Holiday Planning

I write on the web site called Helium and there was a debate proposed on Christmas. The question was asked whether or not Christians will ever be able to reclaim Christmas as a Christian holiday.

I took some time to ponder this. Like many Christians I am frustrated with the commercialization of Christmas and how it is starting to blend in to all of the other holidays. I mean, people decorate their homes with lights for Halloween now. In fact, last year it was estimated that Americans would spend over 5 billion dollars on Halloween decorations. This figure is second only to Christmas.

So can we reclaim Christmas? I don't think Christians have ever lost the holiday and what we can do to spread the true meaning of Christmas, is to share the love and hope of Christ.

As you plan for this year's holiday season, Thanksgiving and Christmas, I challenge my readers to broaden your vision past your own family and reach out to another family.

This Thanksgiving my immediate family, along with my mother, sister, niece and cousins will select a needy family with the assistance of the counseling department at our local elementary school and provide them with a complete Thanksgiving meal. We will each contribute to a huge basket that will be presented to the family prior to the Thanksgiving school break. Included in the basket will be personal testimonies or words of encouragement with our favorite scripture to share the hope of Christ with the poor.

This Christmas, we will do the same thing along with gifts for all members of the family. In order for it to be a success, we have to start now. We aren't rich people, but we are rich with the love of Christ.

There will be no fan fare. No news coverage. No big posters with toy drives and boxes placed in offices or at doors of grocery stores. It will be just us, a few of Gods children sharing the good news and reason for the season, Jesus Christ!

I believe if every Christian family across the world will do this for another needy family, the hype and stress and elves and Santa's and folks who want to ban Merry Christmas and replace it with happy holidays won't stand a chance!

That's melavision. What's your's?