Merry Christmas to all, on this a generous season of giving

The press deadline for The Journal is Wednesdays, and this week was no different in many cases.

One glorious addition to the early morning start of our day was the presence of the sun and a brilliant blue sky. What a treat for everyone after being blanketed by fog and stagnant air for the past few weeks.

The crisp morning air, the sunshine glistening on the frozen trees and the bright blue skies makes for a great morning — an energizing boost in the final days and hours before the arrival of the biggest holiday of the year — Christmas.

Sunday, Christmas will be upon us once again, bringing with it an opportunity to gather with our families, exchange gifts, attend the church services of our choice and to share wonderful meals prepared with love.

We hope you all have a wonderful Christmas holiday. As you do, lets all share in the pride of knowing we live in great communities, as proven this holiday season by all the wonderful good deeds done by our friends and neighbors during the holiday season for those in need.

This week hams are being delivered to families in Lind who might need a little extra boost. A Lind High School student, Brandon Knodel, led the effort and collected an amazing amount of cash contributions on his way to doing something wonderful. This was a great accomplishment on his part.

The economy hasn’t been kind to many this year and it’s heartwarming to see so many people generously reach deep into their pockets to help others.

The Shop with a Cop program doubled in size this year thanks to an increase in donations, making it possible to take 19 youths shopping so they could buy gifts for their families.

The Giving Tree at Sterling Savings Bank was surrounded by Christmas gifts and baskets of food as 25 families were supported by the effort.

The Ritzville Eagles gathered $400 to help two single mothers and their four children for the holiday.

There are many, many examples of the great things our communities do during the holiday season on behalf of others.

They are all amazing examples of the true spirit and meaning of Christmas.

Merry Christmas!