| Christmas is probably one of the greatest | | | | and Savior. This is supposed to be a |
| times of the year for people of the Christian | | | | celebration, yes. But the celebration is |
| faith. It's one of those rare holidays that | | | | supposed to be about the King of Kings, not |
| actually starts long before the day begins. | | | | about giving presents and watching "Rudolph |
| In the weeks leading up to Christmas, usually | | | | The Red Nosed Reindeer" for the one-hundredth |
| right after Thanksgiving, Christians begin | | | | time. It's not about stuffing ourselves with |
| their shopping and decorating. The tree goes | | | | turkey and Christmas cookies. It's about |
| up, the nativity scenes go up and the | | | | giving thanks for God giving Christians his |
| shopping sprees all over the globe take up | | | | only son, our Lord and Savior.Yes, many of us |
| hours of their day.And then the actually day | | | | have lost the real meaning of Christmas. |
| comes, which begins the night before with | | | | It's so easy to do with all the commercialism |
| Christmas Eve services and caroling out in | | | | of the day. Much of the problem is the |
| the streets. After that the gifts get placed | | | | media. Children put on the TV and see all |
| under the tree and the milk and cookies go | | | | these ads for toys and seeing Santa live at |
| out for Santa. On Christmas morning the | | | | some shopping mall and that's all they can |
| gifts get opened by all the wide eyed | | | | think about. And how do you tell your five |
| children, followed by a yummy Christmas | | | | year old that Christmas is not about Santa |
| breakfast. Later on everyone goes to the | | | | and Toys? How do you tell him it's not about |
| grandparents to have a big Christmas dinner | | | | Christmas trees, eggnog and watching |
| with all the trimmings. More presents are | | | | Christmas movies about characters that don't |
| exchanged. Everyone laughs and sings and has | | | | even exist?The truth is, it doesn't have to |
| a wonderful time.When the night ends we all | | | | be all or nothing. We don't have to prevent |
| go home, have a few last Christmas cookies | | | | our children from having the things at |
| and finally, after a long day of partying and | | | | Christmas that they look forward to. All we |
| having a jolly time, we go to bed.And with | | | | need to do is make sure that some time during |
| all of that, you can count the number of | | | | the day, we sit down with our children and |
| times the name Jesus was mentioned on one | | | | teach them the real meaning of Christmas. |
| hand and have about four fingers left over. | | | | Read the Christmas story to them from the |
| The only prayer of the day was probably grace | | | | Bible, or from a good children's book about |
| at dinner.This isn't exactly what the | | | | the subject. Make them understand that |
| apostles had in mind. It certainly isn't | | | | Christmas is an important day, not because we |
| what Jesus himself had in mind.The truth is, | | | | get gifts, but because God gave us the |
| many of us have lost the real meaning of | | | | greatest gift of all. |
| Christmas, the birth of the Christian's Lord | | | | |