Thank you Lord for the fruitful year that we had. We could not thank you enough for your generosity and love.

You have showered us with blessings and challenges to make us stronger. You have always been there in what we believed were our downfalls, but now we know that everything you have given us were stepping stones to be hurdled. We thank you for all of them.

This New Year, may we realize that we should always have faith in whatever you have in store for us. Because deal Lord, you are the ultimate provider and no one could surpass you in your generosity.

We pray for every person in this world, that each would recognize you as their maker and God. We pray also for strength and divine wisdom in all that we do, so all our actions would be to glorify you and spread your good news and love.

All this we pray, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

December 6, 2010 – Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, is celebrated worldwide by the Jewish community. This is featured by various international news sites. Hanukkah is a minor Jewish event which commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. But it is a special day that most of them look forward to because of the festivities, games, menorah making, Hanukkah food like latkes, and many more family activities.

Summer camps and even performing arts are included in the interesting activities. The lighting of the Hanukkah menorah each night is one of the major symbolic events in Hanukkah.  This is likened to the four weeks of advent that Christians celebrate too. Each week, one of the four candles, is lit representing the four weeks before the birth of Jesus Christ, December 24, midnight.

The celebrations of the Festival of Lights occurred not only in synagogues, but also in various community centers all over the world. The lighting of the menorah brings a universal message to the entire world that in darkness a tiny flicker can bring so much joy and hope.

Even amidst the excitement of the yuletide season, holiday fire safety should be a major concern for everyone. The array of colorful Christmas lights decors are potential sources of fire accidents. These gadgets are usually connected to extension cords. Using electrical extension cords wisely is one way of preventing fire hazards. The following are tips on how to use electrical extension cords wisely:

1. Do not overload electrical extension cords.

There is a limit to the amount of electric current an extension cord could handle. Holiday fire safety should be the utmost concern when installing these extensions. A proportion of one extension to two sockets would do. Three or more appliances connected to the extension cord could be a potential source of fire hazard.

2. Be sure to install appropriate circuit breakers.

Houses with appropriate circuit breakers are safer and are less prone to household fires. This is because the circuit breakers could aptly supply the demand of the electrical appliances without overworking the breakers.

3. Upgrade your electrical connections when you install Christmas lights and the like.

Having additional electrical demand from the Christmas lights means you have also to upgrade your connections because the previous one would not be applicable anymore.

Buy materials that are of standard quality. Choose quality over price. Safety should always be the vital concern.

4. Let a licensed electrical engineer check your connections.

Holiday fire safety is ensured when an expert specifies what amperes should be used with the number and type of appliances that you have. Having an air-conditioned room has different specific electrical connection and demand.

If you’re going to add more load, like Christmas lanterns, lights and stars, your electrical connection cords should be adjusted accordingly.

5. Sockets should be taken cared of properly

Plugs should never be touched when your hands are wet. Plugs should be covered with a protective covering when not in use. The electrical extension cords should not be turned on before plugging.

6. Fuses should be appropriate for the holiday fire safety demand and protocol.

The normal demand for electricity on ordinary days is different from that of the holidays. Select and use the correct fuses since you’ll be adding additional electrical load.

7. Watch out for water. It is a natural conductor of electricity.

Never allow your extension cords to come in contact with anything liquid, especially water. Water transmits electricity as it has the ability to dissociate electrically charged ions.

One of the most common causes of holiday fire safety accidents is that caused by heavy rains. When the extension cords are frayed and are exposed to rain then, inevitably accidents happen.

8. Observing holiday fire safety also requires that you know the proper sequence of turning on and off the electrical extension cords. Below is the correct sequence of plugging in your extension cord:

8.1.Plug in the extension cord.

8.2.Plug in the appliance.

8.3.Turn on the extension cord.

8.4.Turn on the appliance.

9. This is the correct sequence when turning off your extension cords:

9.1.Turn off the appliance.

9.2.Turn off the extension cord.

9.3.Unplug the extension cord.

Holiday fire safety is ensured if you make sure that the electrical extension cords are used wisely and that they meet the above, standard specifications. It is better to be slow but sure, than to be quick but sorry. Be responsible, observe holiday fire safety now!

Christmas is fast approaching.  The cool air, the chilly mornings are now here.  Christmas will always be one of those memorable times in our lives when we get to celebrate reunions with family and friends.
This is also the time for forgiveness, love, and gift-giving and of course, partying till the wee hours of dawn. We tend to forget Christmas parties however, because they may be boring and unexciting.

