Column: Preparing for Christmas

The most often asked question this time of year may be, �Are you ready for Christmas?� Responses vary from, �Well, I�m hanging in there,� to �Are you kidding?� Actually, the question doesn�t really need an answer. It�s one of those comments people make in passing like, �How are you doing?� and �What�s new with you?�

Getting ready for Christmas for one person may be far different from another. For many, preparations include shopping for gifts, sending seasonal greetings to friends, baking cookies and other delicious goodies, getting extra groceries in for the holiday meal, trimming the tree, having a wreath on the door, wrapping presents for loved ones and then finding places to hide them.

The preceding paragraph is a partial �to do� list of ordinary, even mundane, tasks stemming from habit or tradition. They can cause us to lose focus on the real reason why we celebrate Christmas.

The next time someone asks me if I�m ready for Christmas, I will respond, �Certainly � I am always ready to celebrate the birthday of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!�

In observance of the Advent season, which begins this week, several dozen members of Good Shepherd Lutheran Chapel have written devotional messages to share with others. These brief meditations center around Scripture verses that reflect the themes of hope, peace, joy and love. This is the second year the devotional booklets have been offered to make the Advent season more meaningful.

Whether taking care of traditional tasks or preparing our hearts with Scriptural guidance, celebrating Christmas is, indeed, a special blessing. This December day, it is my pleasure to share this Advent message with TBY readers.

God: The Creator of All Light

�But what is good and perfect come to us from God, the Creator of all light, and he shines forever without change or shadow.� �James 1:17 (The Living Bible: Paraphrased. Red Letter Edition, 1971.)

Every day that we live is a gift from God. How we spend each 24-hour period is up to us. Our decisions, our plans for the day, the people we associate with and the words we speak all reflect our attitude and personality. As Christians, how do we measure up? For the most part, we try to follow God�s commands to love our neighbors (ALL of them,) to share our blessings of money and goods with the less fortunate and to spread The Good News of salvation with others.

All of us, I�m sure, would do an even better job if we keep in mind that without God�s ongoing guidance and prayer, we could accomplish little. Sharing the Gospel is a privilege, a �rite of passage,� actually, not to be ignored. Our God, the Light of the World, shines in our heart and must be shared. Every day offers a fresh opportunity to reach another soul for Christ.

As sinful people, our moods vacillate from day to day. We have our good days and our bad days. We call them our �ups and downs.� Know God is with us, even on those �down� days. His light shines forever �without change or shadow.� We can always count on his promises.

__Prayer:__ Dearest Lord Jesus, the true Light of the World, we thank you for daily care and blessings and for the promise of life eternal in your Kingdom. Grant us spiritual growth with each new day as once again we observe �the Advent of our King.� Amen.