Oh...the weather outside is frightful...but I love it!  It was a cold, dreary, rainy, gray day today and we loaded the kids and my parents in the cars and off to Pigeon Forge we went. The Tanger outlets down there are just awesome and they had a lot of really good deals.

Tonight, I'm working on my Christmas cards and waiting for Mike and Louie to get back with the new lights for the Christmas tree. We got a real one this year!! I've been wanting to get a real tree since we moved to Tennessee 6-years ago. Actually, we'll be here 6-years on Christmas Eve.  I can't believe it's been that long.

In my last post, I was venting my frustration over my fellow "Christian's" who aren't....well...very Christian. I've decided I'm going to do a lot more than vent! I'm going to start changing myself in hopes that those around me will maybe do the same. Is there any other way to enact change in others? I'm also going to refuse to work with those who really aren't in ministry to minister and when they ask me why, I'm going to be honest, afterall... I am not worried about offending them but offending my Heavenly Father by NOT saying anything. What they do with it, is up to them.

Today, while I was out shopping in the crowds of people, which by the way, makes it very hard to believe there is a recession going on, I smiled at everyone. There were a few rude people out there but I defused their meaness with a big ole' smile straight from my heart... It worked.

There is no doubt that people can be awfully crabby during the holiday's. This should be a time of good cheer and good will towards each other but instead we let the commercialism turn us into something that we really shouldn't be. It sure does defeat the whole purpose and meaning of Christmas. 

I hope you'll be the one person in the crowd who will spread the true spirit of Christmas with a friendly smile or a kind word. ONLY good can come from that and at the very least, you'll feel better about yourself.

Merry Christmas and Happy Shopping!