Happy Christmas Morning!

As Ralph and I sit here, away from home on a frigid ( 0 degrees F ) Christmas Morning watching the wind and snow through the window, we realize how much we have to be thankful for. We are warm and dry, have more food than we can eat, are healthy, and have a family at home that loves us.

Unfortunately, many of our acquaintances, friends, and neighbors can't say that:

My wife was out before 5 am this morning helping feed the homeless in Memphis, yet I have more than enough to eat.

Many people need warm clothes, yet I have dry boots, gloves, a hat,  and a warm winter coat.

There is someone, somewhere at this very second fighting for their last breath, yet I am healthy.

There are fire and EMS workers, at this very minute, exposed to the elements as they care for others. Yet I have a nice warm emergency room to practice my trade in.

There are emergency workers spending the day away from home with their "second family", yet I have the ability to FaceTime with mine.

Somewhere there is a soldier sitting in the sand, or maybe a wet ditch, standing constant vigil so I may enjoy the things I do and provide for my family. Yet so many things I seem to take for granted.

Somewhere there is a person that has no family, they may be in a strange land with no friends, yet Ralph and I have been befriended by many here and have several invites to visit this afternoon so we "won't be alone on Christmas".

As a christian, today is my celebration of the birth of Christ. Yet somewhere, someone is being persecuted because of their religious beliefs. And even more unfortunate, we may only have to look across the street to see it taking place.

So how do we change things, how do we make the world a better place? We do it just like we do everything else, one breath, one step at a time, and one smile at a time. But most importantly, we do it everyday and we don't just talk about it, we take action.

As we approach the new year, the time for resounding resolutions, let's focus on one thing:
Let's try to make everyday like Christmas. Be thankful for what we have, help those that have not, and most of all, "Let's be good to each other".

Merry Christmas from Scobey, MT

T and Ralph