Christ is Love, have a Blessed Christmas

Christmas is just round corner. I have been busy with lots of other stuff to really prepare myself and the kids for Christmas. We do have some presents for the kids and the Christmas Tree is up. Otherwise, I am ill prepared. I would love to do some more shopping but do not have the time to. My sister and her family would like to come over for lunch on Christmas day so I will need to do some planning for a small party. I am thinking of making roast chicken, mashed potatoes and salad. Hmmmm, or I could just buy a few Ayamas roast chickens. Will think it over.

Christmas is more than just holidays, parties and presents. But as an adult, I am also guilty of no reflecting on the season and remembering what are we celebrating. Caught up by the lights and the fantastic deco in the shopping complexes and the jingles, it is easy to forget. And Christmas is always 5 days away form a brand new year, they are entwined into, basically, whole lot of happy parties and celebrations. And, for the kids, it is all about presents! This article aptly describes how most people deal with the season of celebration, I quote:

"The Christmas season is always a time of endings and beginnings. The sense of time condensing and then unfolding again is palpable. The Advent season begins, blossoms, and passes by, Christmas comes, with its joy, thick with memories, and then Epiphany, and we go on, leaving the Christmas season behind and entering into the new year. And often this entire season is a whirlwind, filled with preparations of all types. We don’t stop.

We ought to. We ought to stop and be still for a moment. We ought to reflect on the real meaning of Christmas. What is it?"

The reason for Christmas is no surprise. It is to celebrate the birth of the messiah, Jesus Christ. Was is the most appropriate way to celebrate Christmas then? Definitely not with lots and lots of food or expensive presents. This is what I try to teach my kids, not to expect many gifts. If we are celebrating Jesus' birth then how do we find the real meaning in the celebration? The article linked above gave us the answer, "We find Christ through love." and "So, if we act out of love, we are acting out of the Spirit of Christ."

For Christmas, all followers of Christ should do some act, any act to anyone, whether they are for your loved ones, strangers or any people in need. It doesn't have to cost you a lot of money, but give your time, your energy and your love. Act out of love and that's the best way to celebrate Christmas as Christians. Have a Blessed Christmas to all Christians and Happy Holidays to all! God bless each and everyone of you.