Today will be a highlight of our Christmas holiday as Mary and I gather with our staff and lead team at MLC for our yearly Christmas Luncheon. We'll try to put our phones down, lock the front doors, abandon our offices and waiting work loads, just to get away from the rush so we can sit with each other, tell funny stories, eats lots of food and celebrate life.

It's these relaxed environments that I find myself enjoying more and more around the holidays at this season of my life. Don't get wrong, I love the shopping excursions with the family at the Mall with the quick Starbucks stop and sips of our favorite lattes. And I can't wait for Christmas morning, especially this year with it falling on a Sunday and how we'll adjust our celebrating to fit in Church services, but this year has brought with it a greater appreciation of just chillin with the great people in my life.

It started back at Thanksgiving when we were cruising the lake behind Mary's mother's house in her pontoon boat. The sun had just set and we were about to pull back into her dock, but instead cut the engines and just sat in the water overlooking the backyard and watched the kids and family as they laughed, threw the football and chased each other around the yard. It was the beautiful sounds of the holidays. This past Friday night sitting at Denny's with 108 crazies from Metro enjoying Midnight Breakfast (just because we're adults and we can), I found myself surrounded by more of the same loud laughs and fun conversations, especially when we pulled out the gifts for the White Elephant Gift Exchange. You should have seen the way the Latinos were acting over a Rooster and the cutest, ugliest holiday hat. Then the Victoria Secret ladies showed up with their long pajama dresses commemorating last week's blog, followed by a few of our Legends who came over after having their own Christmas Party earlier that night. They wanted to show us how young they really are. BTW, you need to be connecting with us on Twitter @SteveAlessi & @MaryAlessi and Facebook so you'll know about these last minute fun events!

It continued Sunday night because my girls had this very creative idea of throwing a 50's Themed Christmas Party at the house. Understand, we rarely throw parties at our place, but this one just had to be. So they put out the invite on Facebook and at 5:00 PM the cutest and funnest group of partiers started arriving in their poofy dresses and leather grease jackets and for the next four hours danced, laughed, devoured hamburgers, hot-dogs and french-fries, drank great chocolate shakes and enjoyed a drive-in movie on a huge screen in the vacant lot next to our house. But it didn't stop there, because the very next night a group of special guys and their ladies stopped by for a Christmas Dinner and me and the MLC Advisors, enjoyed Havana Spice Cubano food while talking it up for a good couple of hours. Aww, it was the beautiful sounds of the holidays.

This past Sunday after Church one of our newer attenders stopped me at the end of the service. Each week as I look out while preaching, I see him and his mother sitting toward the front of the auditorium and smiling while I do my best to share a word of inspiration. And each week, as I close with a time of personal prayer and dedication, she so sweetly raises her hand to be included in my prayer. But this weekend as we were saying our goodbyes, he said something that touched my heart; "She looks forward to being here and seeing you every Sunday", he said. And I thought to myself, "no, I'm the one who looks forward to being here and seeing you and these wonderful people every Sunday."

I'm feeling especially pumped this morning knowing my parents will be part of our Holiday Celebration. If it wasn't for them I wouldn't be where I'm at today, and if it wasn't for their Grace Church, there wouldn't be a Metro Life Church, so they will be honored guests at our Luncheon. And I'm sure as we sit next to each other, my mother will turn to me and say, just as she did Sunday night at the kid's 50's Themed Christmas Party, "Son, get used to this. Your girls are getting older and will be wanting to do more of this", meaning, of course, as our Church get's older and older. Well, if this is the price we must pay as we get older, then I think I can afford it, especially during Christmas.

Mary has written a new song just for the Christmas Holidays and it pretty much sums up what I'm feeling on this PrayDay. A line in the song says; "Celebrate Life, Celebrate Jesus, Christmas is here, it's the best time of the year." I really do believe that, so get out and enjoy the friends and family God has placed in your life at this "best time of the year". The gift of making special memories is one of the greatest gifts we can give so make sure you take the time to Celebrate Life and the beautiful sounds of the holidays.

And speaking of beautiful sounds of the holidays, you can now listen to and view Mary's new "Christmas Song" on YouTube.

