Unlock the Fullness

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion into clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. -- Melody Beattie

How I love these inspired words, for gratitude is indeed a powerful but gentle friend.

Sandwiched between Halloween and Christmas is one brief moment for giving thanks. Perhaps we have it wrong. Perhaps instead of giving thanks one day, we should have Thanksgiving week, Thanksgiving Month, or Thanksgiving Year.

In a true celebration of life, gratitude might be our truest friend. Today I celebrate my life, my environment, my companions, my opportunities, and my gifts with gratitude. I invite you to join me. Let's celebrate.

Unlock the Fullness.

Linda Garner

My Christmas Gift to You

Its true. I have a gift for you. Before I tell you about it, though, I have a favor to ask. Friend-husband and I are shopping for Storybook Night. If you recall, this is the night when we give our grandchildren their Christmas gifts. Each grandchild receives a book, especially chosen for them. They open their gifts one at a time so that everyone can admire each book. The rest of the evening is a filled with the reading and sharing of books. The favor? What is your favorite children’s book? That’s all. Just give me a suggestion or two. We need picture books, chapter books, and maybe even a little YA fiction.

Now, the gift. What do you do on Christmas Eve? In our family we stay up late playing games and watching movies, but first we gather for a Christmas Sing In. It’s an informal way to bring a special spirit to our Holiday celebration and reminds us of the reason for the season.

What’s a sing-in, you ask. Well, (thinking)…I guess it’s sort of an informal program. No preparation, no costumes, no fuss. One person reads, everyone sings. Choose your favorite carols, select a good reader, find a comfy chair, and the fun begins.

In our family, we use a script for our sing-in, which I wrote some years ago. I wrote it originally as narration for a musical Christmas fireside. It was well received and a few people requested copies. We liked it so much, that we adopted it as narration for our yearly sing-in. I think you’ll like it too.

I would like to thank you for your friendship and support. Thank you for your comments to the blog and your emails. I love hearing from you. Thank you for helping me celebrate the release of Some Secrets Hurt. Thank you for making a difference.

The script is too long for this post, but if you would like a copy of my sing-in script, just email me, garners@xmission.com and I will send the script as an attachment. Feel free to adapt it to suit your needs. I will send it in time for Christmas Eve.

That’s my Christmas Gift to You.

Merry Christmas.

Linda Garner