Tis the season

As christmas inches closer and closer I remind myself that this is the season for a lot of things...  Giving, caring, spending time with family, eating, wrapping gifts, and dealing with overly long shopping lines.
 
With a down economy I see a lot of people around me buckling up and battonning down.  Charities are getting less, and more people are needing their help.  While depressing, it reminds me how good I really have it, in fact... despite my families own debts and expenses we're quite blessed to have what we have and to be able to carry it all.
 
Yesterday while shopping we picked up a new coat for a friend of ours whom we've known for many years, this friend while doing "ok" will probably never do real good.  This year he's forgone getting a coat for himself in favor of christmas gifts for his children, probably not a smart choice but a very big hearted one.  So for the giving season we will be giving him a necessity. I am sure he will like it more than a new MP3 player, and my wife and I feel real good that we are able to help with such a small gesture!
 
So as I close this blog entry this morning and begin to putter about my tanks preparing for my Nassarius study, I ask all of you to look around and find the little things you can do to help someone truly in need.  A simple meal, pair of socks, even a tank of gas in these times goes a very long way.