<HTML><BODY STYLE="font:10pt verdana; border:none;"><DIV> <P>Just some thoughts on this special time of year...</P> <P> </P> <P>On Christmas Joy...</P> <P>The joy of Christmas is, at the heart of it, the joy of life. On Christmas Day we celebrate the gift of life. The brightly colored packages and their contents are mere tokens. The love in which they are given is what brings them their meaning. </P> <P>And so too with the precious gift of life. The outward appearances and material manifestations are not what really count. They will all too soon rust and fade and crumble. What will last is the love we give, and the love we live, in each moment, in each day, as the years go by. </P> <P>On a day such as this we have the golden opportunity to remember that, to stop and to sense the reality of what life is truly all about. We remember all over again how good it is to live with love and giving at the top of our list of priorities. And that in itself is a most wonderful and precious gift, with the power to last a lifetime and beyond. — Ralph Marston </P> <P> </P> <P>On Abundance...</P> <P>The abundant life appeals to us. Seldom do we want less money, fewer toys, clothes, or friends. In general, we want more of everything and still more --particularly of love. The truth is that the things we hoard or hide or fear losing must be shared or soon may be lost. </P> <P>Giving love to a lover, a friend, or even a stranger will fill up our own empty spaces where love wants to be. And we'll glow radiantly with the warmth that hovers on the heels of love expressed. The pantry of the human heart is never bare when love is being served. We pass this way with one another, not by mere chance, but by design for the nourishment that is love. Our greatest hope, to be loved, is ours when we've made that hope a reality for someone else. </P> <P> </P> <P>On Jesus...</P> <P>Christmas is a journey of the heart. As we move closer to the day we celebrate the birth of the Christ Child, we can choose to open our own hearts to the consciousness of Love that the Christ represents. We can decide to be born fresh and new again into a full realization of God's love for us, to surrender our lives completely to this love, to truly recognize who we are, a child of God. --Mary Manin Morrissey </P> <P>Most of us never set our sights as high as Jesus intended we should. Lord, may the celebration of Your birth serve as a rebirth within me of my sense of commitment, consecration and purpose. </P> <P>Happy Birthday, Jesus. </P> <P> </P> <P>And finally, an Irish Blessing...</P> <P>May your neighbor respect you, </P> <P>Trouble neglect you, </P> <P>The angels protect you,</P> <P>And Heaven accept you. </P> <P>Namaste. (The God in me honors the God in you.) </P> <P> </P> <P>HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!</P> <P>and...</P> <P>MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!</P> <P> </P> <P>YOU ARE LOVE!!!</P> <P>(and you know it!!!)</P><BR><BR></DIV></BODY></HTML><br clear=all><hr>Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : <a href='http://explorer.msn.com'>http://explorer.msn.com</a><br></p>