Merry Christmas...

First I must wish all of you Merry Christmas!
There are some things I always reflect on at Christmas. I am always amazed by the commercialism of the season.  I say that with reservation because as in all things American the reaction we see in the stores, politics and every other area of our lives is driven by the people. Whether we want to admit it or not we the people drive the bus. We drive commercialism. To change the things we don't like means we all have to agree and have the same goal in mind. This element of  unity is the most disappointing thing in all of the USA. For example, next Christmas could be all about the children and random acts of kindness to our fellow Americans. I can assure you we will all ooh and aah at the acts of kindness we here about on the news but most of us won't participate. It would really be nice to see a movement among the majority of Americans to pick the Christmas season to be kind and generous to our fellow patriots. Empty the malls and gather in the streets. We all know people who are doing without this year. What did we do for them? Maybe this should be a lesson learned year. Next year we can change. Next year we can remove the commercialism and perform random acts of kindness and bring joy to the children. The biggest thing we hear about and many of us feel is the need for change. Change starts with you and me. What will it take to make us great? Random acts of kindness is a great start. With the idea comes the pitfalls. Don't confuse random acts of kindness with a feeling of entitlement. There is no excuse to think you deserve something you didn't pay a price for. If you receive an act of kindness pay it back with two. If you perform a random act of kindness every day for thirty days it becomes a habit. Habitual kindness cannot be defeated. Give it a try.
My next Christmas rant is in the area of gift giving. I have adamantly opposed the giving of things people need at Christmas. If someone needs something and you can give it see the above paragraph. Beyond that Christmas should be fun. The rule of gifting at Christmas should be give gifts that people wouldn't buy for themselves no matter how bad they want them.Gifts should be the fun things we want people to have but they can't make themselves purchase them or they can't afford them. No gift should be a reflection of something that means the other person is required to use the gift to perform menial tasks that reflect unpleasant work. Fun! Think Fun!
My final rant will always be this...
We have all read the classic Christmas stories to our families over the years but how many of us read the the story of the reason we celebrate the season. I had a discussion the other day about time travel. My ultimate trip was to visit a stable in Bethlehem on a special night and I'm sure you know which night I'm writing about. I am so tired of all the focus of this season being on everything but the birth of our Saviour. If you profess Christianity your focus should be based on the foundation of your faith. Period. Participate in your church activities focused on the season. Go caroling. Start a food bank and deliver the gift packages on Christmas eve. Bring joy to the people. Live the gospel. It's not about the malls. Learn a craft. Make your gifts. be creative but be something besides a puppet caught up in the commercialism we've grown so tired of. If you like to bake then bake! if you are a craftsman or woman then craft to your hearts content. I dare you, no I double dog dare you to try something different next year. Go to the woods and decorate a tree. Leave it in the woods and decorate it. Make it fun. Put out bird feeders and feed the birds. There is just so much more to Christmas than we choose to participate in. If I can challenge you in anything it's be different than you've ever been. If you already do some of these things I would challenge you to do more. Make the sacrifice. It's the season of kindness are you participating?
I love all of you and wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!!!!