I wish everyday could be like Christmas

So, here we are, four days until Christmas...yikes! Is it really that close? I cannot believe that I don't have all the presents wrapped, I don't even have all my decorations put out for the season. Not that I want tons of snow, but a little dusting wouldn't hurt to get me back in to the swing of things. I just cannot feel Christmas when I'm walking around without a coat on outside...of course that could be why I have a cold....nah, just coincidence.

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow,

stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so?

It came without ribbons. It came without tags.

It came without packages, boxes or bags.

And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore.

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before.

What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store.

What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.

- Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas

So, with all my bah-humbug, grinchiness going on, God reminded me that Christmas is not the decorations, not the presents (wrapped or still sitting in a bag waiting for the wrapping paper), it's not a beautiful, white blanket of snow covering the ground, it's not the cute Christmas cards you receive in your mail box each day...it's about Him...Christmas is in his birth, his life, his death and his resurrection. The meaning of Christmas is life, his life, not ours. It's so easy to get caught up in other things that we need to take the time to remember. We need to take the time to read the Christmas story to our kids and reread it for ourselves. We need to take the time to enjoy and share Christ with our friends and family.

I received this in an e-mail the other day and wanted to share it:

An Encounter with Santa

What if you encounter Santa right in your very own living room and you saw that he had tears in his eyes. His usual jolly manor was gone. I asked him "What are you doing?"

He answered me very simply: "TEACH THE CHILDREN"

I was puzzled; What did he mean? He anticipated my question, and with one quick movement brought forth a miniature toy bag from behind the tree.

As I stood bewildered, Santa said, "Teach the Children! Teach them the old meaning of Christmas. The meaning that now-a-days Christmas has forgotten."

Santa then reached in his bag and pulled out a FIR TREE and placed it before the mantle.
"Teach the children that the pure green color of the stately fir tree remains green all year round, depicting the everlasting hope of mankind, all the needles point heavenward, making it a symbol of man's thoughts turning toward heaven.'

He again reached into his bag and pulled out a brilliant STAR
"Teach the children that the star was the heavenly sign of promises long ago. God promised a savior for the world, and the star was the sign of fulfillment of His promise.''

He then reached into his bag and pulled out a CANDLE
"Teach the children that the candle symbolizes that Christ is the light of the world, and when we see this great light we are reminded of He who displaces the darkness."

Once again he reached into his bag and removed a WREATH and placed it on the tree.
"Teach the children that the wreath symbolizes the real nature of love. Real love never ceases. Love is one continuous round of affection."

He then pulled from his bag an ornament of himself.
"Teach the children that I, St. Nick, (Santa Claus) symbollize the generosity and good will we feel during the month of December."

He then brought out a HOLLY LEAF.
"Teach the children that the holly plant represents immortality. It represents the crown of thorns worn by our Savior. the red holly represents the blood shed by Him."

Next he pulled from his bag a GIFT and said,
"Teach the children that God so loved the world that HE gave HIS only begotten SON..." Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift.

He reached in again and pulled out an ANGEL
"Teach the children that it was the angels that heralded in the glorious news of the Savior's birth. the angels sang "Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace and good will toward men."

Suddenly I heard a soft twinkling sound, and from his bag he pulled out a BELL.
"Teach the children that as the lost sheep are found by the sound of the bell, it should ring mankind to the fold. the bell symbolizes guidance and return."

Santa looked back and was pleased. He looked back at me and I saw that the twinkle was back in his eyes.

He said, "Remember, teach the children the true meaning of Christmas and do not put me in the center, for I am but a humble servant of the One that is, and I bow down to worship HIM, our LORD, our GOD."



Now that I've rambled on and on, I better wrap things up...Have a very Merry Christmas! Enjoy every second of it, because it will be gone before you know it.

I wish every day could be like Christmas

And if I could have one wish come true

I wish every day could be, full of peace and harmony

I wish every day could be like Christmas, I do…

from "I wish everyday could be like Christmas"