The History of Daddy Claxton

It’s over.  Goodbye 2010.

For me, as you’ve seen from the previous six posts, it’s been a year of great upheaval in my life.  There have been more dark times and valleys in this past year–maybe to outshine all the others combined.  Ones I am convinced I’ve passed through for a reason, but also have regained the determination to put them very much behind me.

From a life of abundance to a life of barely what I need

God has led me through a rough time.  I’m convinced with each breathe of air I take, consciously or not, that God has put me on a mission and 2010 was only conditioning to get me ready for some new and incredible adventures that only he could prescribe.  At the beginning of the year, and certainly the past 18 months, I was living comfortably in life.  Sure, there were challenges, hills and valleys, rights and wrongs.  But I was managing them.  Then a dam of emotions, financial, physical and personal frustrations broke over my head.   I had people rip me off this year.  I had people try to rip my head off.   I had people rip that which I had fairly earned, paid for and worked for right out of my hands.

Away from a life of ego and folly to one of meaning and social impact.

There will be some who read this Treatise on Life in 2010  in anger and disdain.  To them: I’m glad you are so moved. That means you know down deep that what I say is true. Others shall read it and fail to comprehend it’s significance. Honestly, I do not know which is worse. My three older daughters get it.  They’re 13, 11 and 11.  Why can’t you?

I’ve labored this year to find some new truths in my life.  I’ve asked questions like, “Who says corporate social responsibility programs can’t make money?  Why do some stray so far from the core mission of the business or require so little return? Is this how you feel about the good deeds you do for others?  Why can’t they both do something that has more measurable impact than the sound of a clip book dropped on a boss’ desk in January?”

I’ve learned to quit asking God “Why” or “How much longer?” The answer is clearly because “It’s part of his plan” and “When he’s ready.”

I’ve had a life of impact and influence.  I did so because I worked hard and stuck to my principles. Even in the eighth grade at Mitchell Middle School in Atwater, California my “journalism” teacher, Mrs. Reid, gave me an F on a project: She wanted us to write a short, fictional story in journalism class and could not see the hypocrisy in such a practice.

I realized in October 2010 after compiling a list of what people used to say about me that was bold and complimentary, they weren’t saying anymore.  That was like pouring cold water over my head.

I realized that God has me on a mission, that all of the things I’d been through recently and every other moment of my life were with great purpose.  Meeting and working with Domestic Violence Survivor Veronica Galaviz has helped me see that as plain as the computer before me.  I realized that working in an agency trying to get people to remember the unmemorable was not what I needed to be doing, and was relieved the day I left trying to do so any longer.

So This Is 2011

Just think John Lennon when you read the subhead to this section.  Well, it begins in a few hours.  Already, as I’m putting away the last touches of Christmas 2010, tidying up the place from visitors over the holidays, and just doing some pre-spring cleaning.  I’m making some healthy readjustments in my life.  

I’ve created Claxton Creative, LLC.  I’m in business for myself and I’m picking up clients who, like me, are out to make a difference in this world;  Who don’t just sit around and look at the world for what it is, but rather for what it can become.

Sometimes having an outlook like that leaves one isolated and alone.  Let’s face it, few like change in their lives, and yet it is the only thing that’s actually constant in our lives.   I’m living for change.  I’m looking forward to 2011.  Even my 14-year-old daughter Chandler, when leaving here yesterday smiled and said, “Dad, go get 2011 and make it into your dreams, not someone else’s.” Well, those weren’t quite her words, but it’s what she meant.

I feel so alive going into 2011.  I’ve been beaten down and bruised by others recently, but the bandages, the hurt feelings, and the discomfort are gone.  Sure, I might slip back into a moment of grief or sadness now and then, but I know God will be there to catch me and shove me back into the good fight.  That’s what he’s been doing all year long.  It’s just taken me almost 365 days to figure it out.

Watch out 2011.  You’re going to be mine.

