Jesus...Not Just An Ornament

It is easy to get caught up in it. I do...every year. I'm neither ashamed nor embarrassed. The fact is, I love Christmas! I love everything about it.

I love shopping on the day after Thanksgiving with Connie. I go so far as to map out our shopping trip. I love the savings, the crowds, the piped in music in the stores, and seeing so many people in their carefully chosen Christmas shopping outfits. (For the record...I just throw on some jeans and a golf hat.) Mostly though, I just like being with Connie.

I love holding the ladder for Austin as he climbs...high...to hang the wreaths and bows on the windows of our house. This year, since our shrubbery out front has grown enough, Austin covered them with tiny white lights. I love the way it looks...and the way it makes me feel.

Much to our neighbors chagrin, we rigged up the giant, white, inflatable polar bear tonight. I love pulling up to our house at night and seeing it there...with hat and scarf and clutching a candy cane.

I love pulling out my chain saw and cutting the tree to fit. Truth is, I only cut about 2 inches off the bottom even though it wasn't really necessary to cut any length at all. I just like using my chainsaw at Christmas. By the way...I am from North Carolina and didn't grow up a city dweller. (I like using my Black & Decker to drill a perfectly centered quarter inch hole in the trunk of the tree for the tree stand too.)

Katie is now tall enough to help me string the lights on the tree. She loves Christmas as much as me. She won't sleep much between now and December 25th.

We'll now spend the rest of the week hanging an ornament or two on the tree as we walk by. We'll pull out some combinations of decorations and try to remember where we usually put them. We won't really remember...but it won't matter.

We'll go to parties and productions. We'll make Christmas cookies and fudge. We'll shop a little more. We'll watch movies.

We'll go to church on Christmas eve (I'll go several times...). We'll come home and sing some carols. Zack will probably play the guitar this year...he is now a far better player than me. We'll allow the kids to open one present (I caved on that one. I held out til two years ago...I got tired of being such a Scrooge about it.) Someone will read the Christmas story from the bible. I will read Twas the Night Before Christmas. We'll send the kids to bed and then...well...you know the drill.

Christmas morning will be so fun. I love...OK...I"m going to say it...I'm going to tell the truth...I LOVE seeing what Santa brought and I LOVE opening the presents we have bought for each other. I just do. I like presents....sue me.

I'll make the sausage balls. We'll play and read and nap and eat all day.

You may be asking, "OK Dave...Where is Christ is all of this celebration? Sounds highly secular to me." You are right. It is. The fact is, Christ is where he always is. I try...I really try...to make the Christ the center of my existence every day...not just at Christmas. Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace...Savior and Lord...every day. Not just another tradition...not just another ornament...not just another decoration. Not a seasonal spirituality or devotion in hyper drive.

I love Christmas. I love it in December.

I love Jesus...every moment of every day.

Enjoy this video from onetimeblind. They make the point well.