Well, it's that time of year again! Merry Christmas everyone! Thanks for reading! Today I want to talk about Christmas spirit.
I was looking through my Facebook wall and I noticed a post saying that the person didn't really feel like they had Christmas spirit this year. I couldn't believe the number of people who had left a comment below that post saying they didn't feel it either. Most of the comments spoke about not putting a tree up, or not finishing shopping, or being stressed about shopping. No wonder these people didn't feel the Christmas spirit! These people have forgotten what Christmas is all about! And so has my daughter, Maddie by the way. Christmas isn't about shopping, or putting up a tree or even about a birthday really. To me, it is a celebration of appreciation. We celebrate Christ's birthday because we appreciate what he's done for us. He has died for our sins. In essence, he has given the ultimate gift. He has given his life, so that we can have everlasting life. If he didn't do that, then we likely wouldn't celebrate his birthday so widely. We don't celebrate Buddha's birthday, or Shiva's do we? (I would think that most people don't.) We celebrate Christ's birthday because we appreciate the sacrifice he did for us. We give gifts to each other to symbolize the great gift that he gave us all. So, who do we give gifts to? We give gifts to those we love and/or appreciate. This year, I will be giving gifts to my daughters and immediate family, but I also gave gifts to three people at my work who do the leg work for me when I am in press. I do this because I appreciate all of the hard work they do for me during the year. You may notice the same thing about yourself. For example, if you live in an apartment building, you may give your doorman a gift or a tip at Christmas time. I am certain that you don't give a tip to the doorman to the apartment building across the street. Why? Because you appreciate what your doorman does for you and your building...but you don't really appreciate what that other doorman does do you? My advice to you? Forget about all of the talk about Black Friday and "Holiday Spirit". Instead, focus on what you truly appreciate and look upon Christmas as a time when you can show your appreciation for all that you have to appreciate. As a Christian, I appreciate what Jesus did for me and I celebrate it. I say Merry Christmas as a greeting because I think it sounds nice and it reminds me to be more appreciative. I say it to the cashier at the store because I appreciate the fast courteous transaction we just completed...or because we chit chatted in line and made the transaction go a little bit quicker...or sometimes just to make them smile. When someone smiles at me, it makes me smile...which brightens my day. At Christmas time, try to appreciate those around you. It will make gift buying seem less like a chore and more of what it should be... a show of appreciation. And maybe...just maybe you will truly feel the Christmas spirit. And by the way, just because Christmas is the time of year that we usually show appreciation doesn't mean that it is the only time of year where you should feel appreciation. Actively try to appreciate those around you each and every day and you will feel the Christmas spirit throughout the year. Then, when you go to express those feelings at Christmas, you will have a truly amazing Christmas time. MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!! (and yes, I did mean to shout that!)
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