Mid-days With Lauree

Let us clarify: This isn't an anti-mask rant.As you know if you go pretty much anywhere in public right now, you're required to wear a mask. That includes airports, and a story from Rev. John Bombaro tells of one gentleman who ran into a little bit of conflict with a ticketing agent because some non-verbal cues got lost in translation due to wearing a mask. As we mentioned, this isn't us saying we're anti-mask, but it is a reminder that when we are dealing with our father in heaven, there is nothing that concealed about his love for us. I want to encourage you today that God is maskless before you and his real face before you is marked by grace and truth!

BIG NEWS that may change the way you travel if you are in need of an emotional support animal!The Department of Transportation just announced they are no longer going to allow emotional support animals on flights. This doesn't mean you can't bring your animal with you, but all animals will now be classified as pets. Meaning, when you fly, they will fly underneath in cargo.

Lauree just got back from vacation and she has big plans for 2021!You wouldn't believe what a little rest and reinvigorated motivation can do for your ability to plan!

A 7-year-old girl here in DFW has a heart the size of Texas!Right before Christmas, 7-year-old Evan came up with an idea to spread the spirit of Christmas by putting together a toy drive to benefit the Hope Center for Autism over in Fort Worth. The Hope Center provides services for families who have children with autism here in the Metroplex. With the help of her parents and a few local businesses, Evan was able to collect about 150 toys and $1400 all to benefit the Hope Center. She set out to fulfill some wishes and that she did!

Anxiety is a normal feeling, but some days, those anxious feelings can make getting through the day really tough. If you can relate to that statement or know someone you can, I have a single word for you that has the power to release anxiety.

Maybe it's not even as much about being relaxed as it is about being aware. Here's how to relax.1) Relax your shoulders. Just let them fall loose. Maybe it's been days, weeks, maybe months since you've been able to just take the load off your shoulders. 2) Now unclench your jaw. How many times have you just been grinding your teeth due to a tight jaw this year? Probably more than you remember.Here's my point in doing this: your body has a way of carrying the burdens that you have, whether or not we give it permission. Are we going to be aware of it and try and manage it usefully? Or are we going to be unaware and continue to allow our bodies to bear that burden?Remember this: God is right here. Right now. Present. In this moment. And everything is going to be okay because he'll gladly carry those burdens.

When we look back on 2020, the first thing that will come to mind will probably be the chaos that comes with living in the middle of a pandemic.But despite all the negative, I want to remember the good things that came out of this year, as well.

Chances are, we won't be showing up at your house for Christmas! (you never know), but we wanted to take a second right here to share a special moment with you. From our family here at KCBI to yours, we wish you a very, Merry Christmas.

Things in life aren't always easy. In fact, as Christians, Jesus promised us that we'd experience seasons of trial.But no matter how rough the waters get in the midst of the storms we face, Jesus is in the boat with us.

We know we're a week away from Christmas where the holiday spirit and kindness are in full effect, but that doesn't stop us pinning our good friends Lauree and Doug head-to-head in a little friendly competition! Our Afternoon Show here at KCBI take turns answering different Christmas related questions, and at the end, we will crown the 2020 KCBI Christmas Champion!

Opening presents doesn't take much thought. You just rip the paper, but it's what happens after that may need a little practice with your kids.Here in a week or so, your kiddos are going to be tearing into some presents and the hope is they're going crazy for all of them, but maybe you're a little nervous at how they may react if they open a present from someone that they didn't ask for. A conversation you might consider having with your kids in the coming days is "How we should respond when somebody gives us a gift?"A mom I know passed along something to me and it consisted of 5 words. Here are the 5 words you can teach your kids about how to respond when they open a gift:"Thank You For Your Thoughtfulness."It doesn't matter the gift or who the gift is from. These 5 words are the perfect "thank you" for your kiddos to perfect this Christmas season.

