This morning was a typical morning. After I got out of the shower, I turned on the weather show Wake Up With Al. Do you wanna hear what the forecast was for my area? Abundant Sunshine! Have you ever heard that particular adjective when referring to sunshine? I hadn’t and to be honest, it caught my attention and made me want to go out and be a part of a day with abundant sunshine! But that is not the only reason I want to go out and cheerfully be a part of this day. The other reason is because I am delighted to be experiencing yet another holiday season and the joy and happiness and goodwill it brings!

I have a girlfriend who hates, absolutely hates Christmas! I think it is because it is too much pressure. My neighbor hates Christmas. I think her reason is because she has always felt let down by Christmas and the overrated (subliminal) promises that Christmastime is suppose to bring and doesn’t. I have a coworker that hates Christmas. I don’t know why, I just know she does. I also know depression and suicide skyrocket at this time of the year. I think it is all due to the pressure society puts on us to deliver on Christmas and the pressure we put on ourselves!

Recently I posted something on Facebook that got a few thumbs up. I wrote: Can I give you the gift of love for Christmas? With the economy the way it is, it’s one of the least costly to me financially IF I give it in the right spirit. It’s one of the most valuable IF you accept in the right spirit. It’s one of the most sought after IF it is displayed in the right spirit. And it’s the most cherished IF handled with the right spirit! How about it? Can I simply give you love for Christmas?

Do you have anyone in your circle of family and friends that you typically exchange gifts with that would accept a simple gift of love this year in place of a tie or purse or perfume or gift card? As they walked toward you with a meticulously wrapped gift could you go toward them with your arms stretched out offering a hug filled with only the gift of love? Can you snub society and traditions and just give the one thing God gives to us so freely day after day?

If I were a betting woman I would bet that my girlfriend, my neighbor and my coworker would come to appreciate and value Christmas more if all that was expected of them was to simply give love and receive love minus all the rest!

Personally, I thoroughly enjoy Christmas! I love the feeling. I love the serenity of the spirit of Christmas. I love the joy of knowing…unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given! Christmastime changes moods and demeanors. Christmastime inspires and encourages. Christmastime can renew hope in the hopeless. Even if circumstances haven’t changed, the good feeling of Christmas and knowing there is a Savior that was sent to help us (that is such a simple way to say it) can generate faith in those that don’t believe!

From Thanksgiving until New Year, I am happy! I am happy other times, but many of those other times, I am happy because I consciously choose to be. For five weeks at the end of the year, I am happy without thought! I feel abundant sunshine everyday! I must admit, I am very Christmas-y and do the decorations and presents and go overboard! (I have vowed to do better) But I still know that Jesus is the reason for this and all other seasons and if I allow Him, He will bring abundant sunshine to all my days! Not just the last 5 weeks of the year but all 52 weeks!

Today is a good day for Kathy! I just took an 800m Ibuprofen/Motrin for pain in my hip but it is still a good day for Kathy, I am able to walk! I am carrying a slight headache but it is still a good day for Kathy, I am able to write this for you to read! I would love to be out enjoying the day, spending it with family and friends and not be at work, but it is still a good day for Kathy because I have a job! Today the weatherman told me there would be abundant sunshine! He didn’t have to tell me, I already knew because regardless of how things look outside, I will still choose abundant sunshine! And whatever your circumstances, I choose abundant sunshine for you!

Merry Christmas!!!

Holla back!

Happy Holidays and Marvelous Monday to you! Tiger Woods……

What can we say with so much being said! I am so torn when it comes to definitive feelings about Tiger.  Lol, like I am anybody and it’s my concern but….when it is on every news broadcast, on the front page of nearly every online search engine, on the front page of most magazines at grocery store checkouts, the breakroom conversation, the water cooler chat, etc, what can I do but think about it and form an opinion. First and foremost, let’s pray for Tiger.

Twice now, my husband and I have been in line at Wal-Mart and two different ladies - two different types of ladies – wanted to chat with us about Tiger. Funny thing, although it was two different days and two different times and two different ladies, their conclusions were almost verbatim: he has a problem.

All of the chat has spurred me to do my first either or post. Here’s how it goes. I give you a list of 11 things, you choose one or the other. An example: Spring – Fall. I choose Spring and the reason I do is because I don’t like winter, the cold and snow and that is what follows Fall. I like the warmth, sun and flowers so I like Spring because summer follows.

Now you try it. Here are 11 Tiger inspired either/ors. You pick one and tell us why!

Tiger Woods
1. Golf – Tennis
2. Married for love – Married for appearance
3. Remorseful – Caught
4. Smart – Unintelligent
5. Sloppy – Cry out for help
6. Cheating man – Sex addict
7. Confident – Arrogant
8. Needed Hiatus (not playing golf indefinitely) – Cop Out
9. Able to change – Temporary low profile
10. Greatest Golfer – Greatest Athlete
11. True Billionaire – Endorsement Heavy

You start and tell me what you think. I too will weigh in with my take on things.

