I couldn't let Christmas pass without taking the time to share some of my feelings about Jesus Christ, and wish each of you a very Merry Christmas!  It's late Christmas Eve as I'm writing this post, and for the first time in nearly 30 years, I am not home for Christmas. (although most of you probably won't read this until Christmas day)  When my husband and I realized that we would be alone come Christmas morning, the decision was quickly made that we would spend this Christmas with our oldest daughter and her family.  Christmas without children, for me, was not an option.

It was a real treat to see how my daughter has taken traditions that we developed in our home as she was growing up, and then added some new ones.  My favorite was how they light a candle representing Jesus Christ -- He being the light of the world, and then one by one we each got to light our own little candle from His.  We then went around, by candlelight, and shared our testimonies with each other.  It was a sweet memory that I will cherish for years to come.

The best part about not being home for Christmas, is that someone else gets to do all the cooking!  Which leaves me with a little more time for pondering the true meaning of Christmas.  Earlier today I heard this...  Without CHRIST there would be no Christmas.  That struck me when I heard it, because it is so true!  Without the mission of Jesus Christ, the giving of gifts would not have the meaning behind it that it represents.  It would be simply shopping for others.  In fact, everything that we think of when we think of Christmas probably wouldn't exist.  Evergreen Christmas trees that remind us of eternal life -- His greatest gift! Or the star atop the tree that reminds us of the great Light that came into the world on that first Christmas night -- The Light of the World!  And Christmas lights, too!  Think of all the beautiful Christmas carols that we sing each year, such as "Oh Holy Night", "Silent Night", "Oh Come All Ye Faithful", "Joy to the World", "The First Noel"!  Each of these songs are songs of praise and joy at His coming! Christmas music fills our hearts with the Spirit of Him.  Why, without Christmas carols -- these songs of the heart -- who can even imagine Christmas?  I could go on, but I think you get what I'm trying to convey here.  For the most part, the majority of our traditions point to Jesus Christ and what He means to the Christian world.

To me, Jesus Christ means eternal families -- my eternal family.  I've said it before, but without the possibility to be with my family beyond this life, nothing else has much meaning.  I have a deep testimony of the mission of Jesus Christ -- Who He Is, what His mission here upon the earth accomplished, and His perfect love for each one of us.  That great love is part of the greatest love story ever told, which resulted in the greatest gift to all mankind!  And that is what CHRISTmas is all about.  It is the celebration of His birth -- of Him who came into the world to save us from our sins and make it possible for us, through Him, to overcome this world and be lifted to greater heights!

Christmas is so much more than what commercialism and the world has done with it -- even with the many attempts to ignore its origins.  And what I love most, is that even with all the modern-day commercialism of Christmas, it is still impossible to ignore the true meaning of Christmas!  It's all around us, in all the symbolism that is CHRISTmas!



Without CHRIST, truly there would be no Christmas!


tDMg
Kathryn Skaggs





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