1. Scrooge CLICK TO ADVANCE SLIDES ♫ Turn on your speakers! or the INSURANCE POLICY?

2. A Christmas Message from Jesus Christmas is generally a time of warmth, of happiness, of good will to all men, and of the spirit of giving. To some, however –particularly those who have recently experienced loss, those who are lonely , and those who have gone through difficult times –it can seem like Christmas flaunts in their face everything that their life is missing. It’s easy to resent Christmas, and to feel that somehow it plays a part in how down you feel.

3. In A Christmas Carol , Ebenezer Scrooge calls Christmas “humbug,” and angrily demands, “What right have you to be merry?” He was looking at Christmas like any other time of the year, and foolishly thought that happiness was all about the things that one possesses, the money that one has, or achieving one’s personal ambitions. Besides the fact that Christmas celebrates My birth, and that in itself makes it a special occasion, Christmas is a kind, charitable, and pleasant season. The joy of Christmas comes from within, and although, as Scrooge later finds out, it doesn’t fill your pockets with silver or gold, it can transform you from the inside, and give you a fresh outlook on life.

4. Scrooge’s heart had been hurt by difficulties in his childhood and by a failed romance, and this caused him to harden himself against others, and to resent the happiness they could feel. In return, he received only coldness and a measure of terror-inspired respect. In the end, having realized his errors and wanting to make amends for his ways, he learned to give to others, and consequently was blessed with gladness and joy himself.

5. One of the morals of the story is that you can only take out of the chest of Christmas cheer as much as you contribute to it. To avoid the futility and emptiness of Scrooge’s “humbug” Christmas, take on an insurance policy for Christmas cheer. Give of your time and your efforts to better the lives of people around you, give to others more than you hope to receive from them, open your circle of friendship to those who are more alone than you are. When you do this, you cannot help but receive the dividends quickly and bountifully. It’s a simple plan:

6. Getting everything you’ve wanted will not make your Christmas special; the unique and distinctive bliss that is available at Christmastime comes through the love and consideration that binds friends and families together. Start working on your policy today!

7. May the Lord bless you with a very meaningful Christmas and a Happy New Year! “ EVERY DAY CAN BE CHRISTMAS IF THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS LIVES IN OUR HEARTS. EVERY DAY CAN BE EVERY HOLIDAY ROLLED INTO ONE WHEN WE MAKE IT SO IN OUR HEARTS AND LIVE IT SO THROUGH OUR ACTIONS.” --DAVID BRANDT BERG Merry Christmas & Happy New Year 2010