Peace, Love, Joy
Peace, love, joy - We use words like these a lot over the holidays, but what do they really mean to us?Today I stopped and looked at all the Christmas Cards we've received and looked at all the words on them. Of course there is "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays," but there's also words like rejoice, faith, jolly, love, blessings. When we share words like those, do we believe them and live them? I once heard a priest share his conviction that he never uses the word "love" lightly. That same thought came to me looking at the Christmas cards. Am I really rejoicing as we prepare for Christmas, am I filled with faith, am I jolly, do I see all the blessings before me? Do I have peace deep in my heart, am I showing love to those around me, am I joyful? Its a simple contemplation, really, but am I willing to change what I need to change if I am not joyful, if I do not feel blessed, if I am not filled with faith, or I don't have peace? Or, do I have the courage to be joyful and peaceful even when the conditions around me are less than perfect? That can be so difficult. I am the first to admit that I can quickly lose my peace when things don't go my way.
Three years ago, I vowed that I will never send out another Christmas card. It was quite a switch because I love Christmas cards. I loved reaching out to loved ones and I still love seeing everyones pictures and hearing how the year has been. Its not that I don't want to share peace, love and joy, but the truth is, I cannot handle the thought of sending a card without Wayland in the picture. Therefore, I decided no more cards. This year, I thought I'd send this little message and invite you to join me to take a moment and try to find a way to be peaceful amid all the noise and rush; to find love in the moments in which I want to be selfish; and to find joy when things aren't going the way we want. Chrismas, after all, is the time of year to slow down, if we can, and remember what life is all about. That might be slightly different for everyone, but to me its about remembering the gift that the Christ Child is to us and showing that gift of love to those around us.
Life passes by all too quickly and the people and things we value most can quickly disappear, therefore, I hope that this Christmas is truly merry and that you are surrounded by loved ones this year.
On a lighter note, its that time of year we all love to eat and drink all the delicious holiday food. So, we would love to see pictures of you and your family eating/cooking any recipes you use from our "Warrior Food" cook book. Feel free to share which recipes are your favorite to cook over the holidays on our Facebook page. We also want to announce that "Warrior Food" is now 20% off through the holidays! We hope you can enjoy sharing it with your family and friends! If you order it yours by December 19, I will ship it in time for you to get it by Christmas!
Peace, Love, Joy and Have a very Merry Christmas!
Amber, always Wayland's mommy
