Every year Christmas becomes a very stressful time for me. What do I buy for whom? How much can I afford to spend on each person? Do I buy my son that Xbox he really wants or the Nintendo 3DS my daughter really has her heart set on? If so, how do I afford it?? How do I make my money stretch and not seem like I am Scrooge? Did I buy to much? Did I not buy enough? These are questions I ask myself every year.
Christmas is the day that we celebrate the birth of our Savior. The day that God himself came to earth in the form of a baby to save the world. However, that is not why many people celebrate Christmas. To them its all about Santa and the presents under the tree. Our culture has drifted away from the true meaning of Christmas and has put a price tag on it. I will admit that I am guilty of trying to buy my children many nice gifts for them to open on Christmas morning, and stressing out for weeks about how I am going to give my kids a "good" Christmas. I have realized that Christmas isn't mine to give. God gave that to us many years ago in a village called Bethlehem. Christmas is a time to celebrate God and his love for us, the love that he showed that first Christmas many years ago. So this year, lets not get caught up in all the price tags and all the stressful shopping malls. Let us share this time of year with our family and friends, knowing that Jesus is the reason for the season. So I challenge you and I even challenge myself, this year let's go back to the heart of Christmas!!!
