DA CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

Seasons Greetings, Happy Holiday, Have A Nice Day, Merry Lukewarm Wishes!!! Do you have the Christmas Spirit yet? I asked that question to somebody the other day...and their response was, "NO". I asked them, "Why not?" Their responses was, I don't know...I just don't feel IT yet."

That got me to ruminatin'...what is the IT...that they are trying to experience? What is this elusive FEELING...the IT...that we have experienced during previous Decembers...that we have not got YET? Is there something that we can do to ourselves to crank up that spirit. Can we manipulate our emotions to FEEL the spirit? Even with all of these things that once brought joy...we come up empty...we just don't have that good old Christmas Spirit yet.

Our feelings are based on previous experience...of Christmas past. Every one's soul (mind, will and emotions) have the imprint of what Christmas means to us. It could be the anticipation of Santa coming, the smell of various foods that have been cooked, the gathering of family members, the deluge of holiday shows/specials on T.V., the sounds of Jingle Bell Rock, Blue Christmas, Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree....or hit list of your favorite secular (godless) Christmas songs, the sound of the bell of the Salvation Army soliciting donations for the poor and homeless (thus relieving the guilt that we have for hoarding our money all year long). Maybe if this global warming thing was not messing up the weather patterns and sending 60 degree weather with rain instead of the White Christmas that I am dreaming about. HO HO HO...or as the political correct version is now...HA HA HA.

Santa Claus has become almost on the same level as some of our concepts of God...as the Christmas Slot Machine. Instead of pulling the lever by prayer... during this season...we pull the lever by sitting on the lap of Santa...and wishing for what we want. We have taken...a Saint....aka Nicholas...and made him the Sugar Daddy for little children everywhere.

I actually...enjoy the various trappings of Christmas...BUT...the various trappings still leaves me empty. What can someone do to recapture...that FEELING of the SPIRIT of CHRISTMAS?

Hmmmmm...maybe if we... as the Beatles waxed poetic.. GET BACK TO WHERE WE ONCE BELONGED.

We...or at least I have at times...have got away for the true REASON FOR THE SEASON. We have de-Christed Christmas (Christ-mass)...and filled it with winter festivals, multiple celebrations lumped in with the birth of the Savior of the World, lowered the bar of expectations by sentimental hogwash, greed, watered down saints in red suits and white beards...and generally edged out the advent of the coming saviour.

Hey...December 25th...probably ain't the actual birthday of Jesus... but it is a time of celebration of who would become the source of peace on earth, good will towards men. It is the entrance of God into planet earth for the precise purpose of becoming the substitute for our sins, and to be the exact representation of God and His will for the world. This baby would grow up...and then go about, do good and heal all who were oppressed by the devil...for God was with Him.

He is still with us...and as we take time to focus on this day and season of His birth...try not to get lost in the trappings as you search for the true meaning of Christmas. It has been said that WISE MEN STILL SEEK HIM...and WISE WOMEN too.

Merry CHRIST-mas and Happy HOLY-days.

Love and Beyond Mistletoe Kisses
Rodney "HO HO HO...HOSANNA" Boyd