Well, I've been pitifully neglectful of this dear blog, but never fear, I am here! ... just long enough to post and run away again. ;o)
Anyway...
This is one of my favorite times of year - the house is cluttered with wrapping paper, lights are... strewn, the mantle and various free spaces are occupied with a wide assortment of mangers, snowmen, and other Christmasy knick-knacks. In my CD player are Christmas CD's, and renditions of Christmas songs ranging from horrible to magnificent are being played by nearly every radio station. Even the mall is festooned in green, red, silver, and gold.
Everyone is busy shopping, kids are ticking off the days til they can tear open the wrapping paper to see what secrets it holds, and in spite of the less than ideal economy there is still Christmas. That is the wonder of this holiday - even though you may not be able to give the big expensive gifts you wanted to, even though you might not get that gift you've been eyeing for months now, it hardly matters. The point of Christmas is to celebrate the birth of a King. Sure, it's fun to get presents, give presents, and spread cheer but it is hardly the point.
Christmas is a global thanksgiving. The pagans and the redeemed alike get together with family and friends and whether they say it or not, they show they are thankful for the people that are around them and the blessings they've received. The redeemed has the added bonus of being thankful for Jesus' birth in that smelly, dirty manger 2,000 years ago.
It is easy, I confess, to get wrapped up (pun intended) in the gift exchanges, killer sales, and shiny objects which catch our eye; but let us not forget this year the reason it's called CHRISTmas.
