I woke up this morning with my usual aches and pains– a constant reminder of many things, and a mental list of things to do–more than I am able, and a wife who has more physical problems than I do or that you know about. But some folks didn’t wake up this morning. So I am blessed!

Shortly after taking a pill—yeah you know which one, to take the edge off, I began thinking about my dear preacher friends over the last half-century. The names are rushing to the forefront of my mind—-Charles Thomas, David Cavin, Bill Dowell, Leon Grey, John Hardy, Fred Neidy, Gene Hankins, Al Locke, Charles Ashcraft, etc… It’s a long list!  If I’m not mistaken, I now have more in heaven than on earth. Not only that, but some of my preacher friends that are still alive are in no shape to continue in the ministry. I can’t help but wonder “Why?” Don’t get me wrong, I know all the stock answers, etc., but I am still amazed by the grace of God that has blessed me so greatly—I woke up this morning!

What I’m trying to say is that it is great to be alive and able to serve the Lord. Even though I can’t do everything that needs to be done, I can do some things that better men than I are now unable to do. I have no cause to complain. I am so very thankful for the goodness of  God that has blessed me so greatly–so much more than I deserve. Regardless of what happens today it is going to be a great day in one way or another. And, if you are a child of God the same is true of you (Rom. 8:28). Remembering who we are and what we have in Christ brings Sonshine to any day. Have I told you–“The best is yet to come”? Until it does we have grace–and it is “sufficient”.

“Happy New Year!”— that’s what we will hear over and over again the next few days, and it is nice to receive such thoughtful expressions of concern for our welfare. But, the question that begs to be answered is this— What will it take for you to have a happy new year? With just a little thought we all could come up with a list. Many, however, will be miserable regardless of all the good things that God sends their way. One of the main reasons for this has to do with their attitude toward others.

Although God is the primary reason for our happiness, let’s not kid ourselves– we are greatly affected, for good or bad, by what others do or don’t do. For example, family and friends can bring us more happiness than all the money in Fort Knox, but they can also make us sad and mad when they fail to live up to our expectations. And it is a sad day when we allow others to determine whether or not we will be happy.

Although they could be, and should be, a great blessing, what are you going to do if they choose to do otherwise? Are you going to live your life depending on others to make you happy? That would be a big mistake. If you are a child of God you have reason to rejoice regardless of what others do or don’t do. You can’t afford to allow them to dictate whether you will be happy or not. That choice should be yours! If our relationship with God is such as it should be we will be happy even if—-
— no one comes to our aid in time of need.
— no one speaks an encouraging word when we are cast down.
— our best efforts are criticized.
— faultfinders point out our errors.
— others take advantage of our kindness.
— those we’ve helped show no appreciation.
— we are excluded from activities when others get together.
— others lie about us, cheat us, use us, etc.
The list could go on and on. Life on earth will never be perfect. We will be disappointed and discouraged about some things, but we must not allow those things to govern our lives. Because you are heart-broken about one thing doesn’t mean you should be sour about everything. Fix your focus on Christ and you will always find a reason to rejoice. Remember— “...whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he.“(Prov. 16:20). Think about it!

Over the years I’ve noticed that the biggest blessings often come in unexpected ways and at unexpected times. Such was the case Wednesday evening. Since it was Christmas Eve our attendance was way down as you might expect. We only had about 30 in attendance, so we all sat in the choir loft. After singing Christmas carols we shared testimonies with one another. Had we not done anything else that was worth the trip! I am so glad I didn’t miss hearing the things I heard. After that, Bro. Kenneth and I read the Christmas story straight from the Bible (KJV) and then dismissed in prayer.I left the service with the deep impression that sometimes less is more.

Sadly we live in a day when simple things are scorned by being considered inferior. Don’t believe it! The world has convinced us that a big stage production is necessary. They want things big, loud, and showy. If you’ve ever watched a talent show you’ve probably heard a judge say, “You were over-singing the song”. I’m convinced that churches are sometimes guilty of doing just that. And we end up applauding the performers rather than praising the Lord. I’ve come to believe that sometimes simple things, done in sincerity, bring the greatest blessings. I saw proof of that Wednesday night. I can’t think of any place I would rather have been than sitting right there in a chair in front of the “choir” reading the story of our Savior’s birth. It was a special night. It was for good reason that Kipling wrote,”Teach us to delight in simple things”. Sometimes simple things are most special. Think about it!

“Tis the season—“, you know the rest. But “jolly” isn’t a word that describes the average person this time of the year. Let’s face it, most people are so stressed out by Christmas that they are miserable rather than merry. Wow–how times have changed! We actually enjoyed Christmas when I was a kid.

Christmas was my dad’s favorite time of the year. I think that was due in part to the fact that he had a rough childhood. When grandpa died, dad had to drop out of school in the 8th grade and go work on a farm for room and board. So when he had his own family, Christmas seemed to transform him into a kid again–something very much out of character for him. Normally he had an all work and no play attitude– fishing and hunting excluded of course. His joy regarding Christmas didn’t stem from anything religious, nor was it based on receiving or giving expensive gifts. If I could describe Christmas at my childhood home it would be the appreciation for and joy of simple things. Dad and I would always get the tree while on a hunting trip, and he was very picky about it looking just right. He would bring the tree home like it was a trophy and present it to mom, as though there was nothing else for him to do, and it was all up to her. Dad wasn’t lazy, but he wasn’t of any help when it came to doing things related to what he deemed to be the woman’s duties.