Related articles

• Wrapping Up 2010 (pvponline.com)
• More on Chris Beam’s New York Treatise on Libertarianism (reason.com)
• Joining the global dialogue on corporate social responsibility (theglobeandmail.com)
• Sprint Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility Named to SaVoy Magazine’s Top 100 Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America List (eon.businesswire.com)
• What is Corporate Social Responsibility? (greenanswers.com)

On a lark last night somewhere between White Christmas on AMC and A Christmas Story on TBS, my daughter Chandler and I wondered if the up beat Holiday jingle being played this season in the Honda and Tommy Hilfiger commercials was just a jingle or actually a real song.  Well, thanks to ATT U-verse controls to be able to back the song up and play it again, and thanks to the iPhone App Shazam I soon discovered that Holiday, oh, holiday, the best time of the year, is a real song.  It’s by Vampire Weekend, (I know) and the song, surprisingly enough is called–HOLIDAY, and came out Jan. 10, 2010.

I’m a sucker for syncopation that makes the down beat the up beat and the up beat the down beat.   Very cool, guys.

Here, you can watch it and ready the lyrics below.

Holiday by Vampire Weekend

Holiday, oh, a holiday
And the best one of the year!
Dozing off underneath my sheets
While I cover both my ears!

But if I wait for a holiday
Could it stop my fears?
To go away on a summer’s day
Never seemed so clear!

Holiday, still so far away
Our republic on the beach!
I can’t forget just how bad it gets
When I’m counting on my teeth!

But if I wait for a holiday
Could it stop my fears?
To go away on a summer’s day
Never seemed so clear.

A vegetarian since the invasion
She’d never seen the word bombs
She’d never seen the word bombs blown up to 96-point Futura
She’d never seen an A-K
In a yellowy day-glo display
A t-shirt so lovely,
It turned all the history books gray.

I got wheels, I got Cutter spray
And a healthy sense of worth!
Half of me is the gasoline
But the other half’s the surf!

So if I wait for a holiday
Could it stop my fears?
To away on a summer’s day
Never seemed so clear.

Related articles

• Vampire Weekend Soundtracks Hilfiger, Honda “Holiday” Ads (stereogum.com)
• Vampire Weekend scores with holiday spots (adweek.blogs.com)
• Vampire Weekend writes the official jingle for the Honda Civic commercial (hipsterrunoff.com)
• Tommy Hilfiger buys a Vampire Weekend song to put in their commercial (hipsterrunoff.com)
• Best Ad Songs of 2010 (adage.com)

Santa’s On A Diet, Exercising  And Encouraging Better Eating Habits

*Check out the snack ideas for Santa on Christmas Eve
*And don’t miss the YouTube video below of Santa working out

Having served in Santa’s Elf Corps once upon a time, I recently was lucky enough to meet with Santa Claus and talk about how both of us need to lose weight, start a healthier diet and daily exercise to encourage better eating habits, including healthier Christmas Eve treats.

In January, through my PR, social media and marketing company, Claxton Creative, LLC, I’m also going to be sending letters to New York advertising agencies calling on them to be more responsible and use thinner representations of the Jolly Old Elf in 2011.

In our conversation it became clear, Santa isn’t a happy man.  His weight is really troubling him these days.  He said he realizes that his weight and eating habits are setting a poor example for children of all ages.  The man who has been a positive influence on generations of children said he is intent on remaining a positive influence.  He said the best way he knows to do that is to add some healthy changes in his eating habits and for advertising firms to be more responsible and use healthier representations of his obese figure.

Santa said that in days of yore, children used to leave him carrots and celery.  Then in the 1950s when chocolate started getting mixed in with cookie treats, children started leaving him whole milk and sugar-coated cookies, cakes and pies.  After a few million of those in one night, well, it’s no wonder why Santa is so out of shape.

He said he’s been taking the reindeer for walks each evening after dinner and going to the North Pole gym in the morning.  He said it’s really making a difference, but there are ways children nowadays can help him out.

When we talked, we shot a new EA SPORTS Active 2 workout that I’ve posted on YouTube.

Recently I met with Dallas nutritionist Donna Israel, the president of Dallas’ Professional Nutrition Therapists, LLC, who made Christmas Eve snack suggestions that are good for all, including Santa.