These games made LoLo's List of the best games to give for a Christmas gift! -Utter Nonsense! If you hear about this game the next day, you know you've missed out on a night of laughs with your friends!-Ubongo. If you love Tetris, you'll love Ubongo!- Ticket To Ride. It's a little bit strategy, a little bit of vacation, and a whole lot of fun!Giving a game to a family or a couple means that there is going to be a time down the road that everyone is able to gather together having fun and making memories. Merry Christmas!

You got stuck with a gift card that you don't really want? We've got you covered.If you didn't know, like me, you can actually sell your gift cards! There are websites that are safe and secure to sell your unwanted gift cards and you can trade them for cash or other gift cards. There is one big caveat to keep in mind if you're thinking about selling your gift card: You're not going to get 100% of the gift card's value. Most of these websites will give you 60-85% of their value. But if the gift card is just going to sit in the drawer, it may be worth your while!Here are just a couple of websites you can check out if this is the situation you find yourself in:-Cardpool-GiftCardGrannyOr you can always be like Lauree and re-gift them at the last minute and win some brownie points with a friend or family member!

We all have the things we can expect every Christmas, some good.....some not so good.Here are 3 things we've come up with that we believe are universally true in each family:1. Every family has that one Christmas movie you can't watch till you get closer to Christmas. Little suggestion for you: DON"T suggest it too early like I did yesterday when I asked my wife if she wanted to watch "A Christmas Story". It wasn't pretty.2. The Advent Chocolate Calander. Based on my current chocolate consumption, I'm just a liiiiitle ahead of schedule. 3. When guys try to wrap presents they end up looking like, at best, a festive head of lettuce. We all know that one person who should probably just stick with a bag.

Everyone in life should get a second chance, right?That's what the folks say at Well Grounded Coffee Community, a faith-based coffee shop that is opening this week in far east Dallas. The idea behind this coffee shop is they will employ formerly incarcerated moms who are in need of a new start. This idea should be an inspiration to anyone who's in need of a second chance, which means all of us!

As I try to help out Doug gain a deeper understanding of women, I came across a crucial statement that men should always steer clear of saying to women!

Not trying to be the debbie-downer here, but I can guarantee that whatever you bought for Christmas this year, it's not better than this.As we're looking ahead to Christmas next week, there's a joy that comes from giving presents to your loved ones. Our hearts swell as we see the smile on our children's faces when they open that present they so desperately wanted. But no matter how good the gift may be, who can add to Christmas? The perfect motive is that God so loved the world. The perfect gift is that he gave his only son. The only requirement of us is to believe in him and the ultimate reward from that gift is that we will have everlasting life. I share that with you today because the perfect gift has already been given, so let go of all that nervous energy you might be harboring because we can't add to what's already the perfect gift and it under the tree for you and for me.

When it comes to Christmas, the term 'BOGO' is music to a shopper's ears. But instead of 'Buy 1, Get 1' this Christmas season, what if we 'Buy 1, Give 1'? By giving, we mean give your business to a local small business! There's no greater gift you can your favorite local business than your support during this difficult season. We're not saying down with Amazon, we love the convenience too. But this Christmas shopping season, let's share the wealth!

If you remember one thing from today, I hope it's a balloon. Random, I know but I have a story.There's a professor who wanted to make a point. So he went out, bought a bunch of balloons, and distributed them to every student in the entire school. From there, he asked each student to blow up their balloons, write their name on them, and throw it into a hallway. Teachers then went in and mixed up the balloons. After they were done, the students were given 5 minutes to go out and retrieve the balloon with their name on it. Despite a chaotic and impassioned search, not a single student was able to find their own balloon. What happens next is absolutely mind-blowing.The teachers then told their students to pick up the balloon closest to them and give it to the person it belonged to. Given the same amount of time, 5 minutes, every student in the school had the balloon with their name on it back in hand! Isn't that crazy?The point of the experiment was this: the balloons signified our happiness. We will never find i