Christmas

I can't believe it's almost Christmas! I haven't started my shopping at all, but it won't take long as I don't intend to buy much. I wonder if I was wealthy would it be different? Would I go overboard on my family and friends? Or would feel the same I do now, not wanting the focus to be on presents but rather on the present we've all been given?

I didn't grow up going to church and honestly there are many Christmas memories I have that lack talk about Christ and what He did for us. By the time I graduated from high school there was no more "Christmas" programs, it was called a winter program; there was no more prayer allowed in school; there was no more reminder of why we celebrate Christmas at all. Why do we celebrate Christmas?

Christmas isn't mentioned in the bible at all. Paul didn't celebrate Christmas, neither did Peter. Mary didn't even celebrate Christmas and it's about HER son! Yet we do and we do it lavishly yet void of why. I don't hear Merry Christmas, I hear Happy Holidays...that use to offend me but now, well now I think maybe it's what we should say because our "Merry Christmas" isn't really about Christ so why does it matter? We say it matters, but do we ACT like it matters?

Do we sit our kids down and explain to them the birth of Christ? Do we talk about God daily with our family and friends? Do we talk about the sacrifice God made for us as part of our normal language? Or do we only flirt with this stuff at Christmas time cause we feel guilty if we don't?

This Christmas I challenge you to not go into debt so you can buy a bunch of stuff that will be played with until the next new thing comes out, but rather to take a risk and be an out loud Christian, be the voice that remembers the birth of Christ that led to the death of Christ that led to the birth of us.