Today is Christmas, a day of gift giving and remembering the birth of a master teacher, Jesus, who was all about love. Many people in the world join together on Christmas to celebrate the birth of the one we refer to as Jesus the Christ – in whom the consciousness of divine identity was fully realized. For many of us, our family celebrations are a bit of holiday music and a lot of hustle and bustle. So, it's a good time to pause and remember the spirit of this holiday - to awaken, to "rebirth" the Christ Light in you, to remember that Jesus was not the great exception, but rather the great example. Ernest Holmes, founder of the community with which my community is associated, tells us: "Christmas is for remembrance. The love manifesting through our gifts to each other typifies the offering of Life, the givingness of Spirit to its creation. The hands of the Eternal are outstretched through our hands, and the heart of the infinite beats in the human breast. But the giver must give of him or herself, for "The gift without the giver is bare." It is not, then, in lavish gifts that we find true giving but in the sweet simplicity of remembrance, in the kindly thought, the tolerant mind and the gentle act ... if we are bringing our gifts to the altar of love, nothing less than the best will be acceptable, nothing less than all is enough. May the real spirit of Christmas - the giving of self to life enter and abide in you now and through all time." I would like to remind you how very brightly your light shines and contributes to making the world a little brighter and a bit more loving for myself and others. May your days be filled with all the joy and love that I feel in my heart every time I am in service in any way,everytime I enter the LTC Ashram and see all the love and light and growth being discussed here, as well as each time I encounter your beingness – be it in person, on a zoom call, or seeing a message from you. May your heart overflow with joy as you participate in whatever rituals you have planned around Christmas eve and Christmas day. May your light shine so brightly that there is no mistaking that the real spirit of Christmas is truly showing up as Joy to the World! Joy, BLISS, and Blessings to each of you on this day filled with love and light!