One of my daughters played the piano and everyone else played another instrument from bells to violin to trombone to mandolin to harp. One of our sons brought out his guitar and even though most of the instruments played were not played by participants who took lessons and practiced the instrument, we made beautiful music.

I was actually surprised by how beautiful the music was. Our family sings together often. We love music. Wait a minute, what an understatement! More accurately, We LOVE music. So, we played and sang Christmas songs. It was an absolutely amazing experience. I was empowered by this shared experience and my heart was filled with love for my family. Joy is the word that describes this experience.

So, this week, even though it is very busy with lots of holiday preparations, find time to make music together with your family and friends. Whether your family lives close together or is far apart, find ways to connect. Connection brings empowerment.

My family helps me as I struggle, rejoices as I succeed, supports me when I feel I can no longer bear the burdens placed upon my shoulders and brings peace to my heart. I wish this for all of you. May you learn the empowering value of family! We wish for each of you a Merry Christmas filled with joy, happiness and most especially peace!

My sister and her family came to visit recently. She is an amazing Interior Designer (I must include “award winning” because this has become a family joke. Award winning is true.) Anyway, have you noticed how easily I become sidetracked? Back to my sister’s visit-We had a wonderful dinner and then we were talking about some furniture that I wanted to clean up, but not totally refinish. She gave me a suggestion and my dear, sweet husband added in some more information. I mulled over the idea for a few days and Saturday, I had my courage up to try. I knew the worst disaster possible was that I would have to refinish the whole piece of furniture.

So, trusty daughter by my side and fine sand paper in hand, we started to remove the stains and smooth the table. It was so fun to work together! We talked, we sang, and we laughed. We also were surprised how well the process worked and it was easy. I wondered why we had put it off for so long. When we finished, it had worked so well and looked so good, I was brave enough to tackle the piano. In the end, I wondered why I had hesitated at all. My daughter has already decided on our next refinishing project (the easy kind) for this weekend.

We became empowered to change our lives “for the better” by trying something new. Neither of us felt we had the skill set, but we gave it our best shot and voila, we were able to make a difference in our lives.

So, what have you been putting off doing because you weren’t sure it was in your capacity to do it. Try. You might just find that you have wonderful results and empower yourself to try something else. Have an MPowered Day and week and life!

Sometimes when one of the girls is cooking in the kitchen and the other one is in her room they run to each other to share in the songs. Wherever they are, whatever they are doing, if there is a good song on the radio they love to share!

While speaking with my mother, who lives far, far away, she told me that my girls do the same thing with her, thereby, connecting the generations. One of my daughters was listening to the radio and a country song she knew my mother liked came on. She dialed my mother and said, “I knew you liked this song and I wanted to share it with you.”

I love that my daughters are connected. They call each other on the phone and they laugh and giggle, encourage, empower and just bless the lives of each other. They share their joys and sorrows. The magnificent achievements and the disastrous defeats are all shared together. They can be in person sharing or on the phone.

I love that our family is connected and we can call on each other whenever the need or desire arises. In good times or bad, in happy or sad, we can pick up the phone and time apart slips away. We are empowered by and surrounded in the love that we feel for each other.

Thank you inventors of the telephone, including cell phones, for helping our family stay connected. How does your family stay connected?

Yesterday it was a mini road trip to help my sister with her baby as she went a little farther from home than usual. We laughed and talked and listened to music from my iPod, we even enjoyed Burger King 89 cent soft serve ice cream cones (YUM!!). It was wonderful! The day ended by talking about funny jokes we had come up with that day, over carrot juice smoothies and spontaneous hugs.

Later last night one of my sisters camped out in my bedroom and we stayed up late talking about…well anything really. We can find something to say that will keep us up later than we planned and even make it worth it when we are tired all the next day.

Today one of my sisters came over to cut quilt squares for a quilt we are going to attempt to make. What might be important for you to know is that neither my sister nor I am proficient in quilt making…at least not yet. My mom however, knows a thing or two about quilting so she might save us from a fate worse than cheese wax.

These examples are really only something of a sentence in reference to a thousand page novel, metaphorically speaking, when it comes to the time that we spend together and the moments we spend in laughter and love.

When something cool happens to me I want to tell my sister, when something horrible happens to me I want to tell my sister. When I want to give a complement to a dear girlfriend, I call her my sister. When I need someone to watch a James McAvoy or even a John Cusack movie with, I talk to my sisters. We text, we facebook, we call, we visit and all the while we draw closer to each other. I am so thankful for my sisters and the people in my life who I have adopted as sisters. When we share times together we share love for each other.

My hope in writing this to you today is to inspire you to do something with your sis. Whether they are near or far, blood or almost blood, they are yours and each day and moment we share with each other can be a gift. Use it wisely.

Claire responded, “But I want to help. I won’t mess it up….”

Will Julia take advantage of the opportunity to work with her sister? Will she continue in solitude with negative energy toward Claire while she remembers past experiences of Claire knocking over books or pulling clothing from drawers? Julia will have to choose whether or not to open the door…

And so will we. Opportunities are knocking all around us. The relationships we have with those we love need to be nurtured just as the people we meet in the grocery store need our smiles. We choose each day whether we will bless others and ourselves with the opportunity to forgive and be forgiven, to love and be loved, to offer and to receive. Will we ponder on the blessings that come from these opportunities, or will we let the opportunities knock us into a rut where we bury ourselves with feelings of self-pity and malice?

What did Julia do? Well, she took a chance. She let the opportunity in…and now I hear laughter coming from the general direction of their bedroom. How long do you think it will last?