Be of Good Cheer!

There are just two days left to finish wrapping those last few presents, shop for those last few items on the list, checking the list to make sure everyone and everything is covered. As Christmas draws near, I always sigh in relief, as time runs out and I cross out some of the extras on my list that I know I will never get to; things that were not that important in the first place, and I begin to think about the real reason we celebrate the season.
Christmas Carols run through my mind, and I find myself singing to myself those ole familiar melodies. I love attending Church services the Sunday before Christmas, sitting back and listening to the Choir sing of the small babe in a manger, of a mother who holds her tiny infant, her first child, knowing he is destined to change the world. I think of the child Jesus, who was missing, of frantic parents who search for their Son, who upon finding Him are told, He must be about His Father's work. I think of the Savior in a garden, alone...... weighed down with the sorrows and sins of the world, sweating drops of blood under the pain. I think of the weight of my trials and sins that he carried for me and I feel a deep gratitude and love for His sacrifice for me, for those I love and for all mankind.
I often wish we could carry the "Spirit" of this wonderful season with us throughout the whole year. I would never want the rest of Christmas to last, indeed I am more than ready at the close of the yule tide to pack it all away until the next year, except for the spirit. That part of Christmas I would love to see remain forever, for that is the spirit of Love, of Giving, of Peace and good will toward men. May we all "be of good cheer", as we find ways to maintain the spirit of Christmas throughout the coming year. Let us each be a little kinder, a little more giving, a whole lot more like the wonderful Savior, for whom we celebrate CHRISTMAS! I wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas and a New Year filled with joy, love and kindness toward others! Please join me in finding ways to maintain the spirit of Christmas; do not pack it away with the tree and the decorations. Wouldn't that be a wonderful gift for the Man who gave ALL, for us!