Healthy Suggestions for Santa on Christmas Eve

While not completely eliminating traditional sweets from Christmas Eve Santa snacks, the nutritionist has recommended choices of the following items for Santa and the reindeer:

• ½ cup granola with a sprinkle of dried cherries and unsalted nuts and 1% or skim, fat-free milk or plain or light yogurt
• Red/yellow/green pepper strips with nonfat sour cream or hummus dip
• Grapes or apple slices with 1 oz of cheese or peanut butter
• Air-popped popcorn
• Hard cooked egg with a dash of spicy mustard
• Berries with 1 oz of ricotta  or string cheese
• Sunflower, pumpkin or squash seeds
• Sugar-free Jell-O
• Plain or light (sugar free) yogurt
• Smoked salmon and cream cheese on cucumber slices
• Lettuce Roll-ups –- Roll luncheon meat, egg salad, tuna or other filling and veggies in lettuce leaves
• Whole-grain bagel (3 inch) topped with natural peanut butter
• Bagel chips or baked tortilla chips with salsa
• Spread all natural, low sugar peanut butter on a celery stick, pretzel or banana
• Pita bread stuffed with lettuce, tomato, cucumber and low-fat dressing

Now like many of you, I remember watching the  TV classic of Mrs. Claus saying, ‘Eat, Papa! Eat!’ but we all know now that having a ‘Fat Santa’ isn’t as important as having a “Healthy Santa.”

When children see a fat Santa they become desensitized to his obesity.  Santa has had an impact on hundreds of generations, and with obesity so prevalent in our society, he knows if he started showing up a little skinnier in TV ads and magazines, people might begin to think about how important it might be for them to shed a few pounds, too.

EA SPORTS Active 2

In 2009, I began using the EA SPORTS Active for the Wii after Santa brought us a Wii for Christmas 2008.  My weight has been a problem for a long time.  In fact, I’ve never been able to use Wii-Fit because of its 330-pound weight limit.  From April to Sept. 2009, I lost almost 50 pounds using EA SPORTS Active and then it’s follow up product More Workouts.  A bout with Diverticulitis in September sidelined my exercising, which led to my gaining back most, if not more.  With the release of EA SPORTS Active 2,  I’m back on the program.

I want to tell you about Professional Nutrition Therapists, LLC.  Their website is www.foodtherapyrd.com. A complete recipe for weight management success is listed on their homepage under “Weight Management Solutions.”  The company’s Genergy program is currently getting twice the weight loss due to testing for genetic link to carbohydrates or fat.  PNT says a balanced plan is the cornerstone of a successful personalized plan. They also offer a Take Shape for Life Program that has s a structured caloric approach.

EA SPORTS Active didn’t ask me to include them in this video, but it’s important for me to tell you that I’ve been working with them since February 2009.  They’ve done nice things for me like a trip to Santa Barbara, New York City, and Los Angeles.  I’ve also received a copy of the product each time a new version has been released.  Their corporate literature says EA SPORTS Active is an innovative line of interactive fitness programs that offer personalized, customizable workouts.  Developed in collaboration with fitness experts, EA SPORTS Active focuses on improving muscular strength, endurance and flexibility, as well as improving cardio, which can help achieve fitness goals including building muscle, increase energy levels and weight loss.   EA SPORTS Active tracks your movements on screen to give you real time feedback on your workout and, similar to personal trainer, provides clear instruction, feedback on technique and encouragement.

Related articles

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• Santa important to Christmas (timesunion.com)

Oh yeah, Santa said if you leave the Wii on Christmas Eve, depending on how he’s doing, he might just do a workout in your living room.  He said he’ll try to keep it quiet and that he hopes you won’t mind.  Merry Christmas.

Christmas and divorces just don’t mix.  They just don’t.

And I know there are so many people out there who are contemplating one.  There are many people whom I know who are in the midst of one.  And then there are those who have just finished one and are staggering their way toward December 25, 2010.  I can literally count on two hands the people I know who have had successful marriages.  That fact in and of itself is depressing.

In the 2010 Season IV episode of Mad Men, Don Draper remarks, “I don’t hate Christmas, I just hate this Christmas.” It’s his first away from the family, by himself and living in an apartment in The Village.  I’d have to go back and watch, but I don’t think Don even bothered with a tree.

I’m struggling with that same point myself.

Christmas Past

Christmas always has been my favorite holiday.  I’m a Christmas-holic.  Even before I got married and then had children, I was into Christmas.  In the early 1990s I even bought these animated Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus figures from Walmart.  That year I also bought an animated reindeer and Santa in his sleigh.  Each place I’ve lived in since has had two ceiling hooks in it from where Santa and the reindeer “flew” each Christmas while hanging with some very strong test fishing line.

