Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

I hope you had a very Merry Christmas and that you have had time to focus on the true meaning of this joyful holiday.  It is so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the commercial spirit of this season our world has created, that we often find ourselves worn out and eager to have it all behind us.

Although it seems to get worse every year, I have found the holiday season to be more enjoyable when I step out of the “rat race” designed for our so-called human pleasure.  I no longer run myself ragged over a holiday that has become a time of spending too much money and planning too many social events that render us too tired to appreciate the season. 

Celebrating a late Christmas at my in-laws today, I sit around inhaling the joy of family members that I don’t see often enough.  That’s what I look forward to every year – family time.  We’ve toned down the gift giving and have learned to just savor the moments we share with each other.  What a joyful, peaceful time this season has finally become for me.

We can’t ever lose sight, though, of the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  When we get caught up in the worldly creation of this holiday, we quickly forget why He was sent to this world.  God sent His son, Jesus, God himself incarnated, to save us from our sins, our selves. 

May you cherish the blessings of Christmas throughout the New Year.