A Blue Christmas?

By Pastor Brad

What color do you think your Christmas will be this year - bright, colorful or blue? Perhaps Elvis made it popular, but I think all of us have had or will experience a blue Christmas at some time in our lives. When Elvis sang, “I’ll have a blue Christmas without you…” he must have been missing someone and that was causing him to be a little down, depressed or sad during the “most wonderful time of the year!”

What is ironic is that I had searched on YouTube to play “Blue Christmas” while I was writing this article and the next song that played was “It’s a most wonderful time of the year!” These songs have completely different lyrics, tempo and moods, yet they are on the same Christmas playlist. When these songs played, I was experiencing the exact juxtaposition of emotions that I was writing about. Christmas was never meant to be “blue.” In fact, the traditional colors of Christmas are anything but blue. We celebrate with red, green, gold and white. These are festive colors that are meant to warm the heart and bring cheerfulness.

If your Christmas is a little more blue than bright this year, if you have lost a loved one, lost work, lost a relationship, lost your heath or just feel like you are at a loss, how do you deal with it and the change the colors of your Christmas? For me, it goes back to Elvis’ song. If I am missing someone and that someone is God then the circumstances of my life can make my Christmas blue. But if I discover and rediscover God’s present of His presence in my Christmas that can change everything.

In a recent small group meeting our leader asked, What’s the difference between joy and happiness. One of our members said, “Joy is a God-given inner disposition and perspective that is not dependent upon your circumstances. Happiness is a fleeting feeling that comes and goes with your circumstances.”

Let’s face it, Christmas can be celebrated with or without God. I promise you that if you celebrate Christmas with God it will bring you joy. The joy for me of Christmas is that God sent me a colorful gift when He gave the gift of Jesus. That is the original purpose of Christmas – to celebrate Jesus’ birth. The gift I receive is straight out of the Bible. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NIV) If I receive the gift of Jesus this Christmas, then God will save me from the darkness of my life and help with the blueness of my circumstances by giving me the joy of a relationship with Him. Don’t miss the fact that Christmas is originally about God’s gift to the world which includes you and me.

Remember, that if you start feeling a little blue this Christmas, just take time to connect with God and ask him to warm your heart and color your Christmas with His Joy!

Brad Heintz is the founding pastor of Living Word Church in Taylor Lake Village, Texas, a vibrant family-style, non-denominational gathering of believers who take a pure, simple and real approach to faith and life. www.LWCBA.org Like us and watch us live on www.Facebook.com/LWCBA

Merle Norman Cosmetics just celebrated it’s 90th Anniversary this year! Merle Norman was a true entrepreneur by starting her own makeup line to tackle her own skin challenges. In the 1920’s she started testing formulas made in her kitchen. In her “kitchen laboratory,” she developed three products that would become the basis for her eponymous cosmetic line and the cornerstone of what would ultimately become a beauty empire. Cleansing Cream, Miracol Revitalizing Cream and

Powder Base Foundation were the first three products Merle developed, and they are so tried-and-true that they are still part of the best-selling “3 steps to

Beauty” line-up available today. Since then, Merle Norman Cosmetics has received many awards. Merle was a powerhouse. When she set out to realize her dream of creating a trusted brand, that was made in America, and offered women the opportunity to become business owners, she knew it had staying power. In 1931, Merle opened her first Studio in Santa Monica, California and by 1934, 94 independently owned Merle Norman Studios were flourishing across America! She would be very proud of how the business has evolved with the times, powered through the challenges, celebrated the victories, and provided more than just a pretty face. Shelley Rogers’ family has owned the Studio in Dickinson since 1997.

Mary Hillis originally opened the Studio in 1975. Shelley credits her loyal customers for surviving the ups and downs of running a retail business. Building relationships with customers is extremely important to Shelley, that is what sets Merle

Norman Cosmetics apart from department store beauty counters and other chain beauty stores. So that you can look and feel your best Merle Norman offers many free services including foundation checks, skin assessments, mini makeovers, and makeup lessons. The way in which consumers sample beauty products today is due in a large part to Merle blazing the trail in 1961.

She developed the FIRST hygienic beauty sampling program with signature “lip bubbles” which provided one-time lipsticks housed in an individual disposable bubble to ensure that the consumer loved the color on her lips before she purchased the fullsize product. Merle Norman was far ahead of her time with the concept of “Try Before You Buy” and the practice is continued today.

Hygiene and safety are of the utmost importance to Shelley, because of that, nothing that is used on one person will ever be used on another. The Studio uses disposable applicators and brushes during the consultation.

As seasons change and winter moves into spring, summer, and fall the color selection at Merle Norman Cosmetics also changes. The Studio gets new products throughout the year and new colors with each new season, so there is always something new to try.

Merle Norman Cosmetics in Dickinson is located at 3505 Gulf Freeway (near Star Fine Furniture Store).

The Studio hours are Monday to Fridays 10-6, Saturdays 10-5 and closed on Sundays. Please call the Studio at 281-337-2023, find them on Facebook or on the web at https:// www.merlenormanstudio.com/TX/ DICKINSON/mn-7684/ .