{merry Christmas folks}

The time of year in which red and green, jingle-bell songs, star-shaped sugar cookies covered in sprinkles, pine scent throughout the house, wrapping paper cuts, shopping frenzies, holiday cards, gingerbread houses, tacky sweater parties, anticipation, lists, stress, online shopping, hoping it arrives in time-ing, peppermints, hot chocolate....it's everywhere.

You can't turn on the TV without seeing a cheesy Hallmark Christmas movie.
Every radio station is playing Christmas music...both the annoying ones and your favorites.
All the stores have their shelves and walls and even ceilings weighed down with crazy decorations.
Driving through your neighborhood means a mini light show.
Late night snacks end up being leftover sugar cookie dough. {which is the best}
Christmas hymns are sung at church.
Little brothers count down the days to the glorious morning of Christmas.

It's December, y'all, and that means Christmas time. It means braving the mall and shopping for all hours trying your hardest to find the perfect gift for that person. It means the kitchen is a MESS because all the little kids wanted to help with the cookies. It means hoping for snow because white Christmases are the best. It means secret santa is actually just who-can-figure-out-who-has-who-first.
It means Advent stories around candles. It means giving more and getting less. It means remembering...remembering what we're supposed to be remembering.... Jesus was sent to earth in the form of a small, precious baby.

The Savior of the world was born, in a stable, of a virgin, under the stars, to save us from our sins.

2000+ years ago Christ was born.

No, we don't know the exact date of His birth. And the controversy around this time about whether or not we should actually celebrate Christmas makes my heads spin and confuses me.

You know what doesn't confuse me?

"In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for him in the inn." Luke 2:1-7


Jesus WAS born. He was born, and that is worth celebrating.


Sure, we might not know the exact date, but the fact that He was born is enough to celebrate, right? And the fact that December 25th is the date that was chosen to celebrate just that, doesn't matter. We need to celebrate Him being born everyday. Every month. All the time we need to celebrate the birth of Christ...Because if He wasn't born....we would have no hope. 

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him, may not perish, but HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE." John 3:16

What a gift, am I right? In my family we've been raised to give gifts on Christmas...not because we deserve anything, but because we can. God gave the gift of His Son by sending Him to earth,  Jesus gave us the ultimate gift in dying on the cross for us and saving us from our sins. When we give gifts to each other, it's not only fun and exciting, but it's also something to help us remember that we have been given the best gift of all...Jesus and salvation through Him. 

And say Merry Christmas to everyone. Or Happy Holiday, because it surely was a holy day when He was born. 

So, ladies and gents, instead of arguing whether or not we should have decorated trees in our living rooms, or sing Christmas songs in church, or even making December 25th a special day, let's CELEBRATE HIM.

...I'll be the first to admit that I know little to nothing about the origin of all of the traditions, I just enjoy decorating trees and having them fill our home with sweet smells. Researching and learning about them are helpful, I'm sure, and that's exactly what I am going to do, and I encourage everyone to do the same. 

I also encourage you to enjoy this time. Enjoy all of the fun traditions and colors and songs and smells and tastes. Enjoy shopping and wrapping and giving. Enjoying the anticipation. Enjoy enjoy enjoy. And remember Jesus...Because He is the reason for every season.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On a side note...I'm done. I finished shopping a whole week before Christmas!!! Without fail, for the past 5 years I have been out on Christmas Eve getting last minute gifts. But thanks to a license and some online shopping, I'm done. *cue the angel voices*

Merry Christmas everyone and a Happy New Year, because honestly, I probably won't make it back on here before we welcome 2015. 

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