Christmas can be the most dangerous season of all. Just think about it. There's the danger of over stuffing our tummies with all the goodies. Credit traps yawn invitingly on every corner. Cars, clothes, phones, gizmos of every kind and description lurk waiting to sate our appetite for the good life. Alas; January with its overdue bills and catastrophic stress levels is thinly disguised behind the tinsel and glitter of a commercial X-mas.

For some, family disasters from the past dominate memory lane as they try to put a happy face on yet another awkward and painful Christmas. A loved one's December passing, the divorce that culminated too close to the holiday, the heart attack that changed everything: all these conspire to rob the unsuspecting of their happiness as Christmas closes in.

But for the wise and mature believer, none of these really interfere with the joyous celebration of the birth of Christ. Their solution is simple. They buy what is actually needed rather than falling for the latest fad. They do not spend money they don't have for things their loved ones will return the following day. They make it their business to know their family well enough to be aware of their actual needs. And if Christmas sales make it easier to acquire necessities, so much the better.

Shattered promises and broken hearts from yesterday are not allowed to rob them of the peace of God. The mature believer focuses on the fact of Bethlehem's miracle. Shepherds, Magi, Angels, Mary, Joseph, Jesus...THESE crowd out any misery clamoring for their attention.

Be blessed as you celebrate the true meaning of Christmas...the birth of our Savior and Lord, the returning Christ!

Lovingly,

Pastor Rich Orrell