Christmas, specifically celebrating the birth of Christ, should be done with great joy! Why is that? Well, Christ was given for the purpose of atoning for our sins – every last one of them. Through sincere faith in Him, there is no punishment from God for the penalty of living wickedly (in disobedience of His way). Honestly, it makes me feel so good in my soul to know that while I certainly transgress against Him, the Lord is tender and patient; He continues to love me with great mercy. So, because I know this is the love that God has for me, I rejoice in celebrating the birth of Christ

Yet, to, Christmas just isn’t celebrated the way it once was when I was little. Where are the smiles, nods, and hellos that’s song about in the songs? Nowadays, people grumble and grow upset about hearing music about being merry and bright; they say they get tired of hearing the same old songs while listening to the same songs throughout the year they have listened to most of their life! You used to be able to expect a show of love around this time of year but that has been replaced with the bitterness of apathy we see throughout the year. Many have heard about Christ and rather than move with love, they move as Herod (worse than a Grinch).

Yes, we have gone through some thing in life, but don’t let the world’s bitterness corrupt your soul. God gave the world His only begotten Son to teach us to love. So, let us do just that: find something to smile about. Find something to be joyful about. Move forward with an uplifting and loving spirit starting this week and then carry it forward; it will do your soul some good and will do souls of those around you some good as well.