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JOTW 2009 Holiday Blessings

I have traditionally asked my friend, shipmate, and best man Pat Tracy,

to offer a blessing each year around this time. I have done so again this

year. But some of you have indicated an interest in having a wider,

more ecumenical expression of faith and thankfulness. So, I invited

any and all of you to send me your own JOTW holiday blessing which I

am now sharing here with the entire JOTW Network.

As for myself, I consider all of my fellow nedworkers a blessing. Here's to a wonderful 2010 for you and me, and all of us!

Ned Lundquist, ABC

*** From Wendy Schneider-Levinson:

Our G-d, who is known by so many different names —

Thank you for the year gone by, with all of its challenges and worries — and the strength you gave us to cope with them.

Thank you for our families, who remind us every day that we have more gifts right in front of us than we recognize.

Thank you for our colleagues, who argue with us, cheer us on — and mostly keep us honest.

Thank you for this country with its amazing combination of flaws, ideals and hope — and the courageous people who fight to keep it that way.

Help us to make the most of this coming year, sharing good times and bad with those we care about. And please help us to remember that even though we speak to you in different ways and in different languages, we are all your children –- and there is room at your table for everyone.

Amen.

—————————–

“Pray often. Let others pray. Their way.”

Wendy Schneider-Levinson

*** From Mike Smith:

Ned and JOTW

May the Blessings of the holiday be with all of you and continue through the New

Year 2010. Especially remember our dedicated men and women who are sacrificing

for all of us. May God keep them in His care with continued Blessings on our

country.

Warmest wishes,

Mike

CAPT Michael P. Smith USN (Ret.)

*** From Barbara Wasserman, M.B.A.:

Hi Ed – no blessing that I can think of, just a thank you for continuing

this great service. I've enjoyed your newsletter for years; it never

disappoints.

All the best to you and yours for a very Merry Christmas and a happy and

healthy New Year.

Bobbie

Barbara Wasserman, M.B.A.

*** From Susan Baker:

Ned, you Rock. No, that's not the blessing, this is:

May the Blessings Be.

Susan

*** From Randel Smith:

Good heavens, what in the world are you talking about?

It's CHRISTMAS.

You can turn it into some kind of jolly holiday sans Christ if you

want, but my family and I aren't Bahai's, which is about what this

sounds like.

Just be a good Christian, celebrate the birth of Christ and forget

about trying to be diverse. If you don't, I bet you and your buddy

aren't going to like what you're helping turn this country into in

the years to come.

Randel Smith

Texas

*** From Kathy Fairclough:

May God bless our soldiers, bring peace to the Middle East and love into all of our hearts. And may President Obama be enlightened to get a grip on his administration so as not to completely bankrupt yet another generation beyond our grandchildren!

Amd may God continue to bless our Ed Lundquist!

Kathy Fairclough

*** From Beth King:

How about simply saying something like, “Best of the season and may you have

a prosperous 2010.” I'm always reluctant to even mention God since I have no

idea who is a believer and who is not, let alone who celebrates what. It's

sad, but I think you have to be more careful these days.

Beth

*** From Mike Sorohan:

Dear JOTW Friends and Family,

Please remember to put the “STMA” back into ChriSTMAs this holiday season.

Mike Sorohan

*** From Kate Brinkley:

Help us to remember rightly the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and the worship of the wise men. Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world. Let kindness come with every gift and good will from every greeting. Deliver us from evil by the blessing that Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clean hearts. May Christmas morning make us happy to be your children. May Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus' sake.

Robert Louis Stevenson

Thanks, Ned, for all you bring to those of us who have found joy and jobs through your site throughout the year.

Merry Christmas,

Kate Brinkley

Director of Communications

National Presbyterian Church

*** From Laurie Mitchell, CPC:

Old Testament prayer written by Moses and recited by Aaron and his sons over the people of Israel, and in modern times recited at every Sabbath service:

May the Lord bless you and protect you.

