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