Christmas Eve morning; there are presents under the tree, a fire blazing in the fireplace. A text message from one of my sons inquired of the picture I sent of the fireplace and presents, saying, “well how did he get in without burning his feet?” Ahhh, Christmas magic.

I spent considerable time this morning meditating in bed, talking especially to Anna about what they want to present for our Christmas message tomorrow with Colette and Yeshua. The focus is on the Light as essence for all of us – Yeshua and all of us who have come to this earth. I’m feeling much joy this morning, helped perhaps by the fact that that’s my bottle of Biofreeze came from Amazon and that does help the pain.

How amazing is it to still be in this world for 83 years now. Thinking back to very early Christmas magic: waking up on Christmas morning with a whole farm scene spread out in front of the fireplace in my bedroom. My brother always slept in my room on Christmas Eve too because my room had the fireplace. We would both wake up filled with wonder.

Where is that wonder now? I see how important that sense of wonder is to joyful presence. It’s a way of sustaining light. What blocks wonder? It needs complete openness, and all the old habits of fear, defending, armoring – a human lifetime of old habits of separation.

I came out to my office, wrapped in a blanket. Candles lit, I chanted for quite a while, the Refuges, then “All I Ask of You,,,” then “Silent night, and finally the Brahma Vihara chant; until mind and body completely stilled. I just sat, pure awareness, feeling great joy.