Chapter 12, Page 31, Book 18

Should auld acquaintance be forgot, 

And never brought to mind?

Should auld acquaintance be forgot, 

And days of auld lang syne.

For Auld Lang Syne, my dear,

 for Auld Lang Syne,

we’’ll take a cup of kindness yet 

for Auld Lang Syne.

Robert Burns

December 31st-New Year’s Eve

Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book.  Write a good one.

Brad Paisley

I count the days, here on my blog, by writing a page day filled with whatever inspiration comes my way.  It may be a poem or a story and of course, lots of quotes.  

A new day, a new page until my book is filled with 365 posts.  What I find new and worth sharing each day of the year.  The books are the years, the chapters are the months, the pages are each day of the year.

This year, 2018, was a good one filled with more joys than sorrows for sure.  I’m so thankful each and every one of them.  So I’m closing the book for 2018.  Tomorrow I’ll begin a new one called 2019.   I’m so looking forward to another New Year.  

I hope you all have a safe and happy New Year’s Eve

Write it on your heart

that every day is the best day of the year.

He is rich who owns the day, and no one owns the day

who allowed to be invaded with fret and anxiety.

Finish every day and be done with it.

You have done what you could.

Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt crept in.

Forget them as soon as you can, tomorrow is a new day;

begin it all and serenely, with too high a spirt 

to be encumbered with your old nonsense.

This new day is too dear,

with its hopes and invitations

to waste a moment on the yesterdays.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Chapter 12, Page 30, Book 18

 ¸¸.•*¨*• Joy to the world, the Lord has come!  Let earth receive her King !

Let every heart prepare Him room, And Heaven and nature sing!   ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ 

Day 30 - moving on to the New Year

Peace on earth will come to stay, when we live Christmas every day.

Helen Steiner Rice.

This is my last entry before my thoughts turn to the New Year, which will soon be here.  One last post on Christmas for this year.  Tomorrow will be New Year’s Eve.

I shared my Christmas newsletter on my other blog awhile back, but as I’m reflecting on all I have to be thankful for in 2018 I thought I’d share it again on this blog.  Not everyone reads both, but some do, so forgive me if you’ve read this before. 

CHRISTMAS 2018

Dear Friends and Family,

I haven’t  written a Christmas newsletter in quite awhile, but this year I felt it was important.  I see some of you often, but others rarely and for me family and friends are important, and in an effort to keep in touch I’m writing to let you know how things have been here at my house.  My family is all grown up and have families of their own, but they remain an important part of my life, so much of what I do relates to them..  

We started out the year with a pork and sauerkraut dinner on New Years Day.  It’s become a tradition for us.  January was very cold and was the first New Year in my new home. February brought Valentines Day and more cold weather.  March brought my birthday, my children that live close enough came to help me celebrate.  Spring arrived but it didn’t seem like it at all. Our family Easter celebration also doubled as a confirmation party for one of my grandsons.  In April I celebrated with my sister and her husband, in honor of all our birthdays. 

April also  brought the first of 3 First communions this year.. Hard to believe these little grandchildren are now 8 years old and and in 3rd grade.  May came and was full of celebrations  2 more 1st Communions and 3 graduations.  I got to celebrate with all but 1 graduate. June came and with it summer.  It was wonderful to see everything green and growing once again.  July meant plenty of hot weather,  and I made serval trips to the farmers markets and enjoyed all the fresh fruit and vegetables.  We had a family gathering at daughters house.  It’s a tradition that I hope we keep up with because it’s far too long between holidays which are usually the time when most of us get to see each other. August was more hot and humid weather.  More trips to the farmers market. 

September brought some bitter sweet days with the grandchildren going back to school and two of them are now in college. I also had an beloved uncle pass away, the last uncle on my mom’s side of the family.  October began sunny and warm, but soon cooled off and we had lots and lots of rain.  The trees started changing and brightened up some dreary old days. November started wet and cold.  The time changed and the days are short. Thanksgiving with my family is always a joy and our family get together was at my daughters this year.  The ones in Ohio take turns with the holidays and this year was her turn.  

December days are always lots of fun and with decorating and family getting together, nothing can be better.  It won’t be long now and the New Year will once again be here.  I can only say I’m thankful for a good year and hope that 2019 will be another great one for all of us with more smiles than tears.

Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

Love,

Pam

(mostly known as ‘ma’)

It is Christmas every time you let God love others through you.

Mother Teresa 

Chapter 12, Page 29, Book 18

 ¸¸.•*¨*• Joy to the world, the Lord has come!  Let earth receive her King !

