As we light the 4th candle on the Advent wreath today, I reflect on the theme of love, and how all I need this Christmas is the love of family.
Welcome to the 143rd edition of The Sunday Spark, a series with weekly thoughts and highlights, nuggets of learning, and a simple living challenge for the week. In addition to what I need this Christmas, this week’s edition looks at a Toronto program to connect racialized youth with nature, the UK’s first all-electric football stadium, and China’s underwater data centre.
On my mind this week: All I need this Christmas
Years ago, the Beatles’ hopeful tune All You Need is Love had such a simple message of what really matters in life. In a world obsessed with power and material wealth, the Beatles were right. Love really is all we need.
Today we light the 4th candle on the Advent wreath. The theme for the 4th and final Sunday of Advent is love—the love of God who sent His son into the world to save us.
I can’t help but reflect on the state of the world in 2025. In addition to the hope, peace and joy I’ve written about on the first three Sundays of Advent, we need love this Christmas more than ever before.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the world could lay down weapons, put differences aside, and focus on love? I will keep praying.
Love is all I need
Closer to home, all I need this Christmas is to be surrounded by the love of family.
With both our daughters living far away, my one and only wish for Christmas is for them to arrive home safely. The perfect Christmas is to have our little family together under our roof on Christmas morning. Colleen is scheduled to arrive home on Tuesday evening, and Laura arrives late on Christmas Eve, so I’m praying for no snowstorms or travel delays. Air Canada…we’re counting on you!
Our time together matters more this Christmas because Laura is moving to Australia in 2026, so this will be our last Christmas together as a family for a few years.
So, this Christmas I don’t need presents, big parties, or any of the things we spend so much time fussing over at the holidays. I just need the love of family. Because everything else is just gravy.
There will be no Sunday Spark next week as I take a break to enjoy some family time. I’ll be back with the first edition of 2026 on Sunday, January 4.
Until then, thank you for reading my musings in 2025. I wish you all the blessings of the Christmas season: hope, peace, joy and love.
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Three highlights of the week
It’s important to celebrate big milestones and simple pleasures in life. Keeping the trend going, here are three highlights and simple pleasures of the week gone by:
- Last weekend, Colleen and I did a video call and played games online. I’m grateful for the technology that helps us stay connected.
- On Wednesday, my husband and I went to Niagara for the day. First, we went to Niagara-on-the-Lake for a Cows ice cream cone. It was a bit cold for ice cream, but I can never pass up Cows. Then we headed to Niagara Falls where we had an early dinner at The Flying Saucer and then we walked around the Winter Festival of Lights. It was beautiful. We live just two hours away from Niagara Falls but I had never been to see the Christmas lights before.
- I finished my Christmas wrapping and did some baking. Other than grocery shopping on Monday, I think we’re all set!
Things I learned this week
Life is all about learning. Here are three things I learned this week:
Connecting racialized youth with nature
An inspiring initiative at Toronto’s York University is connecting black and brown youth with nature. Roots for Resilience creates hands-on spaces where young people can learn traditional planting techniques, understand the cultural significance of certain crops, and see food growing as part of their heritage.
(Source: Happy Eco News)
UK’s first all-electric football stadium
Oxford United has received council approval to build the UK’s first all-electric football stadium. The stadium’s roof will have more than 3,500 square meters of solar panels to produce clean energy on-site and reduce reliance on the national grid during match days. Further, the entire complex will be free of carbon-based fuels.
These initiatives are expected to slash carbon dioxide emissions by about 80% compared to a conventional stadium.
(Source: Happy Eco News)
China’s underwater data centre
The increase of AI technology has led to an explosion of data centres that use a lot of energy and water—precious resources we need to survive.
China is building a wind-powered underwater data centre in the ocean off the coast of Shanghai. This undersea data centre will use pipes to pump cold seawater through a radiator on the back of server racks to absorb heat and carry it away.