Holla back!

Season Greetings!

At about 5:00 am this morning I guess I was finish sleeping so I got up and am writing to you. Although I don’t want to take away from the conversation of our five random questions and still look forward to comments regarding Motivational Monday, I saw something interesting on Facebook yesterday and wanted to share it with you and hear what you had to say.

Somebody said (in all caps) he would tell the truth for 24 hours and invited everyone to ask him one question – in his inbox – and he would answer it. It could be anything: a crazy question or a serious question. I thought it very interesting that he designated one day to telling the truth. To be fair, let me tell you that he also said, in parenthesis, that this doesn’t mean he is untruthful at other times.  And let me say, I am not judging him, I just think it is interesting.

Here’s my question: could we be/are we truthful at all times? I remember the movie Liar Liar and the sheer havoc it created when he decided to tell the truth. Would a world full of 100% truth tellers create more havoc than a world full of people telling lies or at best, being deceitful? If I ask you if you like my boots and you don’t like them, is saying: “wow, they are really something” an answer to my question or deceit? Sure, it is not a straight out lie but isn’t it deceit? I would probably walk away thinking you like my boots or you are at least impressed by my boots! lol. Is there anyone that would say: “no, I don’t like them” and stop talking right there? I don’t think so, even I would probably say, “Girl if you like them, that is all that matters, they are not really my style“. I guess that is going around the barn to say, no I don’t like them but is my response even pure truth and honesty? I’m just asking. Could we all vow to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth for 24 or life?

I know most of us would say our reason for not telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth is because we don‘t want to hurt someone’s feelings right? I get that but at what cost? You know me and how I bring the Christianity thing into it but this time I will not. I will not even ask the question if pleasing God with truth at all times is on John Public’s mind these days. I will just go back to my original curiosity: could you go for 24 hours and tell the truth?

Holla back!

P.S. – ain’t Tiger a mess??? Pray!!!

“Regardless of what I know to be my reality: This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it!”  Kathy Anne Sawyer Curry

Welcome to Motivational Monday!

Today as I drove to work I thought about getting a license plate that says: ThruItAll. That is a song Andrea Crouch sang and made famous years and years ago. I use to hear it sung but didn’t embrace it and sing it to myself until I grew up and got real grown up problems! lol.

About 50% of the time when I am happy, I choose to be. It doesn’t just come and find me! I consciously tell my mind and spirit to step over and step around dismay and unhappiness and be happy! Gosh, I don’t know about you but for me, there are days and period of life that seem almost unbearable and insurmountable! But…

I believe: If it doesn’t kill you it will make you stronger!
I believe: For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Romans 8:18.
I believe: All things work together for the good of those that love the Lord and are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28.

In this holiday season, despite all the things that are whirling around us at home or at work, in the family or in the neighborhood, we should find many reasons to celebrate His birth and pass that great celebratory spirit on to the less fortunate or those that don’t know God and the true reason for the season! Troubles will always be there! But so will solutions! Eventually, all things work themselves out don’t they?

Truly, this is the time to turn over new leaves. Resolve unresolved issues. Make the call to that person you have been hesitant to call. Give back something you took that isn’t yours. Determine to find what you lost and need to regain your confidence. Resume traditions that made sense and made it all better! Tell that person that you think you don’t love, but know you should love, that you love them. Trust me, just seeing the look on their face will brighten your mood! If you weren’t expecting to say it, they certainly weren’t expecting to hear it!

Utilize the goodwill spirit floating in the atmosphere to change your circumstances and defeat the devil! Even if you can’t change your circumstances or the people in your circumstances, you can change you and your feelings! Motivate yourself into great thinking! Choose to be happy! Make a bucket of lemonade out of those sour lemons! Call the past the past and strut your stuff into your fabulous future! 

Holla back!

Happy Thoughtful Thursday to you and Happy Holidays! I trust you are relaxing in the spirit of the season and embracing every good feeling this time of year exudes in the atmosphere! In all the excitement and shopping and gift giving and goodwill, I hope we always remember… Jesus is the reason for the season!

Today I have five random questions for you. Five things that are either perplexing to me or irritating to me or both! Anyway, I’m stumped. Maybe you can help! Come back and give me your feedback on these five random questions.

1. Why do people call you AT WORK and say, “What you doing”?
2. Why do I have to put on my turn signal to merge onto the highway when I have nowhere else to go but onto the highway?
3. Why do people who say they are Christians take “Christ” out of Christmas and substitute Him with an X?
4. Why do SEEMINGLY intelligent people send out emails/texts that say forward this message to 10 people and you’ll receive this or that (usually money) and if you don’t forward it and break the chain, you will go broke?
5. Why are the Jacksons doing a reality show?

Holla Back!