So the Pink Elephant at any Mall in America is this store that just shouts and screams at you from the moment you walk by to come in and check out their merchandise. Doesn't matter how spiritual one thinks they are, it's close to impossible to not notice the advertisement and displays as you scroll by, unless you're totally blind. I, of course, try my best to keep my gaze straight forward, fearing God might strike me with some horrid disease for looking, or that the three young ladies in the family would rise up in solidarity against me in support of their mom. It's good to have a 20 year old son in times like this.

But it's Christmas and this is the one time of the year where Mary and the girls give me a free pass to enter the store so that I can buy my wife nice pajamas. Off I went to the adult theme park as though I was just given a day pass to Disney World, to begin my shopping spree.

"Pajamas, pajamas, pajamas", I kept telling myself, that's all you're looking for. As I approach the entrance of the store, I give a quick glance over my shoulder to be sure no one is watching me. "That's weird", I thought. "Why should that bother you? You're a married man and you can go into this store and any other if you want." When I was sure no one was looking, I made my way in under the cover of a group of loud teens across the way. The distraction was perfect, so feeling in the clear I snuck in like I owned the place but was immediately met with a "Can I help you?" Looking up at the sales associate a little voice goes off in my head, "Careful Steve, just don't look her in the eyes." Of course this lady can help me, but a "no thank you" came out of my mouth. Quickly I move through the displays trying to find what I thought Mary would want, better yet, what I would want Mary to want. This is why I'm here, right? I mean, I'm shopping in this beautiful store for my beautiful wife. But why is it I can't wait to leave when I have just walked in?

Oddly, I start feeling like every eye in the store is focusing on me. "Why is he here? Who is he buying for? How old is his little girlfriend on the side?" Now I'm so aware of myself that I'm even afraid to look up at the ads on display fearing I'm being watched by a group of women that look like my mother across the store judging my every move. Great, I finally found what I'm looking for. Now it's time to get out of here. Making my way to the cash register I can't believe this store has only one register open. Are you kidding me? In a store this big, there should be at least another check-out station somewhere, but no. Today it's just one, and it's loaded with five women standing in line, and there I find myself standing in the back of the line, the only man in the store I may add, waiting while these women peak at me and whisper to each other judging my purchase as I try to hide them in my hands. "Oh Jesus", I think to myself, "I need a quiet, shy checker-outer to get me out of here fast." But it's not to be, as the girl behind the register wants to strike up a conversation about my shopping experience. What am I supposed to say? What am I supposed to think? What is she really thinking about my purchase as she holds them up in the air looking for the price tag, yet making a public announcement over the intercom to everyone in the store see what Mr. Alessi has just bought.

She's kind enough to ask if I'd like her to wrap my selection to which I give a quick nod of yes. Slowly she pulls out the boxes and carefully sets the cute, pink paper in while folding the contents neatly into place. She's saying something, but all I see are her lips moving. I suspect she's paying me a compliment about my selection, so I make it quite obvious how much I know my WIFE will love what her HUSBAND has given her at Christmas.

"That wasn't so bad", I thought, and before you know it I'm heading out the door with a huge pink and red striped box in hand with the words Victoria's Secret in gold letters plastered across the front. Now all I need to do is get through the crowded Mall and to my car without everyone I pass judging me. The sweet lady at Kay Jewelers didn't help matters. I guess my blimp sized box caught her attention because she asked me if I would like some jewelry to go along with my new purchase. "Wow, that sure seemed like an eternity," I thought. But as I looked my watch I realized I had just experienced the slowest 10 minutes of my life.

On this PrayDay, think through what's causing you to experience undue shame. Failures of the past don't have to become a dirty little secret that constantly causes us to feel uncomfortable with our lives, out of step with God, or even out of place in Church. Misplaced guilt will cripple us all and keep us from freely enjoying our lives. I'm thankful the little boy in a Manger came to give us a guilt free life, and if we're not in the wrong, then let's live our lives to the fullest in the right.

I'm up earlier than he is this morning so I thought I would take a few minutes to talk to this keyboard as though I was talking to him. As I find myself sharing my home with another man in the family, sometimes what I want to say to him get's all tangled up with this extra dose of dad testosterone that I find totally messing up my words. At least that's what his mom and sisters tell me. Thank God for blogging...maybe I can say what I feel without me getting in my own way.