(Source: Scientific American)
This week’s simple living challenge – Experience gifts
Simplifying life is a big part of living more intentionally. With that in mind, I kicked off the year with 52 ways to simplify your life this year, including a downloadable checklist of weekly tasks.
The final challenge of the year is to consider experience gifts instead of physical gifts. Because spending time together is the best gift of all.
I’d love to hear what you think about any of this week’s topics. Drop me a comment below and let me know your thoughts and ideas.
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You are so right, all we need is love, and it sounds like you will have that with your daughters home for Christmas. Australia is so far to travel to, but such a beautiful country to visit. Hope you will get a chance to spend Christmas there one day. Blessings to you, Michelle.
Yes, Australia is about as far away from here as you can get. Interestingly, my grandparents lived there for a few years in the 1920s when they were newly married. In those days, the journey from England was 33 days by boat. When I think of it in those terms, spending 24 hours on a plane isn’t so bad. Thanks for reading, Deborah.
Wow – all together under the same roof before Laura moves to Australia! That’s huge!
I’m wondering about China’s data center. That sounds really innovative – but will doing things like that heat our oceans faster?
I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a fantastic 2026!
Thanks Wynne. Yes, it is a big deal to be all together this Christmas. Laura will be home a couple more times before she leaves, but we’re not sure if Colleen will be here at the same time.
I did wonder the same thing about the underwater data centre, but apparently the impact on ocean temperature is minimal. There are, however some concerns about the impact on the ocean ecosystems.
I hope you cherish every moment with your family this holiday season! What a big more for Laura, but it sounds like one that will make her very happy. 💕
Thanks, Erin. Yes, it is a big move but it has been coming for a while so I hope it’s a good one for her.
How wonderful you can spend these holidays with your family!
Thank you so much. I will heave a big sigh of relief once both girls are home.
Enjoy this extra special Christmas together with your loved ones, Michelle. Sounds like a big year of changes ahead. Merry Christmas! 🥰💕
Thanks, Ab. Yes, this move will change a lot of things for our family. Although I’ve known it was coming eventually, I’m still trying to get my head around it.
Merry Christmas to you too! 🎄
Michelle, I hope your holiday is wonderful with the family! That is some huge news about your Laura. Congratulations to her! I hope the thoughts of some amazing travel for you will ease the hurt of her being so far away. I know you will all make it work and the love between you will secure the bonds you have in those in-between times.
Thanks, Deb. This move was expected because she has been in a long distance relationship with an Australian guy since 2020. It’s hard, but she’s already living 2 flights away. Now it will be 3 flights, albeit much longer ones. Yes, we will make it work.
Merry Christmas to you and your family too, Deb! 🎄🧑🎄💚
Oh my – I’d missed the news about Laura’s big move! Wow! And I’m with you, my friend. The Beatles tune says it all…love is all we need. The closeness of those who matter most. Thank you for all of your thoughtful words, ideas and encouragement all year long. Enjoy your break from WP-land and have ALL the fun that’s possible with your family. 💝💝💝
Thanks, Vicki. I’ve known since I visited Laura in October about her move—although in reality I’ve known this was coming for a lot longer than that. I’ve been quiet about it because we wanted to tell family first. She has been in a long-distance relationship with an Australian guy since 2020. For a lot of reasons, it makes more sense for her to move there than for him to come here. I’m happy for her, but the idea of her living on the other side of the world is hard.
I will definitely share more on my thoughts and feelings about all of this in the new year. Until then, I will focus on enjoying Christmas together. The weather forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday looks okay. I have all three locations saved on my weather app and I’m checking often.
Merry Christmas to you too, my friend. Thank you for all your thoughts, and engagement on my blog this year. Here’s to 2026! 🤗
Ahh…I understand. Laura’s life is about to get bigger in many ways. Exciting for all, I’m sure, but yes. The other side of the world. Wow!
Sending all my love for a great holiday together. Give my best to your family, Michelle! xo! 💝❤️💝