Everything is Cranberry Bliss!

I get it that the celebration of Christmas has little to do with Biblical warrant but tradition and secular history. Yet, I love the holiday season between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I especially love Starbuck’s Cranberry Bliss Bars that are just out of this world. It’s interesting how changing the color scheme of a cup can put you in the mood to celebrate! The reality is that it shouldn’t require those awesome bliss bars or a red cup to make me ready to acknowledge how awesome life truly happens to be and how amazing God’s love is when you know him in a personal relationships.

I spent most of my morning with two of my college interns helping me get ready for our painting blitz on Saturday. We will be painting nine houses with around 250 volunteers. What is always such a lift is seeing some of my grandmas early in the morning. Mrs. Bernice was quick to unlock her door and greet us with an incredible good morning! She had recently been rather sick with the flu but was in great spirits today. My long-term special friend, Mrs. Jefferson, was also waiting for us to drop off her painting supplies. She was very gracious to pose for a picture without being dressed the best with my two interns.  Her smile is contagious and inspiring!

As we pulled up to another of the houses to paint I noticed there was someone there that was cleaning. It wasn’t Mr. Willis who is 91 but obviously his daughter. I have known Mr. Willis for 6 years. The last time we visited he bragged about how old he was and how much he loved his dog. His wife had been in the same rehab center as my dad a few years ago. She passed around the same time my dad did so I know that Mr. Willis was still a little tender about being alone and missing his lovely wife.  This time unfortunately his daughter shared with me that he was actually in Hospice and wasn’t doing very well. I was taken by surprise with this news; yet, we unloaded all of the supplies and will paint his house in two days.

Yesterday was the first time I was enlightened about it being Christmas now at Starbucks so everything is coming up red! So the manager of my Starbucks reminded me that it’s the season to enjoy the famous bliss bars. So I ordered one and remembered why I just love Christmas. Clearly it has lots more to do with God sending his son as the babe in the manger and our savior but the bars do help brighten my day.  So as I’m finishing this blog I just indulged in another of those cranberry bars.

I don’t know about you but I want to enjoy my life to the max and be able to touch others along the journey. I’m around too many that seem to be at the end of their rope or burnt out. So it’s time to share some of the cranberry bliss with others and help them see that it should take lights or different music to lift someone’s mood when there are many good reasons to celebrate the gift of life!!