Uphill idealist

On this Eve of Christmas , thoughts turn to the wise men searching through the challenges of distance, obstacles, and the great unknown. Who was this Jesus that they were seeking? How would meeting him change their lives? How did they feel as they finally came to the place where he lay waiting for their arrival. There are many things we can desire this Christmas season. Out of all the things that could be on our wish lists, what if what we desired most was Jesus? How would Jesus change, mold and impact our lives if he were at the top of our list? May this Christmas bring you joy, peace and most of all Jesus; and the desire to seek him all year—just like the wise men on that silent, holy night when they found him too. More than/less than… What do you need more of in your life and in this upcoming year to draw closer to Jesus? What do you need less of to draw closer to him? Take a moment and write the things you need more of and less of in your life in the comment section. If it's he

I have a unbridled love for shoes and boots, however I don't have much use for the walk the runway, pointy-toe kind of footwear. I prefer the kind I can run, play, and muck about in. Recently, while flipping through a magazine in the grocery checkout, I came across these lovely kicks. These fun-loving, let's go outside and play boots are available (for a pretty $120.00) from Converse.com ; along with blue plaid and leather varieties. They look to me to be something that could stand up to the slush, ice and cold of a western NY winter, all while looking whimsical. That is a beautiful combination, don't you think?

Image found at Shepherd Pics . S eeing the trees heavy with new fallen snow, this street looks like something totally new. T aking a deep breath and watch the exhale as it curls and hangs like smoke in the air. I nside my mind the whirring wheel of worry begins to slow down. L ight is dim, but it bounces off the snow like glow-in-the-dark stickers. L etting go of concerns, I let the quiet enter my heart. N othing is moving, except the snowflakes that dance through the sky and land on my hat. E very house seems to begin waking up, to coffee machines and dogs that need to go out. S tillness surrounds me. S tillness comes to me in the gift of a new day wrapped up in an almost-Christmas snow. T.L. Eastman 2009'

Image found at designstar . When did I feel most whole? Most fragmented? The pieces of amber glass scattered in a camouflage on the wood floor in the kitchen. There were "I'm sorry's" , there were "Let's get this cleaned up." , and there may have been a tear or two in the letting go of the tension and frustration of the past week. Just like the glass, the unpredictable emotions lay here and there. Some were tidily swept up and disposed of properly, and others expectantly lay in the cracks between the boards for a bare-footed victim to brush it's vulnerable toes along the jagged surface. Sometimes emotions help us press on in the face of a challenge, and other times emotions make us stumble and fall into the varied collage of life we are living. WHOLE It's the last few days before the arrival of Christmas. The shopping is complete, the kid's church Christmas Program came and went in a rush of activity and cute impish angel children, the cookie