The Holidays Continue ...

Yes, it is January 2nd and more than a week since Christmas of 2015, but the holidays continue in the home of the Ozark Hills.

Last night we had our Christmas gift exchange with Aaron and Jenny. Hannah and Daniel joined us to exchange their gifts and we had a nice dinner afterwards. Today we will have dinner out with our kids and Jenny's family and then return to our place to watch UFC 195.

The original plan was to go out to a sports bar to watch the fights but not everyone is a fight fan (nor is everyone a man-food fan). I decided to buy the PPV and watch the fights here. There is another TV for those that want to watch something else, plenty of room to visit, more comfortable seating and we can provide our own assortment of food fare.

I know that dining out with family and watching the fights aren't really holiday activities but they are happening in conjunction with a holiday visit so I am counting today as a holiday continuation. As a matter of fact, I may count each cold weather motorcycle ride with my new riding gloves from Chris as a holiday continuation. Our Christmas gift to each other won't be experienced until we meet with friends in Cancun in three weeks. And I will definitely remember the holidays with each use of my 5 bottle gift pack of hot sauces from Hannah and Daniel! And it will be like Christmas in April as I cash in my gift certificate to join Aaron and Jenny in St. Louis for a Cardinal/Cub Monday night game on the 18th.

So we will continue our family get together tonight and we will have a big family breakfast tomorrow morning before hugging Aaron and Jenny and sending them on their way back to Chicago.

Then --

We can take down the holiday decorations and get back to life as usual.
Or NOT!

There is no reason that we have to go back to the usual grind, the usual diet, the usual habits, the usual attitudes.
It's a new year and a great chance for new attitudes, new habits and new practices.
Chris has recently expressed a desire to eat at home more often. Sure, we have said that in the past, but why not use the new year as a starting point. (We have actually been eating at home a bit more already.)
There are trails to be walked and exercises to be performed and there is life to be lived.
There is a garden to be planted and there are recipes to be prepared.
There are trips to be taken and adventures to be had.
There are friends to share our experiences of both sadness and joy.
We will share burdens and comfort one another, and
We will share joyful times and cheer each other on.
We will learn from our failures.
We will toast our successes.

We don't have to accept that the old ways are the only ways -- or the best ways.
We don't have to continue with negative attitudes nor negative people.
We don't have to always be right -- we can learn from others. We can be wrong and change our minds.

We don't have to accept the politics as usual climate in our government.
Why not challenge our candidates to offer real solutions in the months leading up to the November elections?
Why not allow them to change their minds without calling them wishy washy or saying that they've flip-flopped on the issues? Maybe they've learned something new and are trying to share that with their constituents or voters.

The truth is --
We can be better than we are.
As individuals, as churches, as communities, as a nation -- WE CAN BE BETTER THAN WE ARE!

And we can start -- today!

Why not do one thing today that will make you better than you were yesterday?
Maybe take a walk ... maybe take a rest.
Maybe start a book ... or finish a book.
Call an old friend ... make a new friend.
Eat better.
Learn something.
Teach something.
Throw something away that you don't need ... or give it to someone that does need it.

There must be a thousand things that you could do to be a better you today than you were yesterday.
Pick ONE!
You can pick another one tomorrow.

It's a new year!
Let's get started!

John <><