It’s that time of year again. The lights, the trees, the carolers, the shopping…oh the shopping. Yes, it’s Christmas time again. As we gather this time of year with family and friends, let’s remember just what brings us together. 2000 years ago a child was born in Bethlehem. That child would later grow up and give his life to save the world from itself. Every year on December 25th, we as Christians come together to celebrate the birth of this wonderful child.

Over the years, numerous distractions have come to take away from this celebration. It’s still a celebration, but what exactly is being celebrated has become distorted. Take for instance, the day after Thanksgiving. One day after we give thanks to God for all he’s given us, we go and give it all to Wal-Mart. The practice has become so revered, yet so dreaded that we’ve given it the name “Black Friday.” Retail stores near and far try to be politically correct by not saying the “C” Word. Posters and store workers ring out “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings” these days. Football gives us solid, round the clock entertainment with bowl games running almost non-stop from Dec 22 - Jan 8. I am not saying that shopping or football is bad. I am saying however, that the celebration of a new gadget or a touchdown celebration is not the highlight of Christmas. Let’s remember that Jesus truly is the reason for the season. When you gather this Christmas, remember to give thanks to God for your family, and for Him to send His Son to us all those years ago. And please remember to have a very Merry Christmas! God Bless!

From Staff Writer Brandon Gilbert