Two years ago I made my real-life sized Santa Sleigh and put it out in the front yard and for 12 nights each season, I sat out in front of the house in my home-made Santa suit while parents not wanting to brave the malls brought their kids by to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas.  The house was lit up inside and out.  In our house last year we had five Christmas trees in various rooms.  All of it was up by Thanksgiving.

But that was last year and years prior.

Nov. 29, 2010

It’s Nov. 29th, four days after Thanksgiving and I was finally “allowed” to pick up my Christmas belongings from the house today.  They were all in my Christmas crates that I’ve been using for years to store them off season in the shed I put together in 2006.  It rained overnight so the boxes were all wet. They’d been carelessly left outside for me to pick up this morning after receiving an email saying they were out in the driveway, next to the Santa sleigh that apparently will be used no more.

Tonight, after dinner, I’ve brought in the crate with the fake trees in it.  In three pieces, I assembled one and put it in front of the window in the living room.  It looks like about how I feel. 

As I write this, I’m even listening to my favorite Christmas tree decorating music, the Percy Faith Orchestra.  Gosh, do I ever need a little Christmas.

I want to go get a real tree.  Not excluding the fact that I really can’t spare the $30 for a tree, I also don’t have access to my tools, tools I’ve had for as many as 20 years, like a power drill to put three holes in the base of a real tree to then stuff it with cotton balls so the tree continues to drink before it can no more.

I don’t have my saw to cut the one inch off at the bottom necessary to make it stand flat and then to trim off a bottom row of branches so it can fit into the tree stand. Getting them is a hole ‘nother headache.  It shouldn’t be, but it is.

All of those simple things that have not been a problem at this time of the year all seem insurmountable and even then, pointless in oh so many ways.

Resilience

But somehow I know I have to pull it all together.  I still have three daughters who will be coming to share the Christmas holiday with me.  My Dad is supposed to come through Texas, too.

And I must find a way to offer my own three girls their own sense of familiarity with the season and dad.

Even though they’re 13, 11 and 11, I still want to preserve for them some of what is left of the magic I’ve always felt about Christmas time, for some day they’re going to sit around and tell their own kids, “My daddy loved Christmas and it wasn’t Christmas around him if we didn’t have a tree, if we didn’t have the animated stuff up, if we didn’t see him in his Santa suit at least once–or go driving around town in the convertible with him handing out candies and waving at people who were bewildered at seeing Santa in a convertible with three pretty girls in December.”

But it’s so hard.  When everything has been robbed of you, when you’ve taken actions to protect yourself from the anger and misery of others, when you’re doing what you know is right, when you’re working day in/day out to earn an honest living, it can be the loneliest time on earth.

But way back in time, away in a manger, there came a little boy into the world who I’ve told my own kids about.  He wasn’t a jolly old elf who went up and down chimneys in a sleigh.  He was a man, a perfect man, who was beaten, mocked and crucified for being something greater than any of us ever shall be.

I don’t dare equate my struggles with the course of Jesus, but I understand more and more each day as Christmas draws nigh of just the smidgen of pain he felt, and the pain God says he feels when we as humans enter into marriages that later fall apart.

A passing thought.

Instead of a real tree, maybe I should go get one of those Charlie Brown trees.  Naw.  This will pass.

To me, there's only one truly positive show that airs on TV and of all networks, it's CBS News' Sunday Morning show.  Each week there's 90 minutes of positive, helpful and informative information.  We TIVO it with a season pass.  We like it that much. 

One of the features this morning was on Sting.  The show was a mix of a recent story about him and it featured his new Winter album "If on a winter's night."  

Sting said in the piece that this was a new break for him.  That he wasn't wanting to do the run of the mill Christmas songs with Rudolph and Frosty. 

And he didn't.  The album, he says, goes beyond Christmas and into a genre of winter music from the corner of the world he hails.  The songs are intimate, warming and peaceful.  The melodies are all pleasant and inspiring.  This is an album you put on for a Christmas party, but also the album you put on when you have a nice fire going in the living room and you've got a good book to read.  

This isn't Roxanne or Synchronicity.  And it's not meant to be. 

I've enjoyed this album throughout the day, but mostly like I said, in the quiet simpleness of the night now that the youngest is in bed and I'm seeking the right words to share with you. 

They asked Sting this morning about his childhood Christmases and he said that they never seemed to meet his expectations.  He talked about how Christmas can be a very great time of the year for those who can get into the spirit of the season, but also an incredibly hard time for those who are weighed down by the burdens of life.

