The dog days are over, the dog days are done.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity; it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness; it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair; we had everything before us, we had nothing before us; we were all going directly to Heaven, we were all going the other way. - Charles Dickens

I'd be hard-pressed to find a quote, whether from literature, song, film or otherwise that so perfectly encapsulates what my 2010 was like. It was a year of growth, of change and that change was extremely painful at times. There's times I'd not like to ever repeat again and there's days, nights, people that I will never, ever forget. This year left its thumbprint on me more than possibly all the ones before it. This year I had to decide whether to do or die, sink or swim, fight or flight.

And He was there. Through every tear and laugh, fear and triumph. That's how I know that 2011 will be the best year yet. Because no matter what happens, I am His and He is mine.

Imagine.

Imagine a hand as small as your thumb

That can hold up the earth and light up the sun.

Imagine a face with tiny blue eyes

That saw angels dance at the birth of the skies.

Imagine plump toes on pudgy soft feet

That have lead mighty armies down heavenly streets.

Imagine a little button-like nose

That gave breath to life and smelt the first rose.

Imagine a mouth that’s gentle and small

Yet uttered the words of creation’s great call

Imagine a baby with gentle soft breath

Who possesses the strength to overcome death.

Imagine a mother who cuddles and sings

And holds in her arms the King of all Kings.

Imagine the Lord of the Heavenly Hosts

Wrapped up in a manger ‘mid cattle and goats.

Imagine a child who may hunger and cry

But yet had the courage to come here to die.

A baby called Jesus, born in the hay

Born long ago, but alive to this day.

He came here and lived in the humblest home

To give us the chance to sit near His throne.

Imagine the day when we’re called home on high

To see Him in glory in the great “by and by”.

Imagine “forever” in the warmth of the love

Of that gentle baby who came from above.  --Mark H.

Gravity's pulling, You're still holding my heart.

"It's not always rainbows and butterflies
It's compromise that moves us along, yeah
My heart is full and My door's always open
You can come anytime you want." -- She Will Be Loved, Maroon 5

That song, especially the particular quoted part came to mind tonight in Vessels. It was a night of laughs and almost-tears, jokes and honesty, "humanness" and rawness.

Life isn't always fun. In fact, most days, it's pretty dang hard. The pressures of 'living up to it all' can just about crush you if you're not careful.

However, call me Pollyanna or Izzie Stevens all you want, I am determined to still find the good in life. I don't believe God put us on this earth to 'hold out til Heaven'. He told us to pray "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven." I want to experience a little taste of Heaven on Earth, every day. And some days it might be an overwhelming revelation, or a huge breakthrough. But some days it's the things you weren't even looking for...closure, being His mouthpiece when it's you that needs the encouragement, newfound friendships and laughing about silly stuff, Starbucks on a Texas winter day.

I've heard a quote that said "If He's not Lord of all, He's not Lord at all." Honestly, it kinda rubbed me the wrong way at first, seeming a little judgmental and harsh. But if you think about it, it's true. If He's not Lord of my good days as well as my bad days, is He really my Lord? If I'm only crying and whining to Him when I'm in trouble or hurting and not rejoicing and thanking Him for the good, what kind of relationship is that? If I had someone that I called my 'best friend' yet only asked them for things and help all the time without ever really sitting down to listen to them or talk to them....how long do you think we would have that friendship? How deep of a friendship would that be?

I want to laugh with Him and cry with Him, sing praises and give thanks. "All of my life, in every season; You are still God. I have a reason to sing, I have a reason to worship." All. Good and bad, even ugly. Harvest and drought. In everything.

IZZIE: I believe in the good. I believe that it's been a hell of a year, and I believe that in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, we'll all be okay. I believe a lot of things....I believe we survive, George. I believe that believing we survive is what makes us survive. -- Grey's Anatomy

Don't save it all for Christmas Day, find a way to give a little love every day.

Ah, the Christmas season. As I heard it said the other day, it brings out both the best in people...and the worst.

Take today for instance (yesterday to be exact, Sunday the 5th). My dad and I were in Walmart picking up a few necessities, odds and ends and whatnot. It was a madhouse in there, I could tell it was going to be by the nearly full parking lot before we even walked in. I commented to my dad how it was "kinda scary, considering this is only the first weekend in December." We get to the check-out line, and there's this woman in front of us. She's quiet until the cashier accidently starts ringing up some of our items as hers, and this just sets her off. She starts snapping about how "this is the express line, it shouldn't take this long!", etc, etc. The cashier (and his successor, as he was about to go on break) apologized profusely, but nothing was gonna settle this woman down. She continued to rant until the sale was final, she yanked her items off the counter in a huff and stormed off......I watched as she walked off, yet stopped to continue ranting to a manager about this travesty. My dad, the second cashier and the people behind us in line all kinda just shook our heads in disbelief and chuckled to ourselves. My dad asked me later in the car if I'd noticed -- in the midst of this woman's tirade -- that the couple behind us had let two people go ahead of them, because they had fewer items than the said couple. It amazed me. Here, in the same line, was the best and the worst.

And it got me to thinking.....which person will I choose to be? Will I choose to let stress overtake my joy, impatience overtake my kindness? Will I let tiredness overwhelm my tongue and cause me to snap at loved ones? Or will I stop -- take a deep breath, say a prayer and truly remember the Reason for the Season? It's really something to think about. We can get so wrapped up in looking for the 'perfect gift' for someone that we miss the gifts that He's already given us and is trying to still bestow upon us! Friends. Family. Happiness. Health. The simple joys of life. A smile from a stranger. Simply waking up in the morning and breathing fresh air. That baby born in the filth and lowliness of a manger, to save our souls.

I don't want to get so caught up in the rush of it all that I miss the point of it all. Ever. In December, or January, or February, so on and so on. This, truly is my greatest wish for this Christmas season. That He would open my eyes to the hurting, the ones in need. That He would open my heart to receive what He has for me, and also to be grateful for what I already have. To both accept and reflect His love to all mankind. Because really....isn't that what it's all about?