It's Christmastime

By Mary

Life always seems to get even more busy than usual during the last couple months in the year. Add house-hunting, buying and moving into all the parties and extra activities and you have a busy holiday season. We're all moved in to our new house--which stays warm, has space for a kitchen table, has cupboards that both open and close without a fight, an oven that doesn't set off all the smoke alarms everytime I heat it over 375 degrees and a stove top that doesn't tilt all the liquid into the back of the pan. I'm thankful. I'm sure it'll be my favorite Christmas present this year.

There's not a box to be seen in the house--they're all sitting in the garage, waiting for trash day. I do have a assortment of odds and ends waiting to find their place, a large stack of picture frames looking for the ebst spot on the walls and several stacks of books that require another bookcase before they can move off the floor.

But it's home and it's ours--and it's a wonderful feeling.

We decorated our Christmas tree last night and I've only bought one present--almost three months ago when I happened upon it in the store and couldn't pass it up. I have the feeling Colorado-bound Christmas presents will be a bit late this year.

Christmas music is everywhere, the city put up green wreaths and red bows and lights shaped like snowflakes and angels blowing trumpets all along the roads. And every night there's a different Christmas special on tv.

We never did the Santa Claus thing when I was growing up and I'm amazed at how many songs and shows are all about him, how everyone wants to make him the star of Christmas. I can go on about how silly or awful that is until I stop and think how much like my own life it is. As some say, Jesus is the reason for the season. Ultimately that won't change even if everyone forgets His birth altogether. And He is and will be the reason for each one of us, whether we live that way or not. One day everyone will recognize it. But me...having recognized it, why should I go on in a way that reflects me as lord of my own life? Where His light and love and humility in my life?

It's Christmastime...and Jesus is the reason for the season and every breath that we take. Let's not forget to live that way.