A new year.  A fresh start.  A blank piece of paper.  What can you create this year?  The possibilities are amazing!  I created this image to encourage and inspire you.  You only have one life.  Let's go exploring!

What if Jesus hadn’t been born in a stable? What if there was room in the inn?

We can learn something deep and powerful about our lives when we look at a very human aspect of this timeless story.

Last week our church had an evening carol sing. We sang all the old favorites: Joy to the World, O Come All Ye Faithful, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Jingle Bells, and The Twelve Days of Christmas – including the flourishes on the five golden rings.

One that spoke to my heart that night was “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”.

Have you ever sat and felt tight and stressed? Anxious? And you couldn’t figure out why? Sometimes when we sit, we tighten up. We concentrate so hard that we bear down and tighten. Or a stressful conversation triggers the tightening, and then we don’t notice that we’re still doing it long after the stress is gone.

One day I felt tense. I couldn’t figure out why until I realized I was clenching my hands. Not in a fist, but tight nonetheless. Once I noticed it, I opened my hands. Immediately the rest of my body began to relax.