 
 I recommend you purchase this album and add it to your iTunes collection of Christmas tunes.  You're not going to want to put it in with Rudy and Frosty, but in that playlist that you play when you seek to move beyond the commercial side of the holiday season and feel closer to its spiritual and simple nature.  It's worth the purchase. If on a winter's night won't be on the top 10 list of Christmas albums, but there is a place for this in your more eclectic libraries. 

If you were only going to receive one gift this Christmas, what would you want that gift to be?

I'll bet that's not an easy a question to answer as it might be.

Does that mean something that doesn't come commercially in a box with high gloss labeling?  Your health, time with a lost loved one, a new job?

Or is that something even broader?  World peace, homes for the homeless, an end to all wars?

Would it be something electronic?  Something like a new watch, or clothes, or a new car?

What's the one gift you want this Christmas? 

Through the blessing of my first marriage, I have three precious daughters.  They absolutely mean the world to me.   I've been through so much with them. 

The eldest of the three is my daughter, Chandler, 12, almost 13.

Through the blessing of my second marriage, I have three wonderful sons and another daughter.  They absolutely mean the world to me, though it's sometimes perceived to the contrary.  And if you think having your own kids is rough work, try being a step-parent. 

The youngest of the three sons is Logan, 12, almost 13, and 10 days younger than Chandler. 

My Days As A Tween

I recall those days of my life. We were in Atwater, CA.  I had the world's biggest crush on Julie Nelson.  She didn't have one on me.  I was in band.  I played the drums.  I wanted so much to have my own drum set and a rock and roll band.  I wanted to have a black '57 Chevy that I worked on in our garage there on High Street. (Yeah, I know, I couldn't drive).  And I thought I knew it all. 

Nowadays, my perspective on life has changed.  I'm older now than my dad was when I was that age.  And there are many times still that I ask my tweens to do things with me that they object to because as Chandler oft puts it, "I have friends and I want to keep them." 

And so it goes.  I encourage things that a few years ago, Chandler would have been all over.  Now she won't touch them, even if she were dying. 

Case in point, my playing Santa in our front yard.  Ricky, 17, our eldest, won't go near the front yard when I'm out there.  He won't call me Santa either, which is bad because it ruins it for any of the other kids around that he'd try so hard to quash the spirit.  Jerrod and his squeeze came and sat on Santa's lap in the sleigh last week.  That was fun. They were all smiles.  Happiness!

Chandler, while she'll come outside, absolutely refuses to get up and sit on Santa's lap.  You don't know how much I wish she would.  After all, this is the sweet girl who used to ride with me to her sitters in the a.m. and we'd sing about her being a Daddy's girl.  I'd give her the front page of The Montgomery Advertiser on the ride over and she'd stare at the front page, not able to read a word, but mimicking her daddy.  This is the same child who would ride around with me on golf carts at Jubilee City Fest when I was site director, who wanted me to see about getting the Dixie Chicks to our festival and knew the key questions to consider were 1) How much are they? 2) Are they available? And 3) Do they play outdoor venues?  She was four.

Logan, surprisingly, came out front to see Santa Friday night before going to gymnastics.  It was nice.  He wanted and did sit in Santa's lap and told him (me), he wanted a skateboard for Christmas.  Saturday night, he was back out there again, this time offering cookies to the children who came by, offering Christmas pencils, playing with the younger kids who wanted to go inside Santa's Workshop and pretend to be part of such a fantastic enterprise.

When I came in on Saturday night, he stopped me and said, "I just wanted to tell you what a nice thing it is you are doing for others."  You don't know how special that was to me.  Logan and I have had our rough spots over the past four years.  It'd been a while since he'd had a dad in his life and it took some getting used to when a man was trying to shape him.  

The twins, Reagan and Haley, 10, have become so helpful to the Santa process out front. Haley is a born photographer.  She's got that natural pose for holding the camera and has a good eye.  She wants a camera for Christmas, (I think that's what she told Santa….) And she deserves one.  The first week we were out doing Santa I heard Haley tell one of her friends, "I'm so lucky."  Her friend asked her what she was lucky about and Haley's answer was, "Are you kidding?  Look around."

Ashleigh, our five-year-old, is so into Christmas.  The spirit is alive and well in this young one.