Today my only son turns 20 and I am very proud of him. I actually admire the man he has become, because of his love for God and a raw devotion and dedication to the "family" ministry and wanting to help others. I couldn't have asked for more and can understand a little of what Tim Tebow's parents must feel when they look out on the field and in the press as their son lives his life. I have my own Tebow, and his name is Christopher.

I often look at him and wonder if he would have been one of my friends growing up. My nickname for him early on was "bud", short for "my buddy." Would he have been able to hang with me or would my personality have repelled him. Honestly, I don't know. I look at some of the friends he's hanging with today, and I'm not sure I see a younger version of myself, so the verdict is still out. I hear some parents early on in their kids lives saying things like they want to be their kids friends, and I'm not really sure how all that pans out, so even at this stage of his life, I think I'm perfectly content being his dad. He's no longer a little boy, but then again I'm no longer just a young dad. He's become the young man, and now I'm just an older version of the same dad who keeps pushing him to be who he can be.

And maybe that's been our stress point over the years. We laughed a few weeks ago while looking at old movies of when he was learning to ride a bike. He's covered with knee and elbow guards wearing a little helmet, on his new bike we just took the training wheels off of. Your mom was shooting the video footage, and I should have watched my "p's" and "q's" better, or at least lowered my volume because here you were just trying to ride a bike, but to me it was "do or die". You just had to get this right or else we were all failures. So off you went peddling and balancing the best you could, and there I was yelling and accusing you of "not listening to me". Though you and the girls laugh at that whole experience today, you weren't laughing then. But you at least weren't crying. (That was your mom we heard sniffling behind the video camera!) You toughed it out and responded in a way that went way beyond your years. You took my ranting in stride and kept trying to get the bike thing down, and you finally did. It seemed even back then you knew I was just being dad...and you were okay with that.

You know son, there were times I made things more about me than about you in this whole growing up process, which parents often do. Even do so today, as I sit here and write this public blog. I'm not sure when the habit raised it's ugly head, but somehow every time I looked at you I saw raising you as a reflection of me. I wanted the best for you, because somehow to a Dad, seeing his son succeed in life makes him feel real good about himself. Truth is, It's in the Dad's Code of Honor that one day you will experience all on your own as God blesses you with your own beautiful family.

So today, I'm feeling pretty good about me, bud. No, it's not the perfect "God the Father, Jesus the Son", relationship that we have. Not sure that one exists outside of heaven, but we're doing pretty good. And you, other than your own son testosterone trying to mark up my territory around the house, I'm so glad you are who you and what you are. You're my son, my man, and what I see in you makes me extremely proud or us both. We're doing it. So, Happy Birthday to you! It's a Happy Day for me too.

I think it happens somewhere between the ages of 10 and 12 that a child has this awakening that Christmas isn't only about them receiving gifts but also about sharing in the joy of giving gifts. At least that's what happening in the Alessi Family this Holiday season. Now that we have a grip on the Santa Claus controversy and the youngest is finally on the same page with the rest of the clan, a interesting phenomenon has occurred this year with everyone wanting to "give" each other gifts.

It's been adorable to watch and it all started on Black Friday with our youngest pulling me to the side whispering as she secretly revealed what she purchased for her sisters and brother. This Monday when the mailman delivered a package I read off one of the girl’s name on the delivery label and a scream came from the living room as she came running in, snatched it out of my hand with another scream, and ran to her bedroom still screaming, as she went like a squirrel to hide its food amongst the debris of clothes, school work, computers and guitars. It was one of the gifts she ordered for her sister on Amazon.

It took me back for a split second to the many years Mary and I would secretly hide the booty from a long day of battles fought at the mall and Toys-R-Us. And though I will forever miss those moments that parents enjoy so much during the season, I'm more thankful now that our entire family can share in the greater experience of Christmas. That is the excitement of seeing your loved one grab hold of the specially wrapped box that you worked so hard on perfectly wrapping, and with each tear of the paper you watch with anticipation for the look on their face as they reveal the gift you solely set aside for them. And then as they hold it up and joyful shout, "It's just what I wanted"! Man, that feeling right there is one of the greatest moments to be shared in life. It's the Joy of Giving which trumps all the other experiences of Christmas morning.

