THE NEXT ACT

Start writing, I tell myself. Maybe this will get me somewhere. I don’t know—maybe it feels silly, but I keep writing anyway. Maybe it will make sense in the long run. I’m not sure. I want to shout. I want to put everything out there. I’ve been carrying these negative vibes I picked up recently, and I want to throw them away. Maybe the only way to get rid of them is to write about good things… or maybe the writing will take me somewhere else entirely. Maybe. Maybe. Who should I talk to? I don’t feel articulate enough to start a real conversation. Maybe the Lord would listen. Maybe He could make sense of what I’m trying to say. I don’t know where this is going. Honestly, it feels like it’s going nowhere. But my mind is awake. My heart is feeling something. I am alive—that alone makes this worth writing. Everything makes some kind of sense as long as one is still alive. Breathing matters. Inhale. Exhale. Even if this feels like it’s going nowhere, I think part of me believes that what I’...

 Christmas is about the birth of Jesus—about being thankful that He became one of us to show us how to live a life filled with love. It is a season of family, of being with one another, and of giving. It is not about what we receive, but about what we offer from the heart. Christmas can feel like a love song, knowing that under the mistletoe you have someone special to share the moment with. It is showing grandma and granddad that they are remembered, loved, and worth visiting. It is the beauty of a white Christmas, the glow of the tree, the decorations, and the star shining at the top. So much of Christmas is wrapped in symbolism. Even Santa Claus, Rudolph, and the elves have become part of how we imagine the joy and magic of the season. Family gatherings, special meals shared around the table, drinking beer, laughing, and being merry—these too have become traditions that warm the heart. But how do all these pieces connect to a baby lying in a manger? To Mary and Joseph searchi...