Sorry about the absence the past couple weeks. I have had the usual seasonal sickness keeping me down!

Before Christmas I wanted to share some thoughts with you about how you can celebrate this season without losing the true meaning. I was watching tv and today and they always refer to the "Holiday Spirit" as an ambiguous feeling of family, decorations, happiness, or even presents. This would be a shameful and shallow view of Christmas.

My wife and I enjoy looking at lights and decorations that people put up on their houses. As we were driving around we remarked on how empty and hollow Christmas would be without Jesus. The commercial and liberal world around us tries to take Jesus out of Christmas but it is they who suffer.

For those of us who call Jesus our Savior we don't need decorations, presents, or a warm fuzzy feeling to celebrate Christmas. We have a different "Holiday Spirit", he is the Holy Spirit. When Jesus left the disciples he told them they would not be alone. He would send his spirit to dwell in them and give them power and courage to live for God. The spirit of God dwells within us and that gives us great cause for celebration.(Eph. 1:13-14)

The point is, you don't need a season, or decorations to celebrate Jesus. Celebrate Jesus now because he saved you and his spirit lives within you. Celebrate Jesus because he made a way possible for you to have a relationship with God. Celebrate Jesus as the long awaited Messiah who came to earth to ransom a people for his name, to redeem us out of a shallow, empty, and hollow life.

It is a merry Christmas because Jesus is more than a baby, he is Savior of the world! I hope your Christmas is exciting as you celebrate Jesus this year!

- Josh