It's the season for giving and for celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ in Nazareth over 2000 years ago.  Though many disregard Jesus completely (which makes me sad), most still find the time to give and receive gifts.  My wish list is quite small and rather affordable if you compare it to other bloggers.  Just the same, these are the top items that have caught my attention.  Can you tell I enjoy photography? haha

Happy Holidays to all of you out there.  

My life has had many ups and downs.  More than the average person...or at least that's how it feels sometimes.

I'm not saying that I haven't had good times in my life either but the terrible ones seem to be more memorable than the happy ones...well at least sometimes this is the case.  I was sitting back the other day contemplating life while I was stressed out beyond recognition and I realized that Einstein's theory of relativity is very true.  While you're going through something that's awful, it may seem to drag on forever whereas someone else is going through a happy and amazing time and it seems to fly by.  Why is it that the stressful and sad moments linger on in our memories and seem to drag out?  Perhaps it's because when we get stressed or worried, we have a tendency to obsess over the matter at hand and it's always on our mind.  When you're happy or joyous, you live in the moment and the cares of the world seem like they can't touch you.  It's easy to forget the good times when life gives you a bag of sour lemons because you're so busy focusing on the struggle that you forget how truly blessed you really are.

Every breath of life is a blessing, even on the worst of days, you're lucky to be alive.  I could get really corny and use phrases like "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" but I'm sure you know that already.  The bottom line is that through every single terrible and awful experience, I've learned a lot more about myself than I have in the good.  The tragedies and stresses in my world have truly made me stronger and strengthened my endurance through life's trials.  I believe I'm a better person for it...each and every bad day has given me a little  more character, a tad more experience and a lot more perspective.

I remember watching the movie Under the Tuscan Sun where a secondary character who's name currently escapes me tells Diane Lane's character "perspective is the difference between a happy person and a miserable one".  That line has stuck with me for several years since I first saw the movie in theaters.  It's a good quote to remember when you're dealing with life's trials and tribulations.  It's too easy to let the bad times and the curve balls and personal tragedies get you down.  It's easy to allow yourself to wallow in self pity and depression because of it.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to say that depression is invalid and irrelevant but if you maintain perspective, it's a lot easier to work through and deal with.

In the Bible there are verses that warn to be careful about the evil one (the devil) and how he will test you and tempt you.  He tempted Jesus and thankfully Jesus did not give in or allow those temptations to cause Him to veer from His path.  I know no one is perfect like Jesus but we have to try to be more like Him.  When we are going through trials and tribulations we have to stay the course and learn from the bad experiences as well as the good.  Remember that life is not a waste of time and that every single day, every single breath is a gift from God!  The devil lies and deceives us into doubting in God and allowing the bad times get us to believe that we are doomed to suffering.  It's his attempt to drain us of hope and faith that leads so many people astray.

When I was contemplating writing this blog it was more to work out thoughts I was having than to discuss biblical events and theory but they are all as true today as they were then.  We have to stay strong and resilient through the tough times so that we can enjoy the good times.  It's the joy, the blessings, the happy moments in life that make life worth living.  Even if you experience more bad moments than good ones, you must remember that it's the quality of the happy experiences that matters more than the quantity.  Anyone can have a million random and generic decent days but I'd rather have  one really happy day, a truly blessed and perfect day than a million decent days.  Quality is better than quantity holds true in all of life's experiences.  You just have to truly cherish the good moments in life and hold on to those moments when life is throwing you a curve ball and the evils of this world have gotten you down.

Much like the photo I've posted here, we are all fragile beings capable of dying at any time.  We come and go when it's our time and like dust in the wind, we can leave this world at any moment.  If you've ever blown on a dandelion that has gone to seed and faded from it's once vibrant yellow petals, you know that the seeds float away gracefully and easily in the wind.  We are a lot like those seeds blowing in the wind.  That's why we have to enjoy and appreciate every single moment we have of life.

We have to live our lives to the fullest and be thankful to God for allowing us the time we have with all those we love.  It's easy to lose perspective in the hustle and bustle of work and life in this unstable world.  Don't forget to kiss the ones you love and hold them close when you have a chance.  Put down the phone or laptop to spend some quality time with those that matter most to you while you still can.  Every day is a gift, and that is why it's called the present. 

Just my thought for the day.  I know it's flawed and far from perfect but then again so am I...and I'm fine with that.

Have you ever had one of those days or one of those weeks that are just terrible?  It kind of reminds me of that children's book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.  Did any of you read that when you were kids?  I used to love that book.  Anyway, the last few days....heck the last few weeks have just been such a drag on my mood and spirit.   Things aren't that bad if you look at the big picture.  Compared to all those who have lost their homes and family members in recent tragedies, my problems seem minuscule.  I just needed a place to vent, I suppose.  It just gets so heavy carrying burdens around on your back and in your heart when things for you and those you love seem to not go your way. Ugh...

What I learned from bad things that have happened in my past before is that the only way to get over it is to shake off the negativity, stress, worrying and frustration and focus on the positives to move forward.  I'm a mom, as long as my son and nieces are happy and healthy, that's all that truly matters.

How are you guys doing?  Have you ever had one of those totally BLAAAAHHHHH days??