Christmas Meaning

This time of year is filled with so many things. Some good. Some bad. So many times I feel like the meaning of Christmas is lost in the shuffle. Christmas is to celebrate Christ, His birth, His love, His grace. It is not "Happy Holidays." It's CHRISTmas. It's not the pushing. The shoving. The shopping. This wonderful time of year does not always bring out the best in people. I guess that is why my favorite holiday has always been Thanksgiving.

I grew up in a home that REALLY 'celebrated' Christmas. Well, when I say 'celebrated', I mean my parents made sure that was lots under the tree. That was the one holiday a year that my mom did some major shopping! Which as a kid, made it an awesome day!! LOL The tree would be empty and in the morning, it would be full of presents. Even now, she makes sure that Kent & I plus my three kids have stuff to open Christmas Day.

I just want to take back Christmas to a simpler time. I don't know if it's possible in today's world, but I'd like to try. We have always read the birth of Jesus in the Bible and 'Twas the Night before Christmas' every Christmas Eve. I always bake Jesus a birthday cake every Christmas Eve. Then, every Christmas morning before we open any gifts or look at our stockings, we stand around the cake and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus.

Next year will probably be Faith's last year to believe in Santa. (She'll be in 4th grade) I've slowly moved away from that. They haven't went to see Santa in a couple years. They have never wrote their wish list and sent it to him. (they actually give it to my mom!!) As the kids get older, I want to focus on what Christmas is really about.

Yes, gift giving is part of the Christmas traditions. I do love shopping for my kids, nieces, & nephew. I love finding that gift that you know will make them smile. I think in the Christmas story we read, we should include Matthew 2:1-12. After all, this where the gift giving comes about. We need to teach our kids the whole story and why we do some things. This is a perfect example.

Matthew 2:11: ". . . they opened their treasures and presented him with

gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrth."

In fact, as my kids get bigger and older ~ I want to go back. If as a babe, Christ received three gifts fom the wise men. Are we any better that Him? The Perfect One? So, that is what I want to do. Each Christmas morning, to sing 'Happy Birthday' and for each of us to open our three gifts under the tree. I want to take the focus off of our wants. To put our focus back where it belongs. On Christ.