Steve Alessi: Author of Alessi’s Angle, Pastor of Metro Life Church in Miami, Husband of World Renown Worship Leader Mary Alessi and Father of Four. 
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.
Wow! Thank you Pastor Steve, you really know how to put things in perspective. "Making Memories with Friends and Family", I totally agree. I'm sooo looking forward to "Making Some Great, Unforgettable Memories" with my MetroLife Family. I was known as the "loner", enjoyed being alone, didn't want to be bothered, didn't want to burden people with my own pity party, would leave the church through the back exit afraid of being approached BUT we all know that those are lies of the enemy! I am set FREE! YES, INDEED! So, Thank you, Pastor Steve and Pastor Mary for helping me and my family "Make Memories...Unforgettable, Life Changing Memories".
BTW, The Summersetts love to party. I better get with the program and follow you guys on Twitter. We are missing out on some good partying! Love you guys.
Michele M. Summersett
Yes, Michelle, you & Lamont need to be partying with us. Lot's more memories to be made.
EXACTLY why I look forward to your blog every week Pastor Steve... you always have great insight and inspiration for all of us. And I believe that, like myself, people will STOP today and see what's important...THAT'S IMPACT !!
I know, I know... some may say Mando; you work for the church; you have to say nice stuff. NOPE!! I don't HAVE TO do anything. I say it because I'm an adult and I can. Pastor, leading with you is a pleasure, and the privilege that my family has is that we have so many years of great memories with you and the MLC family and we wouldn't have it any other way...
Here's to MORE MEMORIES...
Yeah,, Mando, and what do we plan on eating today? Make way, baby, here we come!!
"...and what do we plan on eating today?" - EVERYTHING!!!
YES! You can feel the "Celebration Vibes" in the air! As someone once said, "Do not focus on what the world has become, but rather on He Who has come to the world."
Well said. This year I celebrate so many things. I celebrate the fact that this Christmas I know what is important, I celebrate who is important and I’m filled with so much joy!
I celebrate our health, I celebrate that when I look at my daughter’s twitter I find that most of her tweets are with our Pastor. Really?? I find that when she has a problem she reaches out to the people that she has seen pray for us so many times this year. That we believe in something greater than us. Pastor, this weekend you asked me, Who would have thunked it? Well I would never have thunked it, I never would have dared to dream it. I know it’s God working in our lives because we have opened that door and let him in. I’m celebrating, every minute of every day! Merry Christmas everybody and thank you for helping us open that door! The Nelsen’s love each and every one of you!
All this time I really thought I had commented (BOO HOO) I was the ecstatic I was the first! Did I forget to press the PUBLISH button? ANYWHO!!! Once again OUTSTANDING Blog Pastor Steve!!!!! Always know how to say what you mean and mean what you say! While reading I was all warm and fuzzy with envisioning those special moments this weekend with Family and friends, indulging in prepared food made from the hearts of those you love and preparing "dynomite" (i might add) food for those I love! I too can celebrate with you so many of these things. Super psyched that this Sunday I can also Celebrate with my MLC Family (doing the hat hatter dance right now) doing what we do best which is PRAISE GOD as well as Celebrate BABY Jesus for our FUNFABULOUS VICTORIOUS Lives!
Make a MEMORY, that is what I look forward to every year and every moment that I can. This year we made a WONDERFUL MEMORY @ Metro seeing Josh participate in the Metro Rockin Christmas Show (A MEMORY that my family and I are still talking about)...Thank you Pastor Steve for these wonderful words and thank ur whole staff for working so well with us!!!! Many Blessings and enjoy ur party (Merry Christmas)...The Villasuso Family
Thanks Pastor for modeling to us what truly matters. And thank you for stretching us to change our thinking when it comes to making memories. Looking forward to the next midnight breakfast :)
Great blog Pastor Steve. It's great to hear of all the wonderful things going on at MLC. It is great to slow down and enjoy the moment and our loved ones. As we get older I believe we actually appreciate more the years that have gone past and the ones left. I hope you, your family and MLC have a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year. You are definitely miss by the Porras family.
Love you guys always,
Jorge Porras & family.
Pastor Steve...I love reading your weekly "love letters to our church" thanks for always being the instrument God uses to encourage and exort your sheep. Thank you for your faithfulness and your love towards each and every one of us. My family and I are so blessed to be a part a church that "thinks outside the box" and pours out God's love not only to our members but to our whole community. Ready for 2012...Ready to break the mold and keep on growing in faith! Blessings to you and your amazing family!
Thank you Pastor Steve for reminding me once again whats really important this time of year. Its taking me some time to really put it all into perspective and letting go of what has been a turbulent 2011 for me and just giving it all to God and let him take control of the wheel of my life, but since I've been going to MLC (4 months now) though a few short months, they have been the most life changing months in my entire life. I've made family out of new friends and have made so many connections with so many different people on so many different levels and its been Wow! Amazing!!! I started off here (in Miami from NYC) for all the wrong reasons wanting to give up and run back home to my blood family in NY having no friends or family here...and now that the HOLIDAY SEASON is here, although I miss my family and excited to see them..I'm almost torn that i wont be here celebrating with my church family who I've grown to love and cherish so much. I've never felt more appreciated, respected and loved than what you and Pastor Mary have shown me and my girls from CR/P Life. Thank you for shining your light on me, for help guiding me, for your patience, your understanding, your unconditional love and for those little "moments" you give to me every time i come to you just b/c i need your ear to listen, your arms to embrace me that tells me "its ok", your words of grace and your spirit that prays over me. Man, I'm just so blessed - I'm just overjoyed with how blessed I am to have you, Pastor Mary and MLC in my life. Praise Jesus! Hallelujah! I will miss you all during the next 2 weeks, but i will definitely be streaming live all the way from the BRONX. May you and your loved ones have a Merry CHRISTmas and a wonderful and BLESSED NEW YEAR!!! 2012 - Year of Champions!!! AMEN. I Love you all! ~ Bernie....A.K.A One of the VS ladies! LOL
Ron, I like the "Celebration vibes"...can feel it in the air.
Isa, You're in the know this Christmas and part of the family. Make some great memories this year in Gatlinburg!
Aisha, Enjoy those funfabulous times this Christmas!
Tony, Josh is a wonderful blessing and fits in just right around MLC. Great things are to come, my brother.
Mory, it's not even Christmas and I'm not sure I can handle a Midnight Breakfast just yet...BUT next year is just around the corner.
Jorge, Great hearing from you. Merry Christmas!
Gina, 2012 is already a great year and having you and your family is making it even better.
Bernie, Have a great trip back to the Bronx. Enjoy your family and know we're praying for you. We'll be here when you return.