Merry Chistmas! WARNING: Soapbox ahead!

Thanksgiving has come and gone, but hopefully we are all still finding many things to be thankful for.
I am always so excited for Christmas to arrive. One highlight for me is going to buy a beautiful Christmas tree and decorating it with beautiful angels and roses and white lights (things that remind me of the gift of Jesus and God's love for his people). I love thinking about my loved ones and dear friends and considering who they are and what they love and finding special gifts for each of them (of course sometimes the perfect gift is hard to find and you just have to settle for the list).
The obvious is that I love cooking and baking, hence "The Sweet Spot," and I am just gearing up to make some wonderful cookies and treats for neighbors and friends.
I will say that over the past few years Christmas has begun to bring some bitter with the sweet. Let me explain. As I listen to the news reporting how "Merry Christmas" must become, "Happy Holidays" and school music programs are changing the words to songs like "Silent Night" to sing a message of holiday materialism rather than the birth of our Savior; I just can't help but have a few thoughts I'd like to throw up on a Soapbox.
So here they are....
If you don't want to celebrate the Birth of Christ...then don't; however don't go changing our holiday! Get your own holiday and celebrate it at a different time or at least don't call it Christmas. If Saint Nicolas was around to see what has become of his name and his story I think he would rip his clothes off, put on a sack cloth and weep. Most people don't even know the real story of St. Nick. His mission and his passion for God and serving others have been reduced to a Jolly fat man with elves giving gifts to children on a works basis. What about the real story? St. Nick was a man who wanted to remain anonymous as he met the needs of needy people in his community. He was so grateful for the blessings he had received that he wanted others to know the blessings and love of God. St. Nick is a saint because he wanted life to be about worshiping God not the blasphemy of worshiping Santa or any other manmade idol.
Now, I am not saying pull "Santa" from Christmas, I am saying let's return to what Christmas is really all about and put Santa back in a position of reminding people about giving and not receiving and reminding people to worship the True God in awe and adoration, love and gratefulness.

You may be wondering WOW, where did ALL that come from, "that" meaning my rantings about Christmas.

Answer: Oh, it's been building a little more every year, but this year it seems to have climaxed, with the news stories, all the stupid (and may I add, hideous) inflatable 25 foot yard art Santa's, snowmen, snow globes, etc. My neighbor actually has the following items displayed in his yard: The huge Santa, a giant bear wearing a Santa suit, a huge snowman and hoisted on the shoulder of the snowman and matching baby snowman...all these things inflatable. And to top all these my attitude was spurred to writing when I drove by a house whose Christmas decorations were a string of lights and on their rooftop an inflatable Sponge Bob Square Pants in a Santa hat. And this is what the Celebration of our Lord Jesus Christ, the ultimate gift of life, love, grace and forgiveness has been reduced to.

I think next year I may just decide to celebrate Christmas in late January when all the fuss is over. When people ask why I still have my decorations up I can tell them that most of the World never even celebrated Christmas but rather celebrated Santa and Sponge Bob and in order to remind my own heart of the true meaning of Christmas I decided to separate myself from the distractions and demise of what is becoming of the "holiday season."
There are still families who read the Christmas story, reflect as they light their advent candles, have the reminder of their Nativity scene and give time and money to helping the less fortunate. And even for those of us who are a part of these traditions there are times we get caught up in the "hoildayness" of it all, we are giving gifts and making lists, but hopefully we are exchanging gifts to express our love for others, and as a symbol and reminder of the amazing day God blessed us with the greatest gift of all - Jesus.

I do love Christmas but my heart is grieved for people who are missing its meaning, and I earnestly desire that my heart will never be distracted and miss it. The story of Jesus is too wonderful and amazing to ignore.
Please Lord, may I never lose sight of that!

Because of the true meaning of Christmas; "Merry Christmas to each of you!"