If the unfortunate were to happen tomorrow and I should not wake, I can pass to the ages knowing I've instilled something that's going to live in the hearts and minds of my kids for many years to come.  And without having to say so to my kids, they have each told me (well, Ricky hasn't, but that's okay) that what's happening out in front of our home on Friday and Saturday evenings, warm or cold, windy or calm, snowing or …. well don't push the rain point, our family is about doing something nice for others.

We don't make money off of Christmas in our front yard.  We do this to do something nice for others.  And my kids have testified to that without me having to explain it.  They've been able to gather this by seeing first-hand how other children react to coming to see Santa, to the happiness it brings another child to give them a cookie after seeing Santa, to see the surprise in the eyes of a parent who has a child/tween offering them hot chocolate on a cold winter's night and ask for nothing in return. 

To me this is the true gift and joy of Christmas.  It doesn't matter what will be under the tree for me.  It may still for my kids, but in the end, I know that I've given them something much richer than they can imagine right now; the gift of giving.  As the days of their lives pass, it will become more and more apparent to them that the special things we do in front of the house will mean more to them than what they got inside the house under the tree on Christmas morning. 

Until then, I still have one tween who won't sit in my lap, and one who wills.  And I thank God for both of them.  Merry Christmas, kids. 

Are you a "Christmasholic?"

This topic keeps elbowing me as we work to get things ready for the 12 Nights of Christmas in Balch Springs, TX–THANKSGIVING IS THIS WEEK and it is still an important holiday in the scheme of things.

By my very nature, the wonder to still look at life as though I still were doing so through a kid's eye; the fact that in the midst of a storm of life I can still seek and find the goodness of life; and the excitement of preparing for the holidays, I absolutely love Christmas.  It's my favorite holiday.  Bar none. 

And now that I'm into playing Santa Claus in my front yard and the joy that comes from seeing happy kids and parents who come see Santa without having to fight a crowd at the local mall, and who get to sit in a real sleigh at the same time as they're surrounded by the cool air of November and December, well, I'm even more so into Christmas. 

This weekend we began making preparations inside for the holiday as well.  Kari fought me off on this one last year, but the wonder of the season has prevailed this year. 

But Thursday is THANKSGIVING and it's not come and gone.  So am I guilty of forgetting the holiday to be Thankful?  Not at all.

For the past two weekends, I've been going to the grocers and buying the necessary ingredients for Thursday's feast.  For the past 25 years or so, whether for my nuclear family or now Kari's, our house has been the place of gathering for Thanksgiving dinner, and often times Christmas, too.  And I love that. 

Kari and I lay snuggled in bed yesterday morning talking about the significance of this Thanksgiving.  While 2009 has been a turbulent year for our family, we still have much to be thankful for.  We are rich in our relationships with our children and each other.  We have family members who are willing to journey cross country to come to our house and spend several days with us in celebration of the holidays.  It's not the gifts they bring that make them special, it's just the meaning of their visit that says we were important enough for them to want to come see.  That's a huge blessing. 

And to say thank you to them, we do it with one of the biggest and best meals I know how to cook. 
I love to cook Thanksgiving dinner.  With all the aromas it generates, I don't like waiting until late in the day to partake the in food, but hey, there's always good, healthy finger foods and snacks to have throughout the day, such as carrots, celery sticks dipped in low-fat Ranch dressing.  And of course, there are splurges, like low-fat cream cheese topped with red and green pepper jellies and wheat crackers.  And of course, a good summer sausage or two with a cheddar cheese ball and wheat crackers. 

But over this year, through the unmitigated hell we have endured as a family, as a nation, in this economy, with threats to our health care system, with all the big-cat "changes" going on in Washington, I have some wonderful things to be thankful for.  For one, I have the toughest, strongest and sometimes most stubborn wife in the world, but she and I equally take turns being each others' steadfast rock when the going gets rough.  And through our love, we also have a dependency on our faith in God and knowing that no matter how hard the shake up of our lives v. at the beginning of 2009 v. the ending of 2009, we have a Savior who will keep us safe and one day bring us home with a much greater appreciation for the joys that Heaven has to offer than we believed in the beginning of 2009.

We also have the rich blessing of having healthy parents who visit with us, who take trips with us, and who in times of extreme, are there to pat us on the back, offer a hug, or a kick in the pants if that's necessary, too!

