The True Spirit of Christmas: A time for Gratitude and Reflection

As I pause on this Christmas Eve, my heart turns to the true essence of this sacred celebration – the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ. Beyond the wrapped presents and twinkling lights, I’m reminded that the greatest gift ever given wasn’t placed under a tree but in a humble manger in Bethlehem.

Looking back over this year’s journey, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude. Each morning I could rise, and work was a blessing. Every moment of peace in a turbulent world was a gift. The warmth of family gatherings, the laughter shared with friends, the simple joy of good health—these precious gifts have filled my days with grace and meaning.

My heart especially reaches out to those who are hurting this Christmas. I see you, dear friends, who are facing an empty chair at your table, whose loved ones have left this earthly realm this year. Your pain is real. I want you to know that while today’s sorrow feels overwhelming, I promise you that healing will come. Not to erase your memories but to transform your tears into tender remembrances of the love you shared. I miss my dad at Christmas, but I have hopes of resurrection, and that I will see him again, someday. Not in this world, but in heaven. That, is my faith.

Reflecting on that first Christmas night, I’m moved by its powerful message of hope rising from humble circumstances. Mary and Joseph, far from home, found light in their darkest hour. This reminds me—and all of us—that even in our moments of deepest sadness, we’re held in divine love’s embrace.

Whether you’re celebrating joyfully or quietly nursing a tender heart this Christmas, I invite you to join me in embracing the profound love that entered our world that holy night. In Jesus’s birth, we find our ultimate source of gratitude – the assurance that dawn always follows darkness, that love never truly ends, and that hope blooms eternal in even the coldest seasons of our lives.

As I bow my head in prayer today, I’m thankful not just for the blessings I can count but for the limitless love that counts us all worthy, that’s our pain, celebrates our joy, and promises us that better days lie ahead. This is the true spirit of Christmas – a love that transforms, heals, and makes all things new.

Merry Christmas my dear friends, and to those who don’t celebrate, have a fabulous and relaxing holiday. See you in 2025!

Much love, always! 🙂

Unending Hope…

Dec13

(Photo Credit: JT Kunley)

In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.

Abraham Lincoln

I love this wonderful quote by Abraham Lincoln. It’s not because the guy set a historical ball rolling in the US nor because of his stand on slavery, I love the quote because it simply means that we should LIVE and not merely let the seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks or years roll by.

We should live by positively changing the story of others around us – smiling at strangers, giving when we should, not later, helping the elderly, giving to the poor etc.

You may ask, what about me? Why do I have to give all the time?

It’s simple… When you give, you’re enriched! You’re blessed.

Christmas shouldn’t be celebrated with relatives we hate nor endured with a plastic smile pasted on our face. It should be a time of unending love, thanksgiving, not the frenzy buying of gifts that were not needed or wasting money on food that would find its resting place in the bin. I hope this season would fill us with love, joy and laughter.

I pray for nothing more…

And when we live with love and joy, our remaining days would be filled with unending hope.

I had wanted to write another post entirely because my new book Cydonia would be formally available for sale on Monday but I just find my fingers typing this and I hope I’ve been able to touch a soul. Live and live well, our times on this earth are incredibly short. It would be a tragedy to waste it on malice, anger, hatred and all those stupid dross that weight us down.

I guess I better stop now before I start preaching! 🙂

Friends, I need all the ‘ Shout-outs’ I could get for my impending book release on 16th Dec 2013 (just a mere three days away!!) If you would like me to write a short piece for your blog or a feature post with the book cover and details, please let me know and I’ll rustle something up! Thanks guys. 🙂

I hope you’ll all have a fabulous weekend wherever you are in the world!

NP: My home internet is still awaiting the expert touch of an engineer, Sky (my broadband provider) promised to send an engineer on Tuesday. I can’t blog when I’m in the office because my editor is constantly breathing down my neck! I’ve started visiting some blogs and I’m certain I’ll start fully next week! Please do bear with me. 🙂

Much love, always!

🙂

Tales of Five Lies and Stepping into Greatness!

Dec20

tales-of-five-lies-paperback

I want to give you my readers a few nuggets to chew on my book, aptly titled, ‘’Tales Of Five Lies.’’ And for the record, nobody can predict the end of the world, so why not enjoy yourselves, tuck into your turkey and march into your glorious future! This is an updated version of the book.

Excerpts:

Time dragged on. I contemplated returning to my comfortable bed, and that was when I saw a man darting behind a tree. He was eight meters away. My senses came alive as I watched with apprehension, my hand on the gun my dad gave me before he died. It’s always with me as a safety measure.

I stood still, watching the man’s movement. I noticed how he glanced around like a rabid dog. Satisfied he was alone, he whistled. Two men emerged from the shadows, dragging a bulging bag between them. I peered at my wristwatch to catch the time, but it was too dark. My mind went wild with all kinds of theories. What are they dragging off that night? How did my best friend get a whiff of their plans? This was wrong. It wasn’t right. I felt it deep in my bones.

The cold night air wrapped around me like a second skin, sending shivers down my spine, and the thick canopy of trees made the moon barely visible, casting ghostly shadows across the forest floor. The pungent odour of decomposing leaves blended with the fragrance of moist earth. The rustling of nocturnal creatures and the occasional hoot of an owl were the only sounds that broke the silence. As I watched the men, I noticed their dishevelled appearance. Their clothes were tattered and stained, and their hair was unkempt. The man who whistled had a scar above his eyebrow, making him appear menacing. I was proud of my night eye; spotting a scar that far away was no mean feat, yet I couldn’t see the time on my watch. It was blurry. The other two were hefty men, with arms that looked like tree trunks. I cursed my short-sightedness. I wished I’d taken my reading glasses.

They got to a secluded spot and began to dig…

***

Stepping Into Greatness!

That’s it dear friends, hope you’ll put a big smile on my face this Christmas by letting me know what you think of my book, I value your opinions Greatly. 2013 would be a glorious year, just step into your greatness because if you believe it, you would certainly have it! Happy holidays and a Merry christmas! Remember, Life is What You Make of It.

Merry Xmas Everyone!