Are you on vacation?  If not, picture yourself there.  If it helps, picture some vacation advertisements – a family walking on the beach hand in hand.  A hammock and cold drink.  A mountain, or a city, or whatever means rest to you!

It feels good, doesn’t it?  It’s proven: in a study published in Journal of Occupational Medicine.  Three days after vacation participants reported fewer physical complaints, a more positive mood, and better sleep.

But vacation can’t solve everything.  The study found the big picture of life unchanged from vacation.  There was no change to general life-satisfaction.  Five weeks after the end of vacation only the extent of physical complaints was still significantly smaller as compared to the pre-vacation level.   Everything else was back to normal.      http://occmed.oxfordjournals.org/content/50/3/167.full.pdf

So how do we really rest, if hopping on a plane, renting a cottage or vegetating at home just aren’t enough?

It means clearing our heads and hearts, but not by zoning out, bur rather by focusing them on something else….God!

We asked some people: what helps you clear your head on vacation?

Question: What helps you clear your head on vacation?  How long does it take to distance yourself from work?

Ryan Sim - December 2, 2013

Monday - A New Idea - The Night That Changed The Religious

The Night that Changed Everything

What do you think Christmas is all about? We’ve included a video of some people answering that question on the street at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ1050bLTVw From that experience, or your own, you can probably identify some answers drive religious people crazy: Santa, gifts, Elf on the Shelf, and so on. They will shout – it’s about Jesus! You can also probably identify some answers religious people would love. Jesus is the reason for the season. A saviour was born. God is with us. You can see how polarizing Christmas can be! It is a religious occasion that is solemn, deep and meaningful, and yet it is also a cultural reality with rampant consumerism, time with family, funny traditions and oddities like eggnog and mistletoe. You might think Chiristmas shouldn’t be polarizing, and that this is a new reality. But Christmas and its effect on the world was polarizing not just today, but 2000 years ago. We’ll see how later this week. Question: How much of Christmas do you think is religious, and how much is cultural? How much Santa, how much Jesus? Reminder: We have a great Christmas event coming December 14th, 2013: The Original Christmas Party. Hope you're coming!

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From Series: "The Night that Changed Everything"

In preparation for Christmas, our Daily Challenges are going to explore the lifechanging significance of Jesus' birth so long ago. It's more than a sentimental story, or a time for generosity, Christmas celebrates The Night that Changed Everything. We'll explore the original Christmas story from the Bible, and its impact on five kinds of people.

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