Christmas is Time for the Family

Christmas Time!!! One of my two favorite times of the year. Thanksgiving being the other. One of the reasons it is my favorite is because of Family Time. When I was a kid, I can remember the christmas time centered around the family. Christmas Dinners with the grands, uncles, aunts, and cousins, Midnight Madness shopping with the family, family trips to look at christmas lights, families coming to see the kids in the Church Christmas Plays. It doesn't seem like that anymore. Christmas seems to be more for office parties, making sure your kids get the latest techno gadgets, fusses about whether to say Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays. We, the "churchgoers", argue that the atheists, pagans, and Department Stores are taking Christ out of Christmas. However, it is the so-called Christians that are letting Christ slip from Christmas. Even we want to make sure that our kids have the latest in text messaging cellphones, so that they can spend more time talking with their friends. Thus leaving less time for Family-Oriented activities. Christ wants us to spend more time with our kids, teaching them the values of Love of Humanity. Do things with your family that are fun, like going to see a Nativity, baking cookies and other goodies, and Christmas shopping with the whole family. Then take them to do something good for someone. Go into one of those stores that says Happy Holidays, instead of Merry Christmas, buy a few toys for kids at a orphanage, a couple of jackets for the local homeless shelter, or food to make a dinner for a needy family. At the same time, make those pesky electronic devices off-limits. Even for your self. So what will your kids remember about their childhood Christmases? Parents, you have control of your child's memories. Make them special. Don't let them spend their time with electronic devices. Teach them the real Reason for the Season. The best way to fight those that want to take Jesus out of Christmas time, is to let God handle that fight. You just do what He says.....Love God and Love everyone. Help the poor. Teach your kids these things through action. Spend time with your kids. When you do this for your kids, non-believers will see that. God will use that to soften their hearts. Then they, too, will be saying Merry Christmas!!!