I LOVE the Christmas season.  Yep, I said season.  Because a season lasts longer than a “time” or several weeks.  It lasts a few months!  There is something about the Christmas season that just puts joy in my heart and makes me want to sing!  Well, it’s not just something actually it’s someone that puts that joy in my heart and makes me sing!  It’s the reason that we celebrate.  It’s the celebration of the beginning of the story.  Well, actually the story began long before but this is the beginning of my favorite part of the big ginormous huge story!  Confused?  I’m starting to confuse myself.  Where was I?!  Oh yes, it’s no wonder that our hearts are filled with joy and glee (love this word, and I don’t even watch the show!) during the Christmas season.  How can we help but be merry when we are celebrating the coming of the giver of all true joy.  I think it’s kind of cool how the world has taken the time of year that we celebrate our Savior’s birth and done a lot to commercialize it and call it a “holiday”.  What?!?  She thinks its cool?  Freako!  Wait a second, I wasn’t finished!  And while you’re waiting tell your favorite barista you need to switch to decaf cause you’re getting a little too fiesty!  Anyway, where was I?!  What I’m talking about is how man has tried hard to “manufacture” fun and cheer and well, JOY around all things Christmas (or Holiday, or Winter or whatever you call it depending on which store you’re in!).  And no matter what we call it or don’t the joy that is overflowing from our hearts this time of the year cannot be manufactured or bought.  It is a joy that cannot be squelched by pain or fear, death or turmoil.  It is a joy that cannot be hidden or overlooked by calling Christmas another name like Holiday.  It is the joy that overcomes all other emotions because it is the celebration of the coming of HOPE, LOVE, POWER, LIFE, FORGIVENESS, PEACE. . . (can I get a witness or do I need to go on?!?)!!   When we are filled with His Spirit our hearts can’t help but burst forth with joy.  Even though we may become busy with life, one Christmas party too many, yelling at the kids to “Put up Jesus! He’s not a toy!” as they throw your nativity scene across the living room and even though we may feel real pain from missing a loved one that departed this life too early for our likings, etc, etc, etc . . . at the end of the day (and the beginning, middle and end) my soul is joyful!  I know it sounds so cliche, so Sunday School answer (that’s for all my Baptist peeps)!  Let me wrap it up and put a little (ok HUGE) bow on it for you.  Christmas isn’t about presents and toys, carriage rides and parties, Christmas cards and who you didn’t get a Christmas card from.  Duh!  You’ve heard that part before?!  Call it what you want (with no disrespect meant to my King of Kings) and live it up with all the fun activities and commercialization the world has worked hard to create, because no matter what you do or what you don’t the season itself can’t help but point back to the ONE for whom the celebration began long ago!  Joy, people.  That’s what I got!

And these are a few of my favorite (Christmas) things. . . . (the non-Sunday School version)

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