_ Shopping is over. No more playing bumper cars in the grocery store parking lot – at least for another year. Lots of food – more than I need.  Packed out Christmas Eve service – I don’t think we could fit another person in our facility.  Family Christmas Day service.  Fun.  Relaxing. Love the carols. Then home with my family to eat and open gifts.  Today… the day after.  Whew. Take it easy.  Exhale.

We willingly dive into this whirlwind we call Christmas to focus our attention on those relationships closest to us. I could do without the shopping and store parking lots but Christmas is a wonderful time to celebrate my relationship with Jesus, my family, my church family and friends.  Christmas is the season which brings out the best in us.  Yet If we are honest, Jesus receives more of our attention at Christmas.  We cut our families and friends more slack at Christmas.  We pack the building for worship more at Christmas.  What’s wrong with this?  Nothing, at least for a day. But what about the other 364 days of the year?   I wonder how our life would change if we celebrated Christmas everyday? Hm, let’s see – Jesus would grab our attention more and more every day.  Rather than singing “Joy to the World” once a year we would be joyful in all things, every day. (Phil 4:4)  We wouldn’t reserve one day a year to cut our family and friends slack, but we would freely offer forgiveness at all times, daily seeking unity and reconciliation with all. (Col 3:13, 14)  Not only would we pack the church in worship on Christmas Eve to celebrate the birth of our Redeemer but we would pack the church regularly to worship Him because we recognize our Redeemer was born so we could be born into an eternal relationship with Him.  We would worship in recognition that our redeemer was born so He could die as a sacrifice for our sins, making eternal life possible. (John 3:16)  We would worship because death did not and will not prevail. Jesus conquered death. He rose again, bringing the power of His resurrection into our relationships, our church, our jobs, our hurts, our family...our lives. Through such worship we would weekly encourage each other to live out our faith in tangible ways that would reveal God's Kingdom to a hurting world.  (Hebrews 10:24-25)

My New Year’s resolution is to celebrate Christmas every day.  How about yours?