it's Christmas time.

Christmas is literally right around the corner. Driving down the streets all i can see are twinkling lights, gorgeous decorated trees, and red & green everywhere. You cant help but smile and be excited about the season of Christmas and winter.

Christmas is also a time when people can reflect on their lack. Lack of money, lack of family, lack of sanity...whatever. With the pressure of spending time with family (that you may not get along with the other 364 days of the year), pressure of spending money on tons of presents (checking the list twice to make sure everyone is covered) and pressure of spending energy on keeping up with the traffic on the streets and at the local stores is enough to make any sane person start to curse the holidays. With frustration at an all time high (because you forgot to buy your brother's wife's nephew a present or because you just got cut off AGAIN in traffic) we can start to forget the reason behind all this craziness.

Roy L. Smith said "He who does not have Christmas in his heart, will never find it under the tree." We always say or hear people say what the real reason of Christmas is all about.....but do we actually ever truly think about it. Christmas isn't about presents, Santa, decorated trees, or lights...its about the birth of our Savior - the One who was sent to save the world. My favorite Christmas song is 'Oh Holy Night' and one of the reasons for that is because it depicts the reason for the day we all widely celebrate. Some of those lyrics are: "Long lay the world in sin and error pining, Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices. For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn." That just illustrates such a beautiful picture of what happened on that day! We needed a Savior...we NEEDED Jesus Christ to come. The other part of the songs says "Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother, And in His name all oppression shall cease. Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we, let all within us praise His Holy name." I pray that none of us will forget the TRUE meaning of Christmas. Take away the expensive gifts. Take away the lights and the colors. Take away the trees and the stockings. Take away Frosty, Rudolph and Old Saint Nick. And there is STILL a reason to sing - because Christ is our Lord.

Merry Christmas and when you see the trees, the colors, and the lights I urge you to praise His Holy Name. (: