Merry Christmas!

May you have a Merry Christmas! I hope you have a day that is filled with the joy and love that Jesus brought to us! May we spend the next 12 days in preparation for the Epiphany, when the Wise Men come to bring their gifts to Jesus. I want to wish you a happy 12 days of Christmas!

Our Pope's Wish

"This is my earnest wish for you who are listening. A wish that grows into a humble and trustful prayer to the Child Jesus, that His light will dispel all darkness from your lives and fill you with love and peace."
- Pope Benedict XVI

Final Candle

Yesterday we lit the 4th candle of the Advent Wreath signifying the final week of Christmas preparation. The final purple candle is lit and so all four advent candles are glowing around the Advent Wreath. What a beautiful reason to celebrate!

Christmas is only days away...hope you are able to sit around your tree and enjoy this joyous holiday season!

"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful." ~Norman Vincent Peale

"I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys." ~Charles Dickens

"May the spirit of Christmas bring you peace,
The gladness of Christmas give you hope,
The warmth of Christmas grant you love."
~Author Unknown

Christmas Wish

It's Christmas - that time of year that is usually romantic and whimsical. People are giving and hopeful. So...would this be the opportune moment to step out of my comfort zone and just "go for it"???

Is this the perfect time of year to find that someone special? Ideally - YES...but that is not always the case. Is it time to bring out the mistletoe and hope for the best? Maybe if I stand under it long enough...do you think?

If you can't express how you feel at Christmas, then when can you...right?!?!

Green Christmas

I am trying to join the "Go Green" fight and in doing so I wanted to share an article from TIME magazine. The article How to Have a Green Christmas can be viewed by just clicking on the title.

This article talks about reducing, reusing and recycling to help benefit the Earth and still part take of the holiday season. The article gives ideas for your Christmas tree, wrapping, lights, ornaments and much more! Please check it out! You should really check it out if you are still in need of gifts ideas for someone on your list.

Have a Merry Green Christmas!

Christmas Angel

I was surfing deviantart.com under Christmas because everyone on this site is very talented. The picture on this post was under user: ~xaninha:Alexandra

I love it! Isn't it just perfect?

Angels are perfect for Christmas! Angels go on top of Christmas trees...inside churches...put up in Nativity scenes...glowing in window displays...they are everywhere to remind us of the coming of Jesus, our Lord.

Seeing an Angel at the top of a Christmas tree is one of my favorite things.

Christmas Favorites

"Brown paper packages tied up with string...these are a few of my favorite things..."

Here are a few of my favorite things around Christmas:

--Christmas music playing on the radio
--Lighting Advent candles
--Watching holiday movies with family and friends
--Driving by houses and seeing them decorated with holiday lights
--Drinking hot cocoa because it tastes better this time of year
--Wrapping gifts with pretty paper and bows
--Singing carols during mass
--Seeing a production of A Christmas Carol at a local theater
--Watching friends and family open their gifts
--Walking by stores and seeing their holiday window displays
--Decorating the Christmas tree
--Sending out Christmas cards
--Going to holiday parties
--Getting away with wearing Christmas pins and decorative attire
--Saying Merry Christmas to everyone you meet

Pink Candle

Happy 3rd Sunday of Advent! We are drawing even closer to the long awaited coming of our Lord!

Today we light the Pink Candle to highlight the closeness of His coming. May we truly glow in the glow of the Pink Candle.

Carpe Diem

I have reached a point in my life where I have to stop making excuses for myself. I need to simply live with the philosophy: Carpe Diem. Goodness...how hard is it to "seize the day"??? Well, it's pretty hard in most cases. Sometimes fear kicks in and holds me back...sometimes my pride holds me back...

Really though, I just need to realize and ask myself one question. "When I look back on my life, will I regret this?" I need to take time to not only "seize the day" but to also smell the roses. My life is short. Very short in fact. I have no idea how long I am here, but you bet I am going to enjoy everyday because God has created such a beautiful place for all of us.

Please, take this moment to appreciate all that you have and "Seize the day"...seize THIS day!

Santa's Helper

This movie is perfect around Christmas! It is especially great for kids of all ages! Here is just a taste of the memorable lines that Buddy says from the movie:

"Buddy the Elf! What's your favorite color?"

"The best way to spread Christmas Cheer, is singing loud for all to hear."

"Francisco! That's fun to say! Francisco... Frannncisco... Franciscooo..."

"I just like to smile! Smiling's my favorite."

"SANTA! SANTA'S COMING! I KNOW HIM! I KNOW HIM!"

This is my favorite Will Ferrell movie. After watching it, I had so much more admiration for his work as an actor. This proves that he has the capability to be a well rounded actor.

