Into the Body Shop

Just like a car needs tune-ups and maintenance checks, so does your body. As the 2009 year kicks off, what is it that your body needs to run more efficiently? More exercise, healthier food, more water? Annual check-up with the doctor, stop in at the dentist or eye doctor? Avoid waiting for the big trip to the body shop and keep up on your daily, weekly, monthly and annual maintenance checks to ensure the best care for your engine. Make the quick list to make sure your 100,000 mile check-up is keeping you – and your family -  running smoothly in 2009.

Still need an idea for Hubby?

Buying for our husbands can sometimes get tricky. There’s still time for this quick (and inexpensive) gift that he will love. Get online and order a calendar of photos of your kids. They’ve made the template so easy and the price so affordable that you can easily pull together a fabulous calendar marking birthdays, anniversaries, family events throughout the year.

I do this each year and Jim just loves it. Most all places with a printing/copying business have this gift option. Take a few minutes to find at least 12 photos and you’ll be all set!

The Christmas in You

This year I’ve felt more compelled to share the Christmas message through everything I do more than ever before. Maybe it’s the downturn of the economy, maybe it’s the brokenness seen all around us, the push to spend on things we don’t need, the devastation of what losing jobs or losing a loved one can bring, but whatever it is, I want be constantly reminded of the reason we celebrate during this time. I want to feel the stirring of Christmas inside my heart and act out what that gift means in my daily life and that means sharing it here on my web site with you.

The gift of this season is of the heart. It’s not in the money you spend or the number of gifts you buy. It’s about giving and receiving from the heart. My prayer for you this season is that you know the miracle of Christmas, that you feel the warmth of a love greater than anything you’ve ever known, that you live charitably, you give freely and you love more deeply. If we all take a step in the direction of more tolerance, more acceptance and more understanding, we will certainly live in a healthier world. That’s not necessarily a Christmas message, but a message of hope for all humanity.

Share this time with your family, your friends and everyone you meet so that they to can see the Christmas in you.

Adopt a Family

If you’ve never adopted a family for the holidays, maybe this year is the time to do it. Through churches, shelters and local Salvation Army locations, you can be get connected with a family in need. If you look at your finances and see that you don’t have the extra cash to spend on gifts for another family, consider a couple of options.

One, you could adopt just one child or assist by providing just one gift to the program. Two, you could make this a family event. Get your children and spouse involved where everyone gives up one or more of their gifts to ensure that another family gets to have a Christmas. You’ll find that your family will bond over this experience and you may even look to do something more next year!

Give it some thought. It’s not too late to help another family. It’s not too late to make someone’s Christmas.

[Shown here: My family sharing Christmas with another.]

Give, give, give

I feel like a broken record this time of year, but my heart is heavy with the need to give. Even as times are tough, jobs are shaky and the cost of groceries and goods continue to remain high, there is always an opportunity to give. Give of your time or your services. If someone needs an extra hand, be there for them to lend it. There’s not a time that this makes more sense than right now.

Give of your resources (money or goods) when you can, but the gift of your energy and time to a cause will help both you and the those receiving the assistance. Do it now because it’s the “giving season” and continue it throughout the year, because it’s the “giving heart” inside you.

Count your blessings and you’ll always have some to share.