May the Lord show you kindness and be gracious to you.

May the Lord bestow favor upon you and grant you peace.

Laurie's codicil:

May you continue to go from strength to strength, success to success.

Wishing everyone a new year of full employment and collegial, collaborative corporate cultures.

Laurie Mitchell, CPC

*** From Paul Hart, APR:

The Apostle Paul explains what Christmas is all about in his letter to the Galatians: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Peace and blessings to all,

Paul Hart, APR

San Antonio

*** From Evelyn J. B. Brewster:

Hello to all on Ned's Network.

I hope that each and everyone of you will experience the joy of knowing your Creator – a Creator, who I call “God,” “Jehovah,” “I am who I am.” This God multi-tasks beyond our wildest beliefs; yet, He/She found time to create each and every one of us. We are each unique, special, fascinating and powerful. And, to put the icing on the cake, we each have a purpose that is ours only – not shared- that all of our experiences when culled together are are meant for us to to fulfill.

This is a wonderful time to be alive! Merry Christmas. Happy Hanukkah. Happy Kwanzaa and Happy Holidays. Be Blessed and Be a Blessing.

Joyfully,

Evelyn

Evelyn J. B. Brewster

*** From Debra Roth:

Thank you Ned, as always, for your caring, dedication and support and sharing your expertise.

Many of us started the year in ecstasy because of the unity, change, hope and opportunities we knew the Obamas would offer the world. We are charged and inspired to work for and with them, often as volunteers, and often donating despite a rough economy. We've followed their call, believing, even after shocking job layoffs, announced concurrently with outrageous CEO bonuses. We continue, often without pay; we believe, we want, we need; we feel we are listened to and we like what we hear.

A step at a time is better than none–an important step laid out that immediately affects all in need, with a strategy for the rest to renew and encourage us.

For many of us, this has been both the best and the worst year of our lives.

The excitement keeps fueling. We build on it all using all mediums of intelligence, education and creativity, and our hearts swell–this is the right thing.

May we be heard and understood; may what scares us not divide us, but lead us to think openly and blend for the good of each and all. May

our journeys represent the greatest American values: kindness, giving and caring as though every other person is in us. May our solutions be innovative for optimum health, jobs, security and learning, opening and filling us. May we embrace throught this holiday season, bursts of joy and contented moments, loving ourselves and the world around us.

Debra Roth

Falls Church City, VA, “The Little City,” est.8 miles to downtown DC

*** From Vicki Black:

Thank God for you and for all who think of the journey others are on

and who stop to offer the help of knowledge and guidance. Nobody's

life is always easy but understanding our connectedness helps us

become more human. That's what I think about when I'm feeling

grateful. And it's reinforced every time I get my always-on-time,

always predictable JOTW message. People our there actually care and,

not only that, they stop, write emails, distribute information and all

from a well of caring.

It's the best. So, if I were thinking of blessings, I'd sure mention

you-all.

thanks to everyone.

Vicki

*** From Bill Seiberlich:

This isn't exactly a blessing, but I do have a prayer:

I thank God that I have a job!

Bill Seiberlich

*** From Charles Henderson:

May all those who are out of work find in the new year a new path and a new purpose in their lives as much as a new position.

Charles B. Henderson

St. Louis

*** Very simply put:

Peace on earth.

Lynda Rill

*** From Michele C. Hollow:

Hi Ned,

Thanks so much for all you do! When sending out holiday wishes, please don't forget our furry and feathered friends. I wish for a compassionate 2010 for all creatures.

Happy Holidays,

Michele C. Hollow

www.petnewsandviews.com

*** From Edie Clark:

During this season of hope, may all of us job seekers maintain our hope for work that is good, meaningful and true to our values and beliefs. Bless all my IABC friends who've helped me during this time of job loss. And thank you, Ned, for your JOTW lifeline!

