Tis the Season... already.

I went shopping today and everywhere I went there was Christmas music and Christmas decorations. Yes, gird your loins; the holiday season is upon us.

The holidays are a very hectic time for most people. There’s a lot of pressure to find just the right gift for everyone on your list, and even more pressure to ensure everyone is on your list. Miss one person and you’re sent to Santa jail for a time-out. But, if the person you forget is your wife, well let’s just say there’s a 911 call involved.

Christmas has become a lot easier now that my daughter is grown up. Cash is king in her world, so I don’t have to burn most of my brain cells trying to find a good gift for her. Christmas is also easier since the invention of the gift card. I love these things. You can get them at just about any store you can imagine and most people enjoy getting them because it saves time returning stupid things they don’t want.

My wife isn’t too keen on me getting gift cards though. She knows that if I get a $50 gift card for Home Depot I’m probably going to spend at least $100 more by the time I’m done. Hey, can I help that there are tools on sale?! Back me up here guys.

The season is hectic, but fun too. I love giving gifts but I never forget that Christmas is about the birth of my Savior, and that’s the most important thing. The enemy has worked very hard to distract us from Jesus’ birth by changing Christmas into a retail holiday where some jolly fat dude in a red suit flies around the world in one night giving presents to all the good boys and girls.

I’m not saying take Santa out of your festivities, I’m just saying to teach your children about the true meaning of the holiday as the foundation of Christmas, and then throw in a gift or two, or ten.

“Jesus, thanks for coming here and giving us the best present anyone can get: salvation. Let us not forget that Christmas is about you, and help us to not be distracted by the glitter of gifts and trees and decorations. Help us to always keep in mind the true reason for the season. Amen.”