Let every heart prepare Him room, And Heaven and nature sing!   ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ 

Day 29 - Christmas forever in my heart 

Christmas is not just a day, an event be observed and speedily forgotten.  It is a spirit which should permeate every part of our lives.

William Parks

Just as the evergreen tree is a symbol of perpetual life because they retain the leaves though out the season, rather than shedding, we should keep Christmas in our hearts forever, forever green.

Evergreen is something that doesn’t change color or something that is timeless.  Love is ageless and evergreen.  Love is like an evergreen tree. And Christmas is all about love.  Christmas should be in the heart of everything we do.

Evergreens are unbending against heavy winter snows and brutal winds  and remain ever bright and their likeness reminds me of the evergreen nature within the core of every human.  We too have the ability to stay strong in the midst of adverse conditions.  

We have the capacity to love in the coldest of times, keeping Christmas forever green.

I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month.

Harlan Miller

Chapter 12, Page 28, Book 18

 ¸¸.•*¨*• Joy to the world, the Lord has come!  Let earth receive her King !

Let every heart prepare Him room, And Heaven and nature sing!   ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ 

Day 28 - everyday is Christmas

 

Are you willing to forget what you have done for other people, and to remember what other people have done for you…to remember the weakness and loneliness of people who are growing old… Are you willing to believe that love is the strongest thing in the world…stronger than hate, stronger than evil, stronger than death…Then you can keep Christmas!  But you can never keep it alone.

Henry Van Dyke

Christmas is the beginning, not the ending.  The story of Christmas is all about new birth, of promise, love and hope.  

I believe in new beginnings.  Not just for New Year resolutions.  We cannot just keep doing the same old things and expect something different.  

Every day can be Christmas when think of others and give to them our love, our friendship and time.  Every day can be a day when we let our hearts be happy: when we sing and rejoice, when we look with opened eyes to the miracles all about us.

Christmas will always be in the hearts of God’s children everywhere as they extend a helping hand to a friend in need…as they go about reflecting God’s goodness in the little quiet and unheralded expressions of a loving heart…as they share the light of the world who live in darkness. 

Jane Hillismen

Chapter 12, Page 27, Book 18

 ¸¸.•*¨*• Joy to the world, the Lord has come!  Let earth receive her King !

Let every heart prepare Him room, And Heaven and nature sing!   ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ 

Day 27 - A Christmas heart

I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present and  Future.  The Spirits of all Three shall strive with in me.  I will not shut out the lessons that they teach.

Charles Dickens

This is the time of year that reminds us of all we have to be thankful for: our family, friends and the joy we have of being together. During the holidays our smiles are a little wider and our purse strings a little looser.  Wouldn’t be nice spread some of the cheer though out the year.

We can make every day one to spread joy.  The trick is to focus on what you have, not what you don’t.  We need to remember what matters most and set our priorities and make the most of every day, keeping the holiday spirit alive  long after the winter snow has melted, into the dog days of summer, until the leaves begin to turn again.  

More love is the heart of Christmas year round, spreading joy and love all year. Christmas is more than  a day, it’s a feeling in the heart of peace and happiness.

Let us remember that the Christmas heart is a giving heart, a wide open heart that thinks of others first.  The birth of the baby Jesus stands as the most significant event in all history, because it has meant the pouring into a sick world the healing medicine of love which has transformed all manner of hearts for almost two thousand years…Underneath all the bulging bundles is the beating Christmas heart.

George Matthew Adams

Chapter 12, Page 26, Book 18

 ¸¸.•*¨*• Joy to the world, the Lord has come!  Let earth receive her King !

Let every heart prepare Him room, And Heaven and nature sing!   ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ 

Day 26 - the day after Christmas

Wouldn’t life be worth living

Would dreams be coming true

If we kept the Christmas spirit

All the whole year through

Author Unknown

I’ll be continuing on with the theme of Christmas through the remainder of December.  I’m not one to quickly pack away Christmas.  I keep the decorations up here at my house until January 6th when celebrate Epiphany, the day we celebrate the Three Wisemen, sometimes called the Magi, or the Three Kings.

It would be wonderful if we could keep Christmas in our hearts all year long.  The gifts we received like hope, peace, joy and love weren’t meant for just one day of the year. They are  meant for a lifetime.  

The Christmas spirit is something we can keep deep within us and share with others the whole year through.

Christmas is forever, not for just one day.

for loving, sharing, giving are not to put away

like bells and lights and tinsel, in some box up a shelf

The good you do for others is the good you do for yourself.