Edie Clark

Independent Media Relations Consultant

*** From Edward M. Bury, APR:

Good Morning Ned:

Great job on the JOTW these past few years. Now that I'm in the market for a new position, I look forward to receiving your dispatch. Here's my holiday “blessing” submission.

To Communicators Everywhere:

Modern society relies on accurate, effective communications — more so today than ever before. Here's to those of us who deliver messages that shape public opinion, drive business and industry and promote causes that benefit people, animals and plants. We are vital and needed. To those seeking that next great career move, it will happen soon, providing you never lose sight of your goal. Wishing all a prosperous 2010 and beyond.

Regards,

Edward M. Bury, APR

*** From Lisa Cole:

Thanks to all who make this email job network possible, and may 2010 find as many of us employed as possible! “God Bless us, everyone!”

Lisa Cole

*** From John Castagna:

No matter the traditions we observe, the names we give our holidays or the

reasons we have for having them, there is at least one wish I wish for you

all, across religions and non-religions, across the spectra of culture and

geography that separate us, one that serves our mutual interests and future

survival — and prosperity as partners on a shared planet: Peace on Earth,

Good Will to All.

*** And finally, from Pat Tracy:

Merry Christmas, everyone!

This year, we have much for which we can (and should) be thankful.

Especially in recent months, we have found that many of our more visible supporting institutions just cannot be counted on to actually support us – the papers ballyhoo “bailouts” and “rescues” of besieged businesses and property-owners, yet who among us has seen a nickel of that nearly $1 Trillion (with a “T”)? No matter your party affiliation or lack thereof, upward-spiraling govt deficits will saddle our children’s children and probably even their kids with mountains of debt, hardly “responsible stewardship”. Suddenly Congress has become the self-anointed sees-all/knows-all, including such things as the size of your paycheck, and what you must do with what used to be your take-home pay. They will tell you what kind of business you can be in, due to its ‘carbon footprint’ – based on research that has been cast into doubt. Is there more ice, or less? Depends on which newscast was on most recently…

Government won’t take care of you; science won’t even keep their ideas “in check” any more. There is little available in the way of “objective reporting” in the press. The events of 2009 bear an eerie resemblance to A. Rand’s Atlas Shrugged. We see that our manmade organizations are not able to withstand the Nature of Man; they are composed of people subject to the same shortcomings we all have.

So why is it that we look back and ahead near the end of the year? Just to keep the IRS at bay? Or is there another reason?

Surely this can’t be all there is?

Governments and peoples rise and fall; yet there is one constant – God, Who loved us enough to send His Son to take on life on this planet, and show us the way back to Himself. Religious idea, or historical fact? What year does it say on your calendar? When He showed up, His appearing was enough to ‘reset’ the clock. One, Who was both fully God and fully man, walked among us for 33 years – and the world has never been the same. He trusted His message of love, repentance and forgiveness of sin, to twelve ordinary men – most uneducated – a motley bunch of fishermen, a tax collector, a doctor, others. People just like us, but without the material and educational advantages many of us enjoy.

And yet, over two millennia later, His story is still retold with wonder, and awe. [You may read it for yourself, in the first two chapters of Luke’s Gospel.] His 33 years on earth are “past tense” but His love for us is very much present-tense. This Friday, we celebrate the beginning of those 33 years. We give gifts, emulating the Greatest Gift, Jesus, that has ever been given.

He could have made us automatons, and forced us to believe. But He didn’t. We have a choice, whether or not to take His message of love and forgiveness to heart. It is His desire that we would believe, and trust Him for our hope and our future, but He’s not going to make us. He’s patiently waiting. As we see our other support structures crumbling away, He offers consistency and strength in a world that is losing its way. One writer likens it to building one’s house on a foundation of rock, rather than sand, so we are able to withstand the inevitable storms of life.

Don’t take my word for it – ask Him to show you.

Merry Christmas, and may you enjoy a blessed 2010.

For His glory,

Pat

Pat Tracy

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