To My Readers:

December 25th, 2013

To my Readers,

Merry Christmas!  I know is has been a chaotic time for all, as it is every year.  Between getting presents, and sending cards, and various concerts, it can be a stressful time of year.  But today is the day that (hopefully) everything paid off!

Personally, I got more presents than I expected.  These included presents that I had already gotten in previous years, presents that I had asked for and gotten, presents that I didn't ask for and really liked, and one specifically that made me feel a little guilty.  But, as we are constantly reminded, Christmas is not about the presents.  As much as certain movies like to make us feel that believing in Santa is embracing the Christmas spirit, we sometimes need to be reminded that this couldn't be more true.  In fact, it is quite the opposite.  The more we can remove our focus from the gifts, the more we can embrace the true spirit of Christmas.  To be reminded, Jesus only got three presents that He didn't even ask for.  And He never would have gotten to use them properly, as He had to flee the country shortly after.

My favorite part of Christmas every year is that the family gets together every year.  That is it.  Seeing and being closer to family.  

On a different note, I would like to take this time to thank you, my faithful readers.  I realize that I have not been posting nearly as much in recent months, and I haven't been completely happy with what I've been writing.  I feared that people would stop reading my blog altogether.  However, this has not proved to be the case, even though views are down.

The reason I haven't been posting much is a simple analyzation of the blog's purpose.  As stated in the Introduction, the blog is dedicated to the "people, places, and events that have had an impact on my life."  I was finding that most of my posts were just summaries of events that people who know me would have known already.  Primarily, I am shifting the focus of the blog to the "people", and the events and places in which they impact me.  This has meant less posts, but that is not the primary concern.

I shall keep writing! Stay in touch!

-NM