Could it be the exact feeling God experienced when the Child let out a whimper in the Manger? We're told it's what happens in Heaven every time a person connects with God and becomes a Christian as the Bible speaks about rejoicing taking place when such an event occurs. It's God's way of celebrating the joy of giving when someone opens His personalized gift to humanity. So I suspect the act of giving and the euphoric feelings that come with it was deposited into our DNA directly from our Creator.

This year, focus more on the giving instead of the receiving. Give your best gifts and while you're giving, be sure to give the gift of your time to memories that will make Christmas 2011 one of the greatest. And though the economy may be putting a crunch on all our finances, don't let it keep us from giving the best gift of our happy selves.

And one last thought. Amongst all the giving that you will be doing this Holiday season, what gift do you plan of giving the King? Let me encourage you to include Jesus in your gift giving this Christmas. After all, it is His Birthday we're celebrating and because the real Black Friday occurred way before the retail sales industry got a hold of it, we're able to enjoy a euphoric life that comes as we relationally connect with Him.

On this PrayDay, I'm asking you to do two things. First, pray about giving the perfect gifts you can give to your loved ones and friends this Christmas. And second, pray about bringing a gift to Jesus this coming weekend at Metro Life Church as we celebrate the King with "The Gift". I'm praying our MLC Family sees the Eternal value of their seed sown, and may we all experience the Giver’s High that will make our Holidays compete.

The other day I saw a picture of Dwayne Wade having lunch at a street side cafe in Australia and I must admit it just hit me wrong. I thought, "Come on Flash. You're not supposed to be in the Outback. Your place is on the hardwood of the Triple-A Arena, soaring high above the rim dazzling defenders on your way to an earth shaking slam with all of Miami on your back." But he's not, as the NBA lockout is keeping our super star athletes jet-setting around the globe, instead of hooping it up on the court.

It's the 132nd day of the lockout with the team owners and players in the NBA working out a financial deal each can live and play with, and it's big business that I don't even pretend to know anything about. Like most fans, I just want the big guys to get the deal done so we can end the lockout and go back to watching Wade, LeBron and Bosh do what they do best...play basketball. Yet before that's going to happen, important daily affecting, life impacting business must be hammered out and agreed upon. And until that happens, forgetaboutit, everyone's locked out of Basketball. For as they say, It's Show Business, not Bro Business.

Now before we go pulling out a soap box and telling the world how selfish, greedy and arrogant the NBA owners and athletes are, think for a minute about our own lives. From a spiritual perspective, are there areas in our own lives where we've posted a "Locked Out" sign to God? Maybe its something we didn't agree with Him about so we've silently closed the door and walked away on that chapter of our God relationship. Here's one for starters; Prayer? Or maybe reading and obeying His word? What about our weekends, or better yet our money? Take it a step further. If we've locked God out of our lives, what about our spouse? Our kids? Other people who truly love and care for us? How we relate to God is usually a good indicator of how we relate to others.

At our Goodfellas 6:00 AM Prayer this week, one of the guys prayed passionately about letting God cut away the stuff that needs to be taken out of our lives. As he prayed, it seemed to strike a cord in all the fellas as sounds of "yes" and "do it", filled the room. The more intense the invitation to "cut us Lord", the louder the agreement from all the guys. It resembled the Rocky movie scene, when Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed were going at it toe to toe in the ring, and in the corner when he's beaten, bruised and bloody, Rocky cried out to his trainer, "Cut me, Mick. Cut me."

I've found that God will only step into our lives in the areas where He's allowed access. To keep Him locked out will keep Him locked out. Yes, He may be all-powerful, but He's limited by our own individual wills, and giving Him permission to only work in the comfortable areas of our lives, is in truth causing us to miss out on the total God experience.

The NBA Lockout is having a far reaching affect on millions of people when you take into consideration the loss of revenue in each city and market. It goes beyond players and owners putting more money in their coffers and the fans just enjoying a good game, as those connected to the sport are beginning to feel the pinch now that games are canceled. And the same trickle down affect is experienced when we keep God locked out, as over time we will begin experiencing the pinch in every area of our lives. So what do we do?

On this PrayDay, follow David's lead and give God permission to do a Heart Search on you. Pray: "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts" (Psalm 139:23). Who knows, you may find an area where you have locked God out of your life. And if you have, then end the Lockout today so we can all go back to enjoying life the way God intended us to do.