According to Christianitytoday.com, “St. John the Evangelist, commemorated on December 27, is traditionally the only one of the twelve disciples who did not die a martyr. Rather, John witnessed to the Incarnation through his words, turning Greek philosophy on its head with his affirmation, “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14, KJV).
Yesterday was day two of celebrating the twelve days of Christmas. For me, it was a day to think about what it means to live a life focused on love. One of the most often quoted gospel verses is John 3:16, “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
I thought about how it’s really difficult to love those who hurt us, whether intentionally or not. I also considered the idea that to be able to fully love others, we must embrace our own love and beauty for ourselves. That statement could sound self-centered but I don’t believe it is. If we haven’t learned to really appreciate who we are, I don’t think it’s easy to appreciate or love others.
So, day two for me was a celebration of sending out New Years cards and gifts to my treasured business clients and then spending the rest of the day enjoying the town I live in and seeing it in a new perspective.
With a brand new loaner car while mine was in the shop, my first destination was to the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe where they had set up an ice skating rink on their front lawn for the holiday season. Since it was midday, no one was skating at the time I visited. I stepped into their reception area and found this massive Christmas tree in the center. 
From there, I headed toward Del Mar and made a decision to stop at the Candle Shop. For all the years I’ve lived near there, I had never gone in. They make beeswax candles on the property and said they had been there for 85 years. My purchase, a Jane Austen inspired candle with scents of gardenia, tuberose and jasmine-some of my favorite smells.
I had brought a manuscript I have been working on with me on the journey and decided to head to one of my favorite destinations to write–The Grand Del Mar. The Grand is a five star hotel and could very well be Cinderella’s castle. I’m lucky to live nearby. There’s a coffee shop that overlooks their beautiful saline pool. They had an almost to the ceiling tree in the entryway and many people sat around tables in the dining area enjoying afternoon tea.
My final destination was to view Candy Cane Lane in Rancho Penasquitos. And lo and behold what should appear, not St. Nick but Cinderella, her prince and fairy Godmothers there.
Overall, a love-ly day.