CHRISTMAS TIME

WELL, IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN, CHRISTMAS. I MISS THE YEARS WHEN MY CHILDREN WERE SMALL AND BELIEVED IN SANTA. WE WOULD GO TO A LIVE MANGER SCENE. OH YES AND THE TRADITION'S WE HAD EACH YEAR. SETTING OUT SNACKS AND GOODY PLATES ON CHRISTMAS EVE AND INVITING OVER FAMILY AND FRIENDS. SINGING CAROLS AND WATCHING CHRISTMAS SHOWS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS. LETTING EACH CHILD OPEN ONE GIFT ON CHRISTMAS EVE. WHAT MEMORIES. MY CHILDREN ARE 29 AND 32 NOW. BUT THEY OFTEN SPEAK OF THOSE FOND MEMORIES AND ALWAYS WITH A SMILE. YET I ALSO REALIZE THAT THE REASON FOR THE SEASON IS NOT THE FAT -JOLLY MAN IN THE RED SUIT, SQUEEZING HIS LARGE FRAME DOWN CHIMNEY'S AND DELIVERING TOYS TO ALL THE GOOD LITTLE BOYS AND GIRLS. NO, CHRISTMAS HAS BECOME NOTHING MORE THAN A WALET BURNNER. DRAINING ON THE OLE POCKETBOOK. IT HAS BECOME SO COMMERCIALIZED THAT THE ONLY PEOPLE LAUGHING IS THE BIG CORPORATE GIANTS LIKE WALMART, KMART, JC PENNY, TOYS ARE US, SEARS, JUST TO NAME A FEW. THEY ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT SEEM TO BE JOLLY. THE REST OF US HAVE EITHER WORKED ALL YEAR, SKIMPED AND SAVED OR WE HAVE DONE WITHOUT SO THAT OUR KID'S CAN HAVE EVERYTHING THEY HAVE SEEN ON TV AND IN THE TOY ILSE FOR THE PAST YEAR. OR WE HAVE GOTTEN OURSELVES SO DEEP INTO DEBT THAT IT WILL TAKE US ALL YEAR TO CATCH UP. IF NOT LONGER. PEOPLE LIKE WALMART STARTED PUTTING OUT THERE CHRISTMAS STUFF BEFORE THANKSGIVING. WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS? SURE, WE ALL WANTED TO GIVE OUR KIDS EVERYTHING WE DIDN'T HAVE AND MORE. WE HAVE SPOILED THEM TO THE POINT THAT THEY NO LONGER HAVE IMAGINATIONS. THEY ARE OVERWEIGHT- HYPER AND HAVE PROBLEMS LIKE A.D.H.D AND A.D.D. THEY NO LONGER WANT TO GO OUT SIDE AND SPEND HOURS RIDDING THEIR BIKES OR BUILDING FORTS OUT OF TIN AND STICKS. THEY DON'T WANT TO ADVENTURE OUTSIDE TO EXPLORE. INSTEAD, THEY WANT TO STAY GLUED TO THE TV SET WATCHING CARTOON WHERE EVERYONE IS FIGHTING WITH SOME KIND OF A WEAPON, OR THEY WANT TO PLAY VIDEO GAMES FOR HOURS ON END. SURF THE NET, BARLEY NOTICING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MORNING AND NIGHT. THEY HAVE BECOME THE "ME"
GENERATION. CONCERNED WITH WHAT THEY WANT INSTEAD OF WHAT THEY COULD GIVE TO OTHERS. AFTER ALL, ISN'T THAT WHAT CHRISTMAS IS REALLY ABOUT? FOR ALL THOSE THAT CHOOSE NOT TO BELIEVE, I WONDER HOW YOU THINK YOU CAME TO BE. THE MIRACLE OF LIFE. IT TOOK MORE THAT THE ACT TO CREATE LIFE. GETTING THE NOSE IN THE RIGHT PLACE AND THE EYES PLACED JUST SO. AS I WATCH MY GRAND KIDS GROW UP I AM FULLY AWARE OF THE CHANGES THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE SINCE MY OWN CHILDREN WERE YOUNG. THE CHANGES ARE NOT GOOD. WE HAVE BECOME A GREEDY NATION. MOSTLY CONCERNED WITH MATERIAL ITEMS. LOOK AROUND. IN A NATION THAT IS SUPPOSE TO BE THE SUPER POWER, WE HAVE HOMELESS PEOPLE. A LOT OF THE HOMELESS ARE THE VETERANS THAT FOUGHT TO KEEP THIS COUNTRY FREE. WE HAVE CHILDREN AND WHOLE FAMILIES GOING HUNGRY AT NIGHT. WE HAVE LOST THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS. CHRISTMAS USE TO BE ABOUT HELPING OTHERS. I DON'T MEAN PUTTING SOME CHANGE IN THE POT WHILE THAT MAN OR WOMAN RINGS THE BELL FOR HOURS ON END. I MEAN REALLY HELPING PEOPLE. PUTTING A CHRISTMAS MEAL ON SOMEONES TABLE THAT MIGHT NOT HAVE ONE. FIXING SOMEONES CAR THAT CAN'T AFFORD TO HAVE IT FIXED, BUT DESPERATELY NEEDS THEIR CAR TO GO TO WORK. PUTTING HEAT IN SOMEONES HOME THAT DOESN'T HAVE ANY TO KEEP THEM WARM. SITTING WITH AN ELDERLY PERSON THAT HAS NO ONE TO TALK WITH. OUR COUNTRY MUST GET BACK TO THE BASICS. WE MUST REMEMBER WHAT THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS IS REALLY ABOUT. WE MUST START LOVING OUR FELLOW MAN. WHEN OUR FOREFATHERS STARTED THIS COUNTRY, I'M SURE THEY NEVER WISHED FOR THIS COUNTRY TO LOOSE THE TRUE MEANING AND SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS. AFTER ALL, IT'S NOT THE AMOUNT OF TOYS YOU GIVE YOUR CHILD EACH CHRISTMAS THAT COUNTS. ITS THE MEMORIES YOU LEAVE WITH THAT CHILD THAT WILL LAST A LIFE TIME AND BE HANDED DOWN GENERATION AFTER GENERATION. THE GOOD AND KIND THINGS THAT YOU DO FOR A NEIGHBOR OR STRANGER, WHICH WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR YEARS TO COME. JESUS BIRTH, LOVE AND MERCY IS WHY WE CELEBRATE THE 25TH OF DECEMBER, NOT TO FORCE WALMART'S STOCK TO RISE. HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR. AND PLEASE DON'T FORGET "THE REASON FOR THE SEASON"
MERRY CHRISTMAS......