Time to "Smell" Christmas

Shopping, gifts, trees, decorations, sound of the season music, program practice, snow and silver bells.  All of these things remind me of Christmas.  I dearly love Christmas; it is my favorite time of the year.  However, when I think of all of these Christmas-related events, I get overwhelmed with two words – “busy-ness” and “activity.”  Now to be busy and active is not bad; it is part of life.  But I am afraid that sometimes in our busy-ness and the hurry and scurry of Holiday activities, we tend to forget the real meaning of Christmas.

 
In an attempt to get people to take time to see things as they really are and to appreciate what is around them, the phrase, “take time to smell the roses” has been penned.  Maybe that is good advice for us this Christmas.  We need to “take time to smell Christmas.”  In other words, amid all the activities in which we are involved we need to take time to think about Jesus Christ, who is the real meaning of Christmas.  Here are a couple of ideas for your meditation and contemplation concerning the greatest Christmas gift that was ever given – the Lord Jesus.  Think about it.

• The angel of the Lord told Joseph that Mary would give birth to a son, “And you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).
• An angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds and said, “Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).

This year, I encourage you to take time to "smell" Christmas -- the real Christmas!.

Thanks Living

Thanksgiving is over.  Or is it?  Most people feel that on the annual Thanksgiving holiday they ought to be thankful, or at least show thanks in some specific way.  That is important, especially when we realize that the very word “thanksgiving” suggests the giving of thanks or making sure that we express our appreciation.  I’d like to suggest that as we look back to Thanksgiving that we let it remind us of one other thing – “thanks living.”  By that I mean that we should be so grateful and thankful to God for what He has done for us that we let that gratefulness show by the way we live our lives.  In the Bible, the Apostle Paul says this: "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus" (I Thessalonians 5:18).

When we give thanks in all circumstances we live in a thankful way.  By “thanks living” we show our appreciation for the personal freedom we enjoy in our country, including our religious freedom.  By “thanks living” we voluntarily submit ourselves to live according to the guidelines God reveals to us in His holy Word.  By “thanks living” we monitor the words that we say, so that those words are always encouraging and uplifting.  The significance of Thanksgiving cannot be underestimated – especially when we add to it our “thanks living.”  Will you join me in the transition from the Thanksgiving holiday Season to the Christmas holiday season by expressing thanks to God through not only the giving of thanks but by “thanks living?”