Whether you celebrate Christmas or another holiday or tradition, I wanted to send my warmest wishes to you—along with an important thought to carry into the new year.

It came to me as I was working on my annual cookie bake-a-thon, covered in flour, with frosting on my face and trying to hold back two excited boys who take their jobs as tasters very seriously.

It’s an important distinction because it’s what really gives our lives meaning, and it’s what shapes the results we get in our lives as we move forward.

As an additional gift to you, I wanted to share something very personal. Every year on Christmas Eve, my family would gather at our local church for Christmas Eve service. This is the same church where I was both baptised and married—and the church where I said goodbye to my mom. The service always kicked off with my mom playing an organ recital and the church choir celebrating the season.

I found a recording recently and wanted my mom’s music to be shared once again on this occasion. The recording is a few years old and very home grown, but the message is timeless. I hope you enjoy it!

Hit the play button below to start “For Unto Us a Child Is Born” from Handel’s Messiah.