Grab some treats and watch this family-fun Christmas movie! :)

Classic Christmas Movie

The classic Christmas movie, for me, is White Christmas. I have been watching this movie since I can remember. I love this film so much that I even watch it in July. Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye light up the screen with their singing and charm. And what dynamic duo isn't complete without two wonderfully talented women. The Haynes sisters are played by Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen. I simply adore their duet, Sisters. Yes, I do sing along. But my absolute favorite song is when all four of them are on the train and they sing, Snow.

Every year around this time, I tend to watch this movie several times. It is the perfect movie to get into the holiday spirit. There is singing and dancing and a special message about selfless giving of the heart. And who can experience Christmas without Bing's version of, White Christmas? I highly recommend sharing this movie with family and friends.

2nd Sunday

Happy 2nd Sunday of Advent! Today marks the beginning of the 2nd week of Advent! Such a beautiful time for celebrating...so much anticipation...so much joy! This post is short and simple...I just wanted to share my excitement for today. Happy 2nd week of Advent!

Holiday Warmth

I love this picture. I love it so much in fact that it is the background for my computer at work. There is just something about it. This picture is full of warmth. I feel at home when I see it. It's very comforting. Christmas has always embodied the warmth and comfort of being at home. I love the idea of a decorated Christmas tree housing wrapped gifts underneath beside a warm fireplace. That's where my tree is at my parents'. So when I go home to visit, I see our beautiful tree in the living room beside our fireplace. This picture must provide a sense of "home" to me and that is why I am drawn to it.

I want to encourage you to take a picture of your home decorated for Christmas. That way you have it for years to come. And if you have kids, I am sure they would want copies. Even if you don't think you have a home that looks like it came out of a magazine, take the picture anyways. You will be surprised how it turns out. And trust me, your kids do think it looks like a magazine. And it might a be fun idea for a gift ---- Once you take the picture of your house decorated for Christmas, make copies and send it to your kids or family members that live far away. This way they get a little taste of "home." I think I may even do that this year. When I go home for Christmas, I am going to take a picture of our living room and have it for many Christmases to come!

The Role of a Life Time

It is always around this time of year when I remember one of my first "play" experiences. My church was going to showcase the Nativity scene during Christmas Eve mass. I was about ten years old at the time and some of my friends and I were going to the church to "audition." I was hoping to be an angel. I remember all of the kids who came lined up and a woman walked up and down the line picking out certain children for each part. She walked by me and looked at me for a moment. She then asked me, "Who would you like to be in the play?" I repeated to her my hope to be an angel. She smiled and said, "My dear, you are going to be Mary." What? I could not even believe it. Me? Why? I had little time to ask questions. She then showed me where to go and what to do for the scene. I then remember walking down the church aisle with the little boy playing Joseph. I had my Mary outfit and he was dressed for the part of Joseph. I was nervous as I carried my little Cabbage Patch doll with me. He was the only baby boy doll I had. Yes...Jesus was played by my Cabbage Patch doll, Rufus. My mom still finds that funny to this day.

Looking back, I realize how special that moment truly was for me. I wanted to be an angel because I knew that I could never be Mary. But God had another plan to show me that I could. It is a life lesson I continue to struggle with. I need to work on not selling myself short. In life, all of us have to work towards our ideal versions of ourselves. Never settle. Never. Keep pushing yourself to do better. Always. I may have only been ten when I played Mary, but it was a role of a life time.

Warm & Cozy

I want to recommend this tasty hot chocolate sold at Williams-Sonoma. Check it out on their website. Once you are at the homepage, type in "hot chocolate" into the search window. My aunt sent this hot chocolate to me and it is a dream come true for the winter season. It's rich and creamy and the perfect texture to sooth any cold chill. I wanted to pass this on and to encourage you to think about getting it for any hot chocolate lover in your family.

JOY

JOY...such a short word encompasses so much. Yesterday, I was blessed to receive such joy in one simple phone call. I called the Mater Ecclesiae College in Rhode Island to ask a question. The young lady who answered the phone was very polite and thorough in her response. Somehow we then began to talk. What can I say, God has blessed me with the gift of conversation. :) Anyway, she was curious how I knew about the college. I had explained that I came to visit two summers ago to see a friend of mine. I proceeded to tell her that I was going to be visiting again very soon. I will be attending the retreat held from Dec 26th - Jan 2nd. She was overjoyed! "That is the best news I have heard all day," she exclaimed. Such a simple mentioning of a future visit made her so happy. This is an example of why I am anxiously awaiting my trip to Rhode Island. When I am there with the women of the Regnum Christi movement, my heart is filled with endless JOY. The Holy Spirit's presence is very strong within the walls of this school. As a Christian, I am called to have a light within me. It is the light I am to carry around with me to show people Christ. This same light beams through the windows of Mater Ecclesiae. If you are interested in learning more about Mater Ecclesiae please visit here. And/or if you are interested in learning more about the Regnum Christi movement, please visit here.