FOCUS ON CHRIST THIS CHRISTMAS

I love Thanksgiving. The smell in the house is amazing with all of the baking and roasting going on in the kitchen. We always invite all of the family, many of which I like. Ha! People start arriving around 2, we eat at 5, play games then dessert.We have excellent cooks in our family. My wife, daughter, son and spouses are the best! Ultimately, at the end of the evening I feel like a fat toad but, itʻs a good feeling! But then….

I seriously think someone placed Thanksgiving way too close to Christmas. Right away we have “Black Friday” and thousands of TV adʻs turning Christmas into a secular extravaganza! I actually think Iʻve seen more gift adʻs than Iʻve seen drug ads!! I, like most of us, start to build an anxiety over everything that needs to “get done” in just 30 days. (Where are those anti-anxiety drug ads!). Decorating the house, shopping, Christmas cards to be mailed out and cookies to bake attack our mental calendars with a vengeance. With all this Christmas craziness, we can often forget the very reason weʻre buying gifts and celebrating with family. As a Christian, I get frustrated when I get sucked into the Christmas chaos! It doesnʻt have to be this difficult. 

Christmas is all about a little baby that will change the world. You rarely hear that on TV.  Itʻs craz! If I hear another person say, “Happy Holidays”, …  It’s Christmas people! Weʻre celebrating, “The Word made flesh” John 1:14. John wrote this so we may behold His identity as the Son of God and believe in His name. He is the great “I Am”. “The Bread of Life” (John 6:22-59) “The Light of the World” (John 8:12), “The Good Shephard” (John 10:7-11). This is who we are celebrating! Make time in the Word your priority, Invest time in prayer and donʻt be a slave to tradition.

Relax, sing, laugh, and read your daily devotions. We are receiving the greatest gift of all: Our Savior, Our Redeemer, Our Friend!!

JESUS!!  THE REAL REASON FOR THE SEASON!!!

Blessings

Kent, Operations Manager