In Search of the Spirit of Christmas

The house is totally decorated for Christmas. I find that this year I have been thinking about Christmas from a different perspective. It usually seems (before) that I was almost forced to not think about presents and lights and trees and family. This year I have been spending a lot of time really getting to know my Lord. God has brought many precious women into my life whom he has been speaking through not to mention 2 very special books and the most important His Word.

In my attempt to isolate the one and only true Christmas spirit, I have tried to separate fact from fiction.  Like most of us I have a suspicion that much of my emotional attachment to Christmas stems more from my Santa Clause days then the news announced to the shepherds some twenty centuries ago.  So every year I read and study the Christmas Story in Matthew and Luke and try to parrot the cliches of "Jesus is the Reason for the Season" and "Keep Christ in Christmas".  But when all is said and done I wonder...what really fuels my Christmas sentiment?  Isn't there more to Christmas than family get-togethers, decorating, singing in choirs, baking and spending time opening gifts around the tree?  For so many this is what their Christmas spirit is...traditions.

How often is Christmas over and we say...We've done it again.  We have come to the Kings birthday party empty handed.  We all know the story of the first Christmas.  Even those who are not believers know about the first Christmas.  But how deeply have we researched and meditated on each character and what it means in our lives?  More to come...