And the greatest joy of all is in our seven children, each of them in different stages of youth who are finding out more about themselves with each passing day, as they travel down the path to eventual dependence and growth.  As parents, we have seen some hard times as those paths have taken some unexpected curves this year.  But each of our children knows down deep that there is an undying love for them, no matter what.  We may not always agree on things going on in their lives, but in the end, they know their parents are there for them, just as our parents are still around to do.

So, this Thursday, when I sit down from a day-long venture in the kitchen, having enjoyed the frequent inquiries from the kids about when the meal will be done, what can they do to help cook, and learn and grow and spend time with their parents, I'm going to be so thankful for all the blessings I have in my life and know that no matter what, God has made me a promise that unlike those that are made here on earth, never shall be broken. 

I know, it's not really here yet, but it's begun around our house.  The Santa Sleigh is out front as is the Santa's Workshop we built last year.  Next Friday night I begin at 6 p.m. in front of the house as Santa.  We've put hundreds of flyers out around Balch Springs and Mesquite, TX inviting parents to bring their kids by to see Santa and snap their own pictures for their memories.  It's an exciting time.

And at the same time I must confess at this writing I have no idea how the holidays are going to go.  We've been dealt a damaging financial blow at our house this year and every penny has an immeasurable value.  I don't know how much time I'm going to get to spend with my kids.  I'm going to be working to make up for time I've had to take off during the summer months; not necessarily because I've been told to make up the time, but because I'm honest enough to feel compelled to do so.

Tonight after work Kari told me something incredible that brought me great joy.  Yesterday as school across the street was ending, I was out handing out flyers (Download 12 nights 2009 Santa Cop Flyer) inviting moms and dads to bring their kids by beginning next week for The 12 Nights of Christmas in Balch Springs.  Until now Kari and I have paid for everything associated with this endeavor, from building the sleigh, the workshop, the cost of the lights to rival National Lampoon's Chevy Chase house, and heck, Kari even made the Santa suit from last year that I shall don again in a week's time.

She said a mom stopped her as she picked up Ashleigh today from school and asked, "Hey, isn't your husband the guy doing Santa Claus?"  When Kari said yes, the lady then surprised her.  "Can I give him some candy canes to hand out to kids?"  YES!  The miracle of what Christmas is all about lives in this wonderful lady as well. 

She also asked if the toys we're helping gather for the Balch Springs Police Department's 23rd Annual Santa Cop program have to be brand new toys.  They don't. 
They just need to be unwrapped so that the police officers can know what they are and whom to give them to when they do so.  This wonderful lady said she had some like-new toys she wanted to give to kids in need.  Again, I say, YES! 

I don't know this wonderful lady's name, but she just made my Christmas.  Through something we've done here at our house to give to others, others also are finding ways to use our contribution to make theirs meaningful, too.  There is a power in that, a power that in the darkest, most painful days of 2009, when I fought back tears (and let some pass in great quantities) from the shear pain and injustices we were enduring, the peace and purity of maintaining our integrity, maintaining our faith in God, and our devotion to others, I never could have imagined what we would do to help others at the end of the year would have this much more meaning.

Christmas is simply my favorite time of the year.  Long ago I learned to accept that I wasn't going to get material gifts that I might want for Christmas.  After all, typically if I want something bad enough, I set my mind to earning it and God has provided. Sure, I want my kids to experience the bountiful joys of opening incredible things I wish I could get, like Macs for all of them, complete with the software to help them become good at things like video editing, photo editing, and the like.  We'd love to make another Christmas trip to Yosemite. 

But I don't see that happening this year.  Instead we're going to be able to have something together no one will be able to take from us, the simple appreciation that we love each other no matter what happens.  We shall have the celebration that we're all healthy.  We shall have the joy of seeing others enjoy a surprise when they truly are anticipating nothing. 

My heart is filled with the joy of Christmas even a week before Thanksgiving, because while I'm thinking of the celebration of the birth of my Lord next month, I'm also thankful for all of the things he has given me in this life, most importantly my wife, Kari, and our seven kids: Ricky, Jerrod, Chandler, Logan, Reagan, Haley and Ashleigh.  And now I'm inspired by the hope that there are other people in the world who still believe that giving is much better than receiving.     

 UPDATE: If you, too, would like to make a contribution through the Santa Cop program, or contribute things to give to the kids who visit Santa beginning next week, please post a comment or contact me through Twitter.