Norman W. Brooks

Chapter 12, Page 25, Book 18

 ¸¸.•*¨*• Joy to the world, the Lord has come!  Let earth receive her King !

Let every heart prepare Him room, And Heaven and nature sing!   ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ 

Day 25 - Merry Christmas!

A Christmas Prayer

by Robert Louis Stevenson

We thank you for this place in which we dwell

for the love that unites us,

for the peace accorded us this day,

for the hope with which we expect the morrow,

for the work, the health, the food

and bright skies which make our lives

delightful for our friends in all parts of the earth.

To all my friends and family, I wish you much happiness this Christmas Day and through out the coming new year.  As the angels sang,  Glory to God in the highest! Peace on earth and goodwill to men!

 ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪  Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ 

Chapter 12, Page 24, Book 18

 ¸¸.•*¨*• Joy to the world, the Lord has come!  Let earth receive her King !

Let every heart prepare Him room, And Heaven and nature sing!   ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ 

Day 24 - O Holy Night

When we love, we always strive to become better than we are.  When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.

Paulo Coelho

Christmas Eve is and always has been a good time for reflection for me.  I like to listen to Christmas music, watch the Christmas tree lights and think about all that I have to be thankful for.  I remember past Christmas activities and think about the present one.  So much has changed throughout the years, but one thing remains true…Jesus is the reason for the season.  

I cannot imagine not having the joy of Christmas in my life.  Christmas is an important part of who I am.  Because of Christmas I’m a better person.  

Love came down at Christmas

Love all lovely, love divine;

Love was born at Christmas.

Stars and angels gave the sign.

Christina Rossetti

Not everyone celebrates Christmas, but I wish they could or would.  Christmas brings love and peace beyond all telling.  For those that don’t believe in Christmas, it’s not a happy time, they don’t know or believe in what it means.  

Christmas is truly all about the greatest love story ever told.  Love that has no ending.  It’s unconditional love at it’s best.  

Love is the vital essence that pervades and permeates, from the center to the circumference, the graduating circles of all thought and action.  Love is the talisman of human weal and woe - the open sesame to every soul.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Chapter 12, Page 23, Book 18

 ¸¸.•*¨*• Joy to the world, the Lord has come!  Let earth receive her King !

Let every heart prepare Him room, And Heaven and nature sing!   ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ 

Day 23 - Week 4:  It’s a time for Love

Best of all, Christmas means a spirt of love, at time when the love of God and the love our our fellow men should prevail over all hatred and bitterness, a time when our thoughts and dreams and the spirit of our lives manifest the presence of God.

George F. McDougall

This is the fourth Sunday of Advent, tomorrow will be Christmas Eve, and soon Christmas Day will be here!

We’ve been getting ready for four weeks.  Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love prepare us for most anything that comes our way, but especially prepares us for what Christmas is all about.   

Love above all, lasts.  Love changes everything. Everything begins with Love.  From the beginning of creation to the end of time, God’s love is everlasting, ever present. 

We are reminded to love God, love your neighbor and love yourself.  Love inspires us to give our very best. Love gives us the courage to go beyond what feels comfortable. 

Christmas is the happiness that lights our children’s eyes

Christmas is a song of bells ringing through the skies

Christmas is a time of peace, of contentment deep within

A time of love and silent hope that years will never dim.

Sherrill Thompson

Chapter 12, Page 22, Book 18

 ¸¸.•*¨*• Joy to the world, the Lord has come!  Let earth receive her King !

Let every heart prepare Him room, And Heaven and nature sing!   ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ 

Day 22 - Let us live in joy

Life is going to throw us curves, but the truth is we are that ones that control our joy.  That means nothing can take it from you, you have to give it away. There will be disappointments and things that aren’t fair, but we can make a decision every day to be joyful.  

When we’re tempted to get upset, we need to remind ourselves that this day is a gift and we can choose joy instead. Remember the past has gone and we cannot change it, and the future never arrives, the only only time we have is now, the present, and the present moments makes up our lives.

Tough times come to all, but it’s how we deal with them, that impacts our joy.  I’ve learned that joy is not about getting what you want, but loving what you have. We are the ones responsible for our joy, and it comes from within.

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.

Hamilton Wright Mabie

Chapter 12, Page 21, Book 18

 ¸¸.•*¨*• Joy to the world, the Lord has come!  Let earth receive her King !

Let every heart prepare Him room, And Heaven and nature sing!   ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ 

Day 21 - Nothing can steal my joy.   

Joy is what happens us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are.

Marianne Williamson

I used to let the days steal my joy, but not anymore because my joy is not based on circumstance, or exactly what is happening in my life.   I’ve had lots of trials in my life.   The biggest was probably when I lost my husband at a time when I still had  5 children at home.  It was then I remembered that joy is not in our circumstances.

