

As Always,

Faith, Hope, Peace, Prayer and Love

Trusting God

Trusting God in trials is very hard for us to do. Being patient and waiting is something we do not have time to do when resolutions are what seek immediately. We become very anxious and we become weary when we do not know what to do or know what direction in which we should turn. As much as we wish God would "rush" our prayers through we need to remember it is not about our timing, but his. When we are faced with trials we become irrational, we think the worse of situations/circumstances making us not wanting to trust God or let alone turning to him. We need to know he is someone on whom we can "count" on and it will be us he will not fail. Regardless what in life we must go through lessons are learned as God himself is an excellent teacher. We can either go ahead of him, trying to salvage what we can or we can "wait" on God to bring us through - untouched.

If you are going through a tough time and been relying on your own instincts why don't your rely on God's instincts instead because he is the only one who knows what is best for you. Trusting God is the only option, especially when whatever it is you have been doing has only caused you unnecessary heartache and grief. Allow him to pave the way so the weight of worry, doubt and fear is lifted off of you.

God is with you every step of your way

You just need to rely on Him from day to day

Put your trust in Him one hundred percent

As he will without a doubt in your life truly represent

For no prayer goes unanswered, no prayer goes unheard

Even when to him you do not say a single word

Do not rule him out thinking a difference He will not make

Because it is you he will never forsake

Give him time no matter how long it may take

And when the time is right by his accord

Everything in your life will be restored

Being patient is the only thing you can do

And trust in the fact He knows what is best for you.

Pamela Lawson

February 8, 2011

Before The Morning

I love this song by Josh Wilson "Before The Morning." So many in the world today are hurting and suffering but when the pain hits home one often wonders how are they going to be able to get through the pain that has shattered not only their lives but their faith and hope in God. When I look at my Mom and see the pain she is enduring with the loss of my father it breaks my heart. My father was my Mom's best friend, my father was my Mother's whole entire life. Those who suffer cannot begin to comprehend the reasoning but they need to know whatever in life they will face they too will rise above the pain and the suffering and JOY will once again shine bright in their life. Just keep believing and trusting in God that he will without a doubt bring you out stronger then ever before.

May this song touch the depth of your heart and bring to you the hope, the faith, the strength and the courage so you will once again be able to enjoy life and give you the power to continue to put one foot in front of the other as the journey of healing begins.

As Always,

Faith, Hope, Peace, Prayer and Love

Just For Today

Our lives are consumed with one problem after another. We find ourselves moaning and groaning about the things that are not right in our lives. We all know there will never be enough hours in the day to get done the things we need to or would like to but yet we do everything in our power to make sure we push ourselves to get everything done. It is, only then we find ourselves exhausted emotionally, physically and mentally. We cause more harm to our bodies and to our minds because we try to do the impossible ~ we feel the need to be on top of our game because we feel the need to have everything in our life in order, to be in tip top shape and for what? If we are too busy working, cleaning, trying to be the one to the save the day but aren't we the ones missing out on the joy and the happiness that we are meant to have and explore on a daily basis?

We all have been guilty of living for tomorrow and for the years to come; but we never truly focus on “just today.” When we concentrate on our problems day turns to night and we waste the beautifulness of the day in itself. Let us not worry about the week ahead, the month ahead or the year ahead; let us just for today embrace the day for what it is. We may not know how today will unfold but we can appreciate it minute by minute and with arms opened wide embrace whatever they day has to offer us.

Just for today let us put our fears to the side and try something new without feeling embarrassed how silly we might look. Just for today let us dance like there’s no tomorrow and laugh until we cry. Just for today let us stop long enough to smell the roses so we don’t miss out on the things that bring to our heart joy. Just for today let us make time for ourselves so we are able to relax. Just for today let us not worry about what needs to be done or what it is we will do.

Remember, we have our share of responsibilities but it is equally important for us not to lose sight of the day at hand because "today" is the only day that matters.

