Card or no card - it’s still Christmas

 This isn’t a new subject, but traditions have changed in our household after time.  Usually I try to Christmas cards ready to send out on Thanksgiving Day.  As the years have pass, fewer people reciprocate and send cards to our home.  Could it be the cost of stamps?  Could it be that people are too busy?  Could it be that people really don’t want to communicate?  Whatever the reason, remember that Jesus always was and always will be the reason for this Holiday Season.

Things have changed over the years and I get more joy by putting together an album of the Christmas photos that people from our past send to us.  Of course, there doesn’t have to be a picture enclosed in Christmas cards, but it’s so nice to see how other families grow.  Come to think about it, I use to add a Christmas letter in my cards, but that ceased years ago.

Whatever you decide to do, keep praying for your friends (past, present and future); as you remember that Jesus is the true reason for this holy holiday season.  Merry Christmas to you and your family and God Bless Us Everyone!

Christmas card – why?

Why send Christmas cards?

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What does Christmas mean to you?

It is said that people should not debate religion or politics, but does Christmas also have a place in the arena where people tend to “agree to disagree”?  Do we get into a debate as to whether there is a Santa Clause?  Do we get bitter because we’re reminded of the loss of a loved one and it hurts too much to celebrate when this time of the year rolls around?

Is it a continual discussion as to the real birth date of Jesus Christ?  Do you get offended (as I sometimes do) when someone calls Christmas a “Xmas” day?  Is it wrong to send out Christmas cards or type a generic Christmas letter to people telling them about our year in review?  We normally spend more money on coffee or other treats, even if stamps are getting more expensive.  Some people want to celebrate or empathize with you.

Is it all about the cute Christmas songs that we all know most of the words?   Does it matter if we put up a tree, or hang a wreath or string some lights?  How about taking down the decorations – is there a specific day that they should come down?  There’s a lady nearby who keeps some Christmas something up all year – go figure.  Now, that may be taking it to the extreme, but we never know if the family is waiting for someone to come home from overseas.

Some people almost start wars over the true meaning of Christmas.  If you have Christ in your heart, then you could have a joyous season no matter what is displayed.

Christmas is not about the presents, the cards, the decorations, the songs, or the holiday (or is it holyday) – Christmas is about Jesus Christ and how everything that is mentioned above, should be celebrated and focused on with peace, love and the joy that this season brings.  It’s a reminder of how we need to live throughout the year.

So in closing, allow me to wish everyone a very “Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year”.

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Do Christians decorate or not decorate for Christmas?

Some Christians are questioning the validity of “Christmas Decorations” during the holiday season.  There is a group that sees nothing wrong with having a tree, putting up lights or playing traditional Christmas music.  Then there are those who think that Jesus is being lost in the mix and we should not give gifts or focus on anything other than God.

What is Christmas all about anyway?  It is a time set aside to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ; the Nativity.  So, what's so bad about the things in the first paragraph?  Can Christians be true to their allegiance to God & make merry as they send out the proverbial Christmas card or deck the halls?

I do agree that the retail community has commercialized Christmas too much, especially when they tend to draw employees away from their families on Thanksgiving & Christmas Day by having them work on the holiday.  The way that Thanksgiving is lost between the celebration of Halloween and Christmas has gotten worst over the years.  And let’s not forget that some people and some places demand that Merry Christmas be replace by the words “Happy Holidays”.

As I began to decorate this year, my husband & I went to select a “live tree”.  After having had an artificial tree for over 20 years, the lights died.  Decorating the tree reminds me of the wonderful family times that we had in the past: midnight mass, chopping down our own tree, walking through the snow, the Ooo’s and Awh’s when the lights were turned on, family gathering around the dinner table, and the love that is shared during this time.

If this one time of the year gives just one person the desire to come to church, or implants a little joy and good will; then let your light so shine before men - be it spiritual or a little physical.  Instead of criticizing how we express Christmas, let’s spread the love of Christ to the world.

“Jesus is the Reason for the Season” and as you choose to decorate or not decorate – let’s remember to “Keep Christ in Christmas” and love one another instead of condemning how our neighbor chooses to celebrate with holiday decorations.

Isaiah 9:6 King James Version (KJV)

^“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

      ???What Say You???
 

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Why Send Christmas Cards?

Some people may have already started decorating for Christmas, yet in some households the traditional time to “deck the halls” comes right after Thanksgiving.  There are also cards to send out (although a lot of people have evolved more to cyber greetings then using the standard Christmas card). Or are people waiting to see who will send them a card first? Sending cards shouldn’t be a chore or an obligation. It’s a time to “reach out and touch someone”

Make a collage from those Christmas photos

Yes, the cost of stamps has increased; yet take note how the number of your friends, relatives and associates may have dwindled. Some people may have died or just aren’t doing as well as you seem to be doing. They may be “too busy” (now that’s a sad and overused expression – we’re all busy these days), they might have lost your address, or they may have lost their joy – ‘Bah Humbug’. Your card may be the only tangible thing they receive, and can look at throughout the year, knowing that someone still cares.

Cyber cards are fine; however a hand written card is exceptional. It may take a little time, effort and money. You don’t have to get expensive cards (Hint for next year’s cards: Get the pretty ones the day after Christmas for the following year – usually 75% off.); nonetheless it shows that you thought enough to send the very best (sounds like a slogan doesn’t it?)  Even if you get your secretary to do the work for you, it’s better than putting all you addresses in “CC or BCC”, adding a cute little graphic and hitting the “send button”. 

You may not want to “stay-in-touch” anymore (because the other person didn’t respond last year or they just ‘ticked-you-off’), but give the communication effort a couple of years before you decide to disconnect. You may need to let the other person know that they offended you; then do it with kindness, forgive them and move on with your life. The question to ask yourself is, “Who are your friends or who are mere acquaintances that you no longer have a ‘common bond’ to share?”  Sometimes it’s a tough decision (does the person need your friendship, or are they just sucking the life out of you?) After the second year of no response, it may be time to let it go.

If you’ve been blessed to have someone’s physical address, then go ahead – send them a card. The longer you live – the shorter your Christmas card list may become. It shouldn’t be hard to stay in touch at least once a year. Take a little time out of your busy schedule and send a card today. It’s good to get something in the mail besides bills and advertisements.  Besides, the retail market is stealing the true reason for the holiday season.

Proverbs 18:24 KJV “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”

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