What does Christmas mean to you?

I reached out to people for today's post and here is what I got in reply. Thank you for all who helped me out. 

Christmas is many things. One that God has been teaching me through advent season is that Christmas is hope. Christmas is Jesus entering into the chaos of the world. After years of silence, God answered in an unexpected way through Jesus, the question "how long?." Christmas is for everyone- the marginalized and the vulnerable. This changes the world and it changes me. Christmas is about this celebration that God has met us where we are, which leads to a cross. A time to worship and celebrate that hope has come to you and me. Christmas is the reminder that Jesus came for me and hope saves.

-Trisha Cousino

Christmas means so much- sure, it’s wonderful to spend time with my family and friends while laughing heartily  until time passes. However, it means so much more to me than solely spending time with others; it’s also an opportunity for us to grow in our faith. If we are able to grow as individuals, though our faith, we can then prosper even more- we can share our growth with others and find happiness in our progress as individuals.

-Reagan Stohler

Christmas to me means being together with family and all the traditions a family has. I love being home, just spending time with my siblings and parents. My family has never been big into buying lots of gifts. The time we spend with each other means more to me than any gift I could receive. And, for as long as I can remember, I have always valued being with family over the holidays. As I have gotten older, that desire has only gotten stronger. The traditions that my family has are both fun and sentimental. And some, as silly as they might be, still mean so much to me. 

-Lorraine Gamble

Hey bro, to me, Christmas is obviously about celebrating the birth of Jesus! What an amazing story it is!! It is also about taking a break from our normal schedules to be with family and relax!!

-Eli Miller

Luke 2:11

“For today in the city of David there has been born for you a savior, who is Christ the Lord.” 

Christmas is almost here and I think it’s easy to lose sight of what this special day is really all about. Of course the decorations, cookies, presents, Santa, and Rudolph are all fun things to look forward too on the 25th but this date is so much more than the tradition of a jolly man in a red suit leaving some gifts under the tree. 

At least for me, when I was a kid I didn’t really have the concept of Christmas right. But as I’ve grown into my faith it’s clear to me that He is the reason for the season. 

In the scripture stated above, Christ is born! Baby Jesus was God’s gift to us. As I’ve grown up I’ve learned that this gift is something not to take lightly. Sure, I’ve been given some gifts from family that if I lost or broke it I would never hear the end of it, but this is an everlasting gift given to all of us that cannot be broken. This is a gift that’s more than temporary change or things–He offers us new hearts that will last for eternity. 

Unwrap it 

God wants us to open His gift today, tomorrow, Christmas day, New years Eve! Whenever it may be this gift is front and center of all the other gifts you got this holiday season waiting to be unwrapped by YOU! 

On Saturday I went to our churches Christmas Eve service, and our head pastor Mark Beeson said something that really spoke to me. He said, “How would you feel if you bought an expensive well thought out gift that you couldn’t wait to give someone and they didn’t open it?” And I thought about it some more–I would be kind of upset, maybe a little offended. But Mark wasn’t speaking about us–he was speaking about God’s gift. Maybe some people may not think they are worthy enough for this gift. They’ve made too many mistakes that there’s no going back. No no no. that’s not the case at all. God doesn’t care that you made wrong actions or decisions that had been made in the past. The one decision He cares about is your decision to unwrap His gift this Christmas.

sIn

The middle letter in the word sin is I. We aren’t all perfect, but when you put yourself before God and his glory you are bound to sin through your thoughts, temptations, actions, words, etc. I want to put emphasis on the fact that WE AREN’T PERFECT. We all fall short of the glory of God. But, if we claim that we have not sin we are simply calling God a liar. 

Sin is one of the many reasons for you to unwrap God’s gift this Christmas. 

A gift of Love

God intervened because of love. This gift is the biggest gesture of love for us. He gave us Jesus to receive the gift of forgiveness, peace, and eternal life through Jesus. And our gift back to Jesus is worshipping Him, accepting Him into our hearts, and opening the greatest gift you could ever receive. 

Keep your eyes on Him

Don’t lose sight of what the Holidays are really about. Of course embrace the Christmas traditions. But, be sure to keep your eyes on the greatest gift of Christmas—Him. 

God wrapped this gift with love– accept it with an open heart for an eternal life of peace and forgiveness. Just remember to unwrap with care!

-Allie Piatt

Christmas. I guess I’ve never had to answer the question of what Christmas means to me. The world tells us that Christmas means presents, parties, family and a fair share of stress and spending. And hopefully some pretty snow. But Christmas is THE DAY JESUS WAS BORN! 🙌🏼 The total reason we even celebrate this day is to remember God’s sending of His Son to save us! Ahh, and I’m so thankful for that! The Savior has been born in Bethlehem! If you have a Bible, you can read about this in Luke 2, go check it out! 

-Rosemary Fisher

What does Christmas mean to me: so all my life Christmas has meant gifts and giving and being with family and i was always selfish wanting to give the best gifts and receive the most and a few years back i realized it’s not about how much or the quality it’s about family and being with the ones you love. but this year i’ve realized that it’s not either of those things. Christmas is about Christ and all that he has done for us. it’s about the fact that he died for us. he graced us with the ability to freely spend time with out friends and with our family. His birth and his death is what gives us the ability to love and to laugh and to be free. Christmas is about what Christ did for us and what we can do for others in the name of Christ.

-Megan Richardson