The Beauty of Christmas.......

I love the Christmas season for many reasons. Memories of Christmas past but also all the beauty that surrounds the Season. The glitter, the candles, the tree. The way the towns put up fairy lights in the trees and the town tree glittering in the square or main street. I love the way the shops are decorated and just everything about it. Its a time of good cheer and friends and family. I realize that it is not really Jesus birthday, but it is a day that we honour His birth. As such it is Christmas and not Xmas. If the stores want to make a profit from the Christmas season then do us the honour of recognizing it as such. Not everyone is a Christian and not everyone celebrates, but if you do then please don't say "Happy Holiday" A lot of folks do not have a holiday so that is meaningless. If it's Hanukkah then say to our Jewish friends Happy Hanukkah not Happy Holidays. We all have our own traditions, the Muslims celebrate Ramadan and we don't say Happy Holidays. "Stand for what you believe even if you stand alone" is a favourite quote of mine.


We all have our traditions too, some watch movies like "It's a wonderful Life" and some watch more current ones that are cute and funny. We send out Christmas cards and catch up with old friends. Family comes home for Christmas. It is a time to celebrate with family, to show love and help others. A time to remember what Christmas is all about. The birth of a baby who changed the world. The son of God. Who came into the world for one reason............to die. To die that we may live forever.


We idealize this birth like in this cute picture but the reality was that the baby was born into a world where it was harsh, there was no room for Him and the angels did not seek out the Kings of the earth but the lowly shepherds in the fields. He was surrounded by the Shepherds and animals when Mary presented her baby to the world. He was accepted and loved by the lowly beings and rejected by the mighty. Yes three wise men did come to worship him but they were the exception. They had been waiting for Him and brought Him gifts that would be used when He died.We follow this tradition by giving gifts to each other, but somehow the reasons have been lost in the commercialism. We need to try to get back to the "reason for the season"



He came to earth from heaven to take away the sins of the world. So please don't reduce the celebration of His birth to a Happy Holiday or worse Xmas.