So,sis and I would help mom decorate the tree. She, however, was unquestionably the director of the production. Decorating the tree was really quiet simple. Mom would pop a batch of popcorn which sis and I would string on fishing line and wrap around the tree. Mom also made popcorn balls that were hung on the tree with a few ornaments that were used year after year. The finishing touch was a big white star trimmed in red that perched on the top branch of the tree. I can almost see it now. Then of course there were the stockings that would be stuffed with nuts, fruit, and a little candy. Although I knew what to expect from year to year I couldn’t wait to examine the contents of my stocking, as though something wonderful would magically appear.

Well I could ramble on and on describing the simple gifts and the super food associated with Christmas. In my mind, mom was the best cook in the world (did you ever eat real homemade mince meat pie? I’m talking about with real meat!), so this was no small part of Christmas. As for the gifts, we pretty much knew what to expect. For me it was always a new pair of jeans, a shirt, underwear, and one toy. And dad had a rule, no one was allowed to open their gifts until Christmas morning. That was like torture for us kids. We would beg and plead to open just one gift, but to no avail. I was probably 15 before we finally convinced dad that opening one gift on Christmas eve wouldn’t ruin everything. But, I’ve bored you long enough, so I’ll get to the point.

If you want to enjoy this wonderful time of the year, keep it simple! Don’t let yourself get so caught up in the rush that you ruin the joy. We already have enough stress with the normal things of life without going head-over-heels in debt trying to please everybody and trying to do everything you can think of. Keep it simple. Focus less on material things and more on the true meaning of Christmas. If we keep our mind on the greatness of God’s gift to us we can’t help but have a wonderful Christmas. I suspect that’s what God would want. Be merry not miserable! We have a plaque at home with these words by Kipling on it– “Teach us to delight in simple things.” That my friend is still good advice! Merry Christmas!

There are many misconceptions about Christmas, and naturally a lot of confusion. For example:
1. The actual date is not known.
2. The wise men were not present at the birth of Christ. They didn’t come until about two years later.
3. Christmas was not a time of universal joy and peace. Other than Joseph and Mary the shepherds were the only people celebrating the event.
4. We are not commanded to observe Christmas! No where does the Bible tell us that we are to celebrate the birth of Christ. We are commanded to remember His death and resurrection, but not His birth. It was Rome that took a major pagan festival, which celebrated the rebirth of the sun god on Dec. 25, and made it Christmas–“Christ’s Mass”. Most people don’t realize that the Pilgrims and early settlers in New England refused to celebrate Christmas. They even passed laws against it. In 1910 the “Texas Baptist Standard” ( a Southern Baptist publication) printed an article presenting reasons why Baptist should not observe Christmas. No wonder people are confused.

Now, before I go to my next point, I want to say that if a person chooses not to observe Christmas he has every right to do so and we have no right to criticize him. Refusing to observe Christmas does not make you a bad or less spiritual person– and observing it does not make you better. Over the years I’ve had good preacher friends who strongly opposed observing Christmas, and I do not think more or less of them for doing so. But I do take offense at them trying to impose their personal preferences upon me and others as though they were commandments from God. If you don’t want to observe Christmas don’t, but don’t demand that everyone else does as you do.

5. The Bible does not tell us that we shouldn’t celebrate the birth of Christ. Some who oppose the observance of Christmas seem to think that this is so. They aren’t content to ignore Christmas, they are on a crusade to persuade everybody else to do the same. They leave the impression that we are scripturally obligated to not celebrate our Savior’s birth. But if we must find a command to justify everything we do we will have to make a lot of changes. The fact of the matter is that God has given us the liberty to do as we please unless it violates some command or principle of the Bible. We don’t have to have a verse from the Bible telling us what time we should assemble on Sunday or whether or not we ought to have Sunday School classes, etc. When it comes to Christmas, I believe there are more good reasons to celebrate the birth of Christ than there are to not do so. Here’s some things that come to mind:

I. IT GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO GLORIFY GOD
1 Cor. 19:31 says, “ Whether therefore ye eat , or drink , or whatsoever ye do , do all to the glory of God.” What can be wrong with setting aside a day to thank God for sending His Son and our Savior as He promised? Whether we do it everyday or any day is our choice to make as far as I can tell.

II. CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS GIVES US A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO PREACH THE GOSPEL
If the apostles went to the Jewish synagogues and other places to preach Christ, why shouldn’t we use Christmas as a contact point to tell others about Christ? While Christ is already on people’s mind would that not be a good time to expound upon His person and work. What is gained by ignoring the opportunity?

III. CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS IS MORE HELPFUL THAN HARMFUL
Refusing to celebrate Christmas would tend to be more offensive than if we did. It is true that there are certain things that we should do even if it offends others, but this isn’t one of them. This is a matter of custom, a custom that does not violate scriptural principles and , if I understand what Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 9:19-23 we are not to offend in these areas. Be honest– do you think others will think more highly of you because you refuse to celebrate Christmas? I strongly suspect that your criticism of Christmas would do more harm than good. What is to be gained from that?

IV. CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO DRAW CLOSER TO ONE ANOTHER
We’ve got more than enough things dividing us. We need everything we can get to draw family and friends together. Christmas sure beats the “Superbowl”.

V. CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS REMINDS US OF GOD’S GREATNESS
The birth of Christ is a remarkable story, reminding us of God’s great wisdom, power, and love. It should be a source of great joy and encouragement. In times like these we need that!