Joy comes from within and my joy is eternal.  Joy is having a loving family, a home and enough to eat.  Joy is having enough.  Enough to keep but not to waste.    I’m too blessed to be stressed.  There is more good in my life than not.  

I’ve got joy, joy joy, joy.  Down in my heart

Down in my heart to stay...

That was years ago, but the trials and sorrows haven’t stopped coming my way.  Still my JOY remains eternal because I know that when you focus on the good in life, look at the bright side, there is something good to be found in every day.  We need only to take the time to look for it.  There is always something to celebrate and be thankful for .

My children are all grown and have families of there own.  I find myself living alone, but never really alone.  Life goes on.  Joy overcomes. 

Be of good cheer.  Do not think of todays failure, but of the success that may come tomorrow. You have set yourself a difficult task, but you will succeed it you persevere and you will find joy in overcoming obstacles.  Remember, no effort that we make to attain something beautiful is ever lost.

Helen Keller

Chapter 12, Page 20, Book 18

 ¸¸.•*¨*• Joy to the world, the Lord has come!  Let earth receive her King !

Let every heart prepare Him room, And Heaven and nature sing!   ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ 

Day 20 - Joy is a priority

My idea of Christmas, whether old fashioned or modern, is very simple:  loving others. Come to think of it why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?

Bob Hope

You may have seen this acrostic before that says, Joy stands for:

Jesus

Others

You

Such a true Statement!  It does bring joy when we get our priorities in order.  But most of the time life comes with its pressures and we seem to sense a loss of joy and its then that we must remember that circumstances don’t determine whether we have joy or not.  Joy is lasting and it satisfies the heart in a unique and marvelous way.

Priorities are important because you focus on what truly matters.  When I focused on my faith first, everything else seems to come together with ease.

Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are.

Marianne Williamson

A thankful heart is a joyful heart.  If you want to keep your joy, just be thankful.  Count your blessings and you will see just how much you have to be happy about.  Remind yourself just how wonderful life is.  The only thing that matters at the end of the day is that our lives were lived filled with joy.

Remember

This December,

That love weighs more than gold!

Josephine Dodge Daskam Bacon

Chapter 12, Page 19, Book 18

 ¸¸.•*¨*• Joy to the world, the Lord has come!  Let earth receive her King !

Let every heart prepare Him room, And Heaven and nature sing!   ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ 

Day 19 - when JOY is hard to find

The adventure of life is to learn.  The purpose of life is to grow.  The nature of life is change.  The challenge of life is to overcome.  The essence of life is to care.  The opportunity of life is to serve.  The secret of life is to dare.  The spice of life is to befriend.  The beauty of life is to give.  The joy of life is to love.

William Arthur Ward

 As one of my little granddaughters reminded me last week, there is still time…in her case there is still time to be put on Santa’s good list.  So far she’d been on the naughty list, but she was still trying her very best to get on the nice list before Christmas comes. 

There is still time too, for all of us to prepare our hearts for Christmas day.  Being prepared is something that helps us see the deeper meaning behind the tree, the gifts and the parties.  We celebrate because hope, peace and love came on Christmas Day in the form of a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.  That is the true JOY of Christmas.

Seems all I have been doing these days is preparation.  Working to get things done so that I can enjoy the day and bring joy to those I love.  One of the best gifts of Christmas for me is a happy family around the tree.  Even though some are far away, in some small way I believe that we all come home for Christmas.  

Christmas my child is love in action.  …Every time we love, every time we give, it’s Christmas.

Dale Evans Rogers

Chapter 12, Page 18, Book 18

 ¸¸.•*¨*• Joy to the world, the Lord has come!  Let earth receive her King !

Let every heart prepare Him room, And Heaven and nature sing!   ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ 

Day 18 - Give for the joy of it

Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should  put a good deal of thought into the happiness you are able to give.

Eleanor Roosevelt

This is a time of year when a lot of giving is done.  But we need to remember, we should be giving from a sense of joy rather than a sense of duty.  When we give to one another cheerfully, eagerly,generously, we give from our hearts.  

Giving generously isn’t about the size of our gift and our motive for giving matters far more than money.  What you give in joy, you give with an overflowing sense of happiness.

Christmas is not in tinsel and lights and outward show.

The secret lies in an inner glow.

It’s lighting a fire inside the heart.

Good will and joy are a vital part.

It’s higher thought and a greater plan

It’s glorious dream in the soul of man.

Wilfred A. Peterson