Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! What ever happened to all those groups and businesses that were trying to make some kind of statement about Christmas just being another holiday?

I suppose they are still out there making their statements by telling their employees they can only greet using the phrase "Happy Holidays". Whatever!!

I guess I am OK with people saying Happy Holidays, because there are several holidays back to back: Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. So I suppose if you look at it from that point of view it's OK to call them the holidays.

As a matter of fact, I have even asked people what they're doing for the "Holidays". I know what I am talking about and so do they. For that matter, I also know what I am NOT talking about.

I am NOT trading the proper title Christmas for the lessor title of 'holiday'. I am NOT denying the reason for the season. Jesus is what it is all about. Duh! That is why it's called CHRIST-mas!!

But the funny thing about the word holiday, it can also mean HOLY - DAY! Even in their attempt to deny, they are proclaiming the essence of the day after all

But what it all comes down to is a couple of things. First of all, Christmas is the biggest holiday of all period. The influence of this day that is set aside to celebrate the birth of Christ drives and even defines our nations economical tendencies, In other words, believer and Atheist alike spend boku bucks giving gifts at Chirstmas, which leads me to my second point: Giving is what Jesus is all about. Jesus came to earth because God was willing to give us His Son. Jesus lived and died to give us the greatest gift of all time- our salvation .

Our biggest complaint as Christians is that Christmas has become a retail holiday. Malls, department stores, retailers and Secret-Santas haul in billions upon billions this time of year.

But our God is a God of redemption. He is a God that works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. While elves, and salesmen were coming up with better ideas of how to make us part with out cash in the name of "giving", God was redeeming this holiday by showing us that "Giving" is the core of Christmas.

I am not saying that we have to rush out and spend all our money to show God how "giving" we are, but when we do get and give those gifts in just a couple of days like we have every year for the last umpteen years, Let God's ingenuity and ability to redeem what was lost, remind us of the greatest gift ever given. Jesus' life for ours.

-John