Christmas Eve 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008 at 5:39 AM 
Happy Holidays! Well, MERRY CHRISTMAS! It was such a shocker in Bel Air yesterday. The lady at the counter said, "Merry Christmas" to me. I looked around to see if she would get fired or struck down by God... but nothing happened. I thanked her for not being scared to say such a heinous thing in public... on the clock. I think I'm so passionate about people saying Merry Christmas, instead of 'Happy Holidays,' because I am so passionate about this Holiday.
Yes, there are many other holidays where we get time off... or at least celebrate some particular day at hand. I think of Valentine's Day. Yes, I celebrate it. Yes, I get a card. Yes, it costs me money, time and energy. But I'm not real passionate about it. In fact, if they removed that special day from the calendar, I wouldn't give it a second thought.
We celebrate many birthdays of great men and presidents. We get time off for great endeavors like Memorial Day. There's also Labor Day and New Years Day. So many special days throughout the year. We even have one for April Fools!
But there's something special about Christmas and what it represents. I don't care that it was originally a pagan holiday that got swallowed up by those of faith. I care so much about this holiday because of Jesus. Same with Easter.
This Man has done so much for me and my family. Not only did He die on a cross, shed His blood, and provide the opportunity for me to live in Heaven forever. But what He has provided me so much in this lifetime... in the here and now. He's given me peace. My friend, Jeff Lasiter, once told me, "Peace is under-rated." I have repeated that 100 times since then. To have PEACE in one's life... THAT is a beautiful thing.
This Man has also given me a great family. Truly, three of the greatest joys of my life are living in the same house as me. Jesus' work on the cross has allowed me to spiritually mature and have a purpose to my life. There's another under-rated commodity - PURPOSE!
Jesus is the reason for it all. The 'holiday,' the time off, the celebration, and the effort & energy we put into this time of year. JESUS IS CHRISTMAS! And saying Happy Holidays... well, to me, it just short-changes and demeans the whole point. It robs the holiday of its power.
So, enjoy the time off, the presents, the family time, the great food... even the eggnog for some of you freaks. But above all - enjoy Jesus and what He has done. And, by all means, don't be ashamed of saying, "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" After all, that's the point!
Christmas, Easter, Employees, Family, Fear, Peace, Purpose in Family, Friendships, Life, Religion / Philosophy, Work / Career
Reader Comments (6)
Merry Christmas to you too Barry and to all of you! may you be bless with love, peace and joy tomorrow as we celebrate the greatest gift that God bestowed onto man. Barry, it is so wonderful of you to elighten us for another holiday that is approching it gives great insight to the strength of ones belief in God and that is St. Valentine, St Valentine meaning: Patron of Love, Young People, Happy Marriages, Valentine was a holy priest in Rome, martyred for refusing to give up his Christian faith. Jailed for defiance during the reign of Claudius II, who, wanted Valentine to renounce his faith but he would not. I will look forward to that day but for now I will celebrate a child that was born in a manger ........God Bless
I just read the blog excellent and truely comes from the heart the true meaning of Christmas. I said "Merry Christmas" even if some people thought I was nuts I didn't care. I hope all of you had a very blessed Christmas this year.
God bless,
David D.
Well written and I hope you guys had a very merry Christmas.
Thanks for the comments everyone!
I loved saying Merry Christmas this year to almost everyone I came into contact with -- store clerks, people who smile at you when passing in a store or on a sidewalk, etc. If anyone greeted me with a, "happy holidays," I responded with a smile and said, "Merry Christmas or have a nice Christmas!" Gladly, no one was ever offended. I often tried to say Merry Christmas before they could say Happy Holidays and if I beat them, they usually responded with a Merry Christmas! What a great game. I, too, am passionate about people not forgetting this beautiful holiday and remembering that it's all about our love and reverence for Jesus, as well as the love and enjoyment of family and friends. I am hopeful that, if enough of us remember to keep Christ in Christmas, with our conversations and deeds, the push for "happy holidays" will start to fade. Maybe more people than we think are ready for that to happen. Hope everyone had a wonder Christmas holiday. God bless us all. -Judy F.
Judy,
thanks so much for your kind words. Great stuff and insight - thanks for sharing!