If you are planning to host a Christmas party, then you must make it memorable for all the participants. How could this be done?

These are several ways to make your party apart from all the rest:

1.      Let everyone participate.

If you take active participation in an activity, you would not forget it. Encourage everyone to dance, take part in the games, sing, etc. But do not force anyone who does not want to participate.

Ask for volunteers. There are many people who are naturally shy and would rather stay in the background. Don’t force them to, because this will only stress them out. Next time you invite them, they would no longer want to attend.

Instead, be creative and think of some activity that these shy people could participate in without being too conspicuous. An example could be singing in their seats and not needing to stand up and go up the stage; or letting them direct the participants; or let them act as judges in the contests.

There are various party activities that you could devise to be able to allow everyone to participate. Be original in your ideas. If you adapt an old concept, then spice it up!

2. Send them home with an individualized memento.

It need not be expensive. Prepare tiny figurines of angels and the like, and mark them with your guests’ names. You must have a handy name marker for those unexpected guests.

If you have the financial capability, then by all means, buy something more expensive. This will all depend upon your finances.

A gift would surely make them remember your Christmas party.

3. Prepare an unusual dish.

Serve them a dish they had never tasted before, or something they don’t usually eat often. Perhaps a savory eel soup, a tasty Shanghai noodle, and many other exquisite and foreign dishes. Your cook could help you out with this dilemma.

4. Invite a guest who would be welcomed warmly by your guests.

You could invite the local basketball idol, or the poet/writer living within your locality; the mayor, your boss, Santa Claus. If you can afford it, then invite Nicole Kidman she should be someone that the majority of your guests want to meet.

5. Let everyone feel special.

People would never forget the day they have accepted an accolade. There will always be something positive in everyone. Focus on this and make it a special feature of the party.

This maybe done by giving out small awards, like Best dressed of the evening, Man of the night, Most Amiable, etc.

There are still other ways to make your Christmas party memorable. This will depend largely on the type of guests you would be expecting and on the financial budget you are willing to allocate. Don’t let your lack of imagination limit the numerous ways on how to make your party the talk of the town until the next Christmas party.

Christmas cards are one of the things that you can recycle after the holiday season. With the present economic recession, you should be innovative enough to think of ways and means to recycle materials for a different purpose or preserve them for the same future use.

To a dynamic and creative mind, nothing is ever considered garbage; the weeds in your backyard could be turned into fertilizers ; those egg shells could be painted and converted into beautiful house decors; and yes, those old Christmas cards could be recycled and be made useful again.

How can you recycle your old Christmas cards? Here are some tips for you:

1. You could utilize them as Christmas tree decors. Hang them together with the bells in your Christmas tree. You would be surprise at how the vibrant colors of the cards lend uniqueness to your tree.

2. If you would like to save, then you could cut out the old cards and create personalized, new ones. All it takes is some of your creative genius and presto! You’ll have a new card for the Yuletide season.

3. Cut them into tiny bits to decorate your Nativity scene or sprinkle your windows with this colorful confetti.

4. Prepare an attractive collage from them. Artfully pasting them all in one big cardboard would make a beautiful wall dcor. You don’t have to buy those wall papers for now.

5. You could create balls, bells, angels, and other materials from these old cards. With paste and a little imagination, you could do wonders with them.

6. They could be made as canopies for your Christmas lights. This would add brilliance and color to the lights.

7. You could paste them all together and use them as gift wrappers or gift bags. Imagine how unique that would look.

8. Cut them into circles and make use of them as place mats for food and drinks during Christmas parties.

9. Cut them into tiny squares and use them as labels for your Christmas gifts.

10. Cut them into any shape (star, bells, etc) and use them as a decoration by stringing them all together and hanging them from wall to wall.

11. You could utilize them in a game portion of your party: i.e. Collage making contest, poster making contest, jigsaw puzzles, cut and past, Nativity scene contest ( The scene where Jesus, Mary and Joseph were in the manger in Bethlehem) etc.

12. Use them to design beautiful hats for your guests. At the end of the party, they could bring this home too. It is something unique that your guests would not forget.

There are several ways to recycle your old Christmas cards. Just allow your imagination to roam freely and you can come up with various ingenious and creative uses. Recycling is fun!

Photo courtesy of  soundfromwayout