As Always,

Faith, Hope, Peace, Prayer and Love

What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger

Life has its many ups and downs but when the downs out weigh the ups your energy level plummets. There comes a time when you find yourself saying "I cannot endure one more thing as you are already holding on by a thread." Your faith takes a nose dive and emotionally you are spinning out of control. You are left stripped to the bone and there you stand screaming "why me Lord, why me!" No matter how hard or how long you pray you still find yourself struggling, crying, searching, begging, pleading and most of all, alone. You look around and see others laughing, living and enjoying life, oh how you wish you could laugh, you could smile, you could enjoy life for what it is worth but it just seems to be impossible when you have so much on your plate. Just waking up is a chore in itself. You force yourself to smile even though you are stricken with so much pain, so much grief; you pretend everything is okay, but truth be told you are miserable, you have not one ounce of happiness or joy left inside of you. You are worn out from worrying and crying that you would give anything to escape the burdens. You find yourself more and more everyday not having the strength to fight, the strength to care, the strength to put one foot in front of the other. When you have nothing left to give what do you do? Where do you turn?

Life will always leave you guessing, screaming and cursing so no matter how hard you try to figure things out or how long you spend planning your next move life has a way of keeping you on your toes. You will never understand why things happen the way they do, when you think you are on your way something else will come a long your way and knock you to your feet. You may be caught of guard and you may think you are not prepared to handle in life the lows but you are more prepared than you think. Where there is fear there is hope, where there is doubt there is prayer, where there are clouds there is always a silver lining. Regardless what in life you face you need to know it is not the end, you have just reached a bend in the road.

Allow God to direct and protect you. He is your anchor in life. What is impossible to you is not impossible to God. You have heard the saying "What doesn't kill you will make you stronger." You may think you cannot take anymore, you may think you will break, you may think you have lost but you are stronger than what you think. This is what I believe, "life isn't meant to be understood it is meant to be lived regardless how bad things may get or may seem one needs to know {believe} they will indeed make it through." When life {burdens} pushes you - push back with faith, hope, courage and embrace the things in life you are going through because when it is all said and done you will have a testimony to share with others that will give them the strength and the courage to push back.

Remember, If God allowed us to go through all our life without any obstacles, that would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been.

As Always,

Faith, Hope, Peace, Prayer and Love

When You Do Not Know What To Do

It has been awhile since I have blogged mainly because a writer I am not. Writing poetry for me is completely different than just sitting down and writing; guess that is why the two books I have been working on haven't been touched in awhile. When I sit down and write I try to make what I am writing about inspirational to provide others with hope, faith and peace to help them get through whatever setbacks, disappointments or heartaches they are going through because once fear, worry or doubt settles in it makes hope, faith and peace very hard to come to the surface of one's heart. So I "wait" and listen to what God presses upon my heart to write. He takes our situations and turns it into something good - so we are able to help others along their way.

I haven't been feeling well since last Wednesday so on Friday my husband took me to the ER where we spent 12 grueling hours, so needless to say when they said I could go home I was extremely happy because there is no place like home and all I wanted to do was nestle in the comfort of my own bed. While I was relieved that my blood work came back normal my cat-scan showed some swelling in my colon - my first reaction was panic and I shed some tears but instead of thinking the worse I looked on the positive side of things; my blood work came back fine, I wasn't running a fever, my cat-scan showed no abscesses and no obstructions but the reasoning behind the swelling remains to be a mystery; it could very much be an infection which I am still taking my antibiotics and I do have pain medication when needed. My husband asked me the other morning how I was feeling and I found myself telling him "I don't feel any worse." This morning as he and I were sitting in the car waiting to go inside the Doctor's office I told him I wasn't going to sit here and "worry" because it is what it is {oh how my Aunt hates that saying, lol}. The swelling is there, the pain is still very much there and whatever shows up on the tests will be there and worrying about it isn't going to make the swelling go away, the pain to subside or make the test results come out any different; all I can do is getting plenty of bed rest, stay off of feet as much as possible, take my medication and PRAY.

We spend majority of our time worrying, doubting and fearing what it is we are going through. We become emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually tired, frustrated and upset. We are not doing ourselves or our situation{s} any good. As much as we would like not to suffer or see others suffer the only one who can bring us through is God himself. During times of hopelessness and helplessness we can draw strength, courage, hope, faith, peace and love from God. During times of uncertainty we need to bow our head and share our heart with God. If your loved ones are ill, your child or children, friends or family are going through tough times and you find yourself not knowing what to do for them you can pray and be with them every step of the way - your prayers do go a long way, your support and encouragement will lift them up and give to them what is needed the most ~ love.

