I have to confess that it is hard to get myself in the Christmas spirit when life is moving at such a fast pace.
Work is crazy with trying to keep the kids motivated when they don’t want to be there.
I have something extra to do every day for the next week. There is still some shopping to do.
The Christmas cards have yet to be written.
We have to finish decorating the tree, wrap the presents, and… you get the idea.
In the midst of the craziness I get little glimpses of Christmas.
Music has always reached deep into my soul. The Christmas song that moves me the deepest is, “Oh, Holy Night.”
If I can close my eyes in a quiet place, the spirit of Christmas will come.
The truth is I love so many of the songs from Christmas including “Silent Night,” “Joy to the World,” “The Hallelujah Chorus”… The music of Christmas moves me in ways that words cannot and with music Christmas arrives.
In my neighborhood, Christmas has a way of arriving early. Many of my neighbors decorate the outside of their homes on Thanksgiving weekend.
Most of the houses on our street have lights of some kind to welcome the holidays. I had an uncle who used to win prizes for the decorations on his house.
The Christmas decorations are a welcome sight as we begin the dark days of winter.
The giving of gifts has many origins, including from Queen Esther’s life. Esther and Mordecai were able to find victory through prayer and fasting over the vile plans of Haman.
As part of the annual celebration they feasted and gave gifts to each other much like we do at Christmas.
I like to put thought into finding a special gift for each person on my list. I want to give them something they really want or need.
One of the best parts of the holiday season is the time we take to be with our families and friends.
Every year seems to get busier and the stress seems to mount in our daily lives; setting aside some time each year to spend with those who mean so much to us seems right.
Christ came to help us connect with God, shouldn’t we follow His example and try to connect with each other? Christmas is an opportunity to mend fences and to connect with others. We all get some time off, let’s try to connect and be a blessing to one another.
Jesus came to the earth to be a blessing to us. He came in a very approachable way, as a baby born in poor conditions.
He left the comfort and majesty of heaven to make a way for us to God. Our bad choices and sin have built a barrier between us and God.
He never wanted to be separated from His children, but we chose to walk away. Those choices kept us from being able to return because God cannot be in the presence of sin.
God’s plan was to send His son into the world. He came as a baby, and grew into a man who would ultimately die as a sacrifice so we could regain our connection with God.
The good news is that through Jesus we can have the relationship God intended when He created man.
We can know God and be known by God because of a child that was born in Bethlehem.
Too many people know about God, far too few people take the time to know God like a good friend. He wants that kind of intimacy with us.
The free gift of salvation, hope and joy is for every one of us. The Bible teaches us that unto you a son was born, unto you a savior was given.
This is God’s most special gift given to you. I hope that you will find time to open it and receive from God the gift of eternal life.
Jesus came humbly into our world to show us a way out of our dire circumstances into a place of hope, joy, forgiveness, redemption, and into our loving Heavenly Father’s arms.
I want to encourage you to become like a little child, to rip open the free gift that God has given you.
Jesus the baby born in a manger opened the doors of heaven for you. He is the Christ child, the hope of the world.
If you have to get up early or stay up late, take a few moments this Christmas to connect with your loving Heavenly Father. Read his story afresh and commit your heart and life into His hands.
Doug Creamer teaches marketing at East Davidson High School. Read more of his work at dougcreamer. com