Christmas Time is Here !!!!!

Its Christmas day, and I am reminded of the song the children sing from the Charlie Brown cartoon when I was young. As they skate about on a frozen pond, they sing these words: "Christmas time is here, Happiness and cheer, Fun for all the children call, Their fav'rite time of year."

I am somewhat remorseful this year as it is customary for relatives and freinds to exchange gifts. This month one of my dogs had to go into the vets and the final bill wound up being over $1,000. Then my heater, which is 2 years old, broke down completely. As my salary each month is $2,700, and the mortgage and utilities had to be paid, I am left with seemingly empty hands. I, as many of you, am rather repelled by the commercialism for "making a buck" that retailers have turned Christmas into. The Christmas trees in stores and holiday decorations are merely shades of greed, disguised as a form of acceptability. In spite of technology, mankind's nature does not change.

Yet this is not what Christmas is truely about. As I was enroute to church Sunday morning (and thats a whole nother story) there is a particular hill on Bells Ferry Road near Freedom Middle School where one can see a wide part of the skyline. As I was talking to God, up in the sky there was an unusual line of cirrus clouds. These clouds (which were not the result of contrails) formed the shape of a cross, complete with a head sagging from the apex. I have never seen cirrus clouds form this particular shape before. As I continued along, I noticed that the cloud formation which had caught my eye could only be seen from this hill and was hidden partially by the surrounding terrain.

Christmas is about God's gift to us. Jesus Christ, His son. Therefore it is with love alone that I will join my family this year. I thank you, Lord, for your very special Christmas gift to us. I thank you for the lives and health of those I love. It is with joy in my heart that I wish you the happiest of birthdays, Lord Jesus!