Remember, turn to God for comfort and healing.

As Always,

Faith, Hope, Peace, Prayer and Love

What does CHRISTmas mean to you?

Money always seems to be "tight” around the Holidays doesn't it? Not having money to buy presents or being able to decorate makes it so very hard to get into the Christmas Spirit. If you are finding yourself not in the mood, if you have found yourself playing the role of the Grinch tune into my all time favorite Christmas movie "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and you will be reminded what Christmas is about. Charlie Brown finds himself depressed at Christmas time, searching for the true meaning of the holiday amidst the glitz and commercialism of the modern age. He finds his answer in the passage below: "And there were in the same country shepherds, abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them! And they were sore afraid ... And the angel said unto them, "Fear not! For, behold, I bring you tidings o great joy, which shall be to all my people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ, the Lord."

"And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." And suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth peace, and good will toward men."

"That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown." - Linus Van Pelt

When my husband and I took our sons out Christmas shopping last weekend the malls of course were jammed packed and the lines were ridiculously long. As we were standing in line to pay this gentleman behind us wore a Santa hat and he was singing a Christmas song. My youngest son looked at this man as if he was a freak. I quickly scolded my son and told him "leave that man alone, that is what is wrong with our world today!" it was REFRESHING to see and to hear that there was someone out there whose heart was filled with JOY because where I stood not one person had a smile on their face and I will admit, I was one of them. You see, I have always loved Christmas because at least one day out of the year PEACE, JOY, LAUGHTER and LOVE can be felt but over the years I haven't felt the Christmas Spirit within my own family. There was a time when we would gather around the tree and watch with excitement as one person at a time would open all of her or his gifts, then, when that person was done we would move on to the next. Now my family has resorted to "oh, we will come over when the presents have all been opened so we do not have to sit around and wait." No longer do we spend the day together, some stay for an hour, some for two or some just stop by to make an appearance and some of my family {on my dad's side - may he is rest in peace} I don't even see. Christmas shouldn't be rushed just because kids are grown or because one wants to get it over with because for them it has been a long, tiring day.

Instead of putting too much stock in what to buy someone for Christmas, instead of putting yourself in debt how about putting a different spin on the gift you will be giving not just on Christmas but throughout the year{s} to come. From this day forward give the gift of goodwill - be the light that shines in the heart of others. Help someone put groceries in their car, randomly pick someone in McDonald's or wherever and buy them a coffee, hold a door opened for someone, say "God Bless You" when someone sneezes, when you are standing in line strike up a conversation with the person behind you; make them laugh. Volunteer at a homeless shelter; dog shelter, nursing home. Give the gift of life to someone who isn't as fortunate as you.

I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. During the preparations it is my sincerest hope that you will not get lost in the hustle and bustle or get tangled up in the garland, the lights or the ice sickles. Do not allow your "to do list" to prevent you from sharing, enjoying, and reflecting what Christmas is all about ~ the birth of our Savior - Jesus Christ.

What is your favorite Christmas memory? What gift do you plan on giving this year?

Too Blessed To Be Stressed

So many of us are under a lot of stress; may it be work related, health related; financial related, relationship related, children related, or school related – stress just seems to be a daily part of our lives, doesn’t it? Have you allowed worry, doubt and fear {from situations and circumstances} take permanent residence in your heart evicting the happiness and the joy you once felt about life? Have you forgotten what it was like to let your hair down because you've been too busy with trying to be superwoman, trying to be the one who saves the day? If you answered yes, then it is time that you do something that YOU enjoy doing. Don't feel guilty because you want some alone time - YOU deserve it! Regardless of what has you stressing remember, "you are too blessed to be stressed"!

Our lives are filled with so much stress

That emotionally, physically, mentally we’re a mess

There’s so much required from us now and days

That we need to find healthier ways

To better manage what needs to be done

So we don’t get worn out from always being on the run

We need to move through life at a much slower pace

Because life isn’t meant to be lived as if it’s a race

We need to pamper ourselves once in a while

And we need to do things that will make us laugh and smile

We need to rely on God when the going gets tough

And we need to know that his love is more than enough

To see us through whatever the days may bring

Because He is the one who is control of everything

So there’s no need for us to think we have to do it all

When for us God is always on call.

Pamela Lawson

©August 25, 2010