Happy New Year ILOVEMYMESS Readers,

     This is a stressful time of the year!! Historically

Christmas and the New Year is personally the

hardest part of the year.  I feel more depressed

during this time of year than any other.  I believe

in God and Jesus Christ his Son so there is

absolutely no chance of me committing suicide due to

my sadness or stress. No worries, comments,

concerns need be expressed on my behalf as a result

of this blog.  That being said the statistics are

clear that December and January in America are

Historically the greateast month for suicides.

This is a very sobering and disheartening fact of

the holiday season.  Christmas is supposed to be

about the gift of God's Son to man. I am trying not

to put on my preacher hat, But I can't help but to

express that God's Gift was Graceous,Compassionate,

Thoughtful, Helpful, Merciful, Compelling and

Caring. Obviously there are many more adverbs that

could be used but at least you may get a picture of

my point.

     As we consider the act of giving I feel the need to

share two thoughts on giving for the new year.

(this may be long I hope you stay with me all the

way through)

Thought 1..
My wife is an outstanding cook!! I consider it a

privilege to sit in front of a meal she has

prepared!!  It is a great gift she has that she

shares with me almost daily. Sometime 2 or 3 times

a day. there may be some men who declare that is

their wife's job to cook and clean.  I do not hold

her accountable to cook for me as an oblagation.

My mom and dad taught me showed me how to cook for

myself and I have no problem feeding myself when I

am hungry.  As a matter of fact, I do not want her

to cook for me if she is angry.  The point I want

to emphasize is my personal preference is that if

you give me a gift it should be given freely and

cheerfully.  Giving Grudgingly is not noteworthy,

pleasing, acceptable, or in many ways neither is it

beneficial to the one who claims to give it.

Love should always be unconditional but your gift

is not.  It must be limited to the resources you

control and are willing to release.

Thought 2..
Just recently a news report about 2 certified EMT's

surfaced on the wire.  The way I understood it was

they were on a break from their Job when a pregnant

women began having complications in the vicinity of

where they were taking their break and requested

their help and they refused her.

Now obviously I wasn't there and I have trouble

trusting most media reports due to their necessary

limitations. However I became somewhat furious upon

hearing the allegations.  This woman who was known

to the EMT's, was reported to have served them on

several occasions earlier. This women in her time

of need was refused service.  This women was told

she needed to call 911 for more EMT's to come who

were not on break.  This women and her child died!

There are no guarantees this woman and child would

have survived even if the initial EMT's had helped

her. Life is a gift and their is no guarantee of

your next year, next week, next day, or next

breath.

My point then is there are times when due to your

training, proximity, and need of the moment when

you should feel the obligation to render service.

Everyman will have to answer that for themselves

just as these EMT's did but the Golden Rule is a

very Good measuring stick!!  Maybe it should be

called the Golden Ruler!!

     In 2010 make a decision to Love as hard and as much

as you can or as much as the recipient will allow

themselves to receive!!

Stay Blessed...