It's CHRISTMAS!!!

Okay it isn't just yet but it will be in 55 minutes time (when I wrote this).

I don't seem to actually be that excited this year, I know! What's wrong with me!? But I'm wide awake so maybe that's a sign that I am excited... without actually knowing that I'm excited. Well it makes sense to me!

Christmas is a wonderful time for everyone. People seem to be just a little bit kinder to others and I don't know about you lot but I've had quite a lot of strangers wishing me a happy/merry Christmas, I mean how nice is that! and everyone's more hopeful as well- 'it's Christmas! Anything could happen!' It's amazing how powerful Christmas is.

On Thursday (22nd) our village took part in some carol singing. We've got 2 main churches in Pilsley, Bridget Street (my church) and St.Mary's. Both churches decided to get together on this evening and do some carol singing together, inviting anyone from the village to come along as well and join in. The amount of people who turned up was incredible and just the whole experience was incredible as well. The clouds even disappeared, revealing a beautiful starry night sky while we were all singing. Everyone brought along a torch or a lantern to read the carol sheets with, the whole thing looked like something you'd get on a Christmas card. Okay, maybe not quite but if we'd arranged it like you'd see on a Christmas card- tallest at the back, smallest at the front- then sure! It wasn't too cold either! Only the spirit of Christmas could do something like that; bring the village together in one place all singing as one- perfect.

All you have to do is look around you and you can see the effects the holiday has on people. There are Christmas lights in streets, Christmas trees EVERYWHERE! Presents, Santa's, reindeer... all of the things you associate with Christmas and of course we've all gotten to the stage now that we're all begging for it to snow tomorrow (it's not going to happen) but again, the power of Christmas, we believe that miracles can happen and never mind what the weather man/woman tells us, we believe it will snow tomorrow!!

The feeling of Christmas never leaves us no matter how old we get. In 30 years time we'll all wake up tomorrow with the same nerves and excitement that we got when we were 7 years old, wondering what gifts Santa will bring us. And the pure love and enjoyment we always get from spending Christmas with friends and family- it'll never fade.

Now some people think that Christmas is the worst time of year, full of gluttony, greed and selfishness and has become a time when all we think about are the presents, the food and the decorations. I disagree, of course there are elements of this that stare us straight in the face, there's really no denying it but also what's staring us straight in the face is the love and the spirit of giving.

This year ITV have started the Text Santa appeal where people just text in either SANTA1, SANTA5 or SANTA10 to donate £1, £5 or £10. Easy peasy stuff, as long as you know how to use a mobile phone of course! They've teamed up with 9 charities all over the country to try and make sure that EVERYONE will have a good Christmas this year.

I've also took part in the Shoebox appeal this year run by the Samaritan's purse every year, collecting shoe boxes from people all over the country, filled with toys and gifts which they then send out to children in poorer parts of the world. Just two examples of things we're doing as a country to help out each other and other parts of the world, making sure that it's a special time for everyone.

Two thousand years on and we're still celebrating the birth of Jesus! Another example of how powerful Christmas is. Yes, there are people who celebrate Christmas for the wrong reasons but whether people believe in God or not, the love is still clearly shown at Christmas time between family and friends, and even kindness is shown between strangers. The birth of Jesus has brought us all together whether we want to believe it or not. Things and people change for the better at Christmas, now you have to believe that something more powerful than just us celebrating the holiday has had an effect on us! Or not... it's just something to think about :)

So readers, family and friends... whoever's reading this! I wish you all a wonderful Christmas. May it be filled with love and joy and I hope that Santa brings you all that you wanted and more. Have fun, relax and enjoy this special day! :) xx

Affirmation

Some of you may remember this song by a fairly popular Australian band from the 90's- Savage Garden. I was just listening to this song and I realised that I agree with everything that these lyrics say so I thought I'd share them :)

I believe the sun should never set upon an argument

I believe we place our happiness in other people's hands

I believe that junk food tastes so good because it's bad for you

I believe your parents did the best job they knew how to do

I believe that beauty magazines promote low self esteem

I believe I'm loved when I'm completely by myself alone

I believe in Karma what you give is what you get returned

I believe you can't appreciate real love 'til you've been burned

I believe the grass is no more greener on the other side

I believe you don't know what you've got until you say goodbye

I believe you can't control or choose your sexuality

I believe that trust is more important than monogamy

I believe your most attractive features are your heart and soul

I believe that family is worth more than money or gold

I believe the struggle for financial freedom is unfair

I believe the only ones who disagree are millionaires

I believe forgiveness is the key to your unhappiness

I believe that wedded bliss negates the need to be undressed

I believe that God does not endorse TV evangelists

I believe in love surviving death into eternity

Couldn't agree more!! :)

To Do list for 2012

Just thought I'd share with you guys a few odd little things I want to do next year! I'll update it as I think of things. And! you could even suggest things that I do, but I'll only do the ones I like the sound of! Nothing over the top please readers!!

So here we go! :)

- Sit in a coffee shop, preferably drinking tea though, reading a book by the window looking out into the street. ... DONE! :) 

- Same as above but instead of reading, I'll do some writing :) ... hasn't happened

- Lay under the stars with someone who I enjoy the company of ... didn't quite lie down under the stars with someone but we sat in the garden about an hour looking up at them. I think that counts so I'm gonna check that one off! 

- Sing in front of a crowd again! I miss singing!! ... hasn't happened, probably won't in a long time...

- Write a book!!!!! (I must get this done!) ... Erm, I've got to chapter 2? 

-Write a script ... DONE! :) 

-Go somewhere I haven't been before, preferably somewhere pretty and enjoyable not just somewhere new, that's boring... DONE! :) 

- Make a full meal successfully without supervision!!! ... Hmm, not that I can remember... 

- Keep a journal going for the whole year (... instead of stopping half way through the year and not being bothered to continue it further like this year! :/) ... Maybe next year? 

-Watch a sunrise... DONE! :)

... and I can't think of any more at the moment but yeah, as I said, feel free to give me some ideas please readers! and I'll update it as I go :) xx

Okay, so I didn't add any more to the list cause I kinda forgot about it and I only managed to do 5 out of those 10 things this year. I know... I'm crap. But at least I did some of them! That's better than none at all right? And I know that the year isn't finished just yet but I don't think I've got time to write a whole novel or start a journal that I was supposed to start in January. I don't want to make a meal successfully without supervision... that can wait till next year as well. And yeah, the singing isn't going to happen this year either.
I may do another list... I may not, we'll see. I haven't been very inspiring with this have I? I'm sure my other writing will make up for it. Sorry people! :/ xx