Throwing money at the holiday spirit

After a great thanksgiving and several moments spent pondering the wonderful blessings in my life and the lives of my family, I was thrilled to get into the Christmas season. I sing Christmas songs throughout the year (just ask Lisa), and it's fun when I'm actually in the same season as everyone else. Many people have commented lately that they are so excited that thanksgiving comes before Christmas so they're in the right mood. This being said, I've been quite amazed how differently we act. I was so humbled while listening to the radio the other day while going to help someone with a computer problem. They said they'd never had more money and goods donated than this year and we're just starting the Christmas season. In a time of a financial crisis, what a statement.

On the other hand, I wish "budget" wasn't just a rental car company. Be conservative in what you spend, so that others may enjoy just a portion of what you have. The biggest failure as carnal beings is looking at what others have that we don't. Why can't we spend more time looking at what we have and others don't?

What are we celebrating at Christmas? Christ's birth. True, it's not the right time in the calendar, but if the event is what we're celebrating, it obviously doesn't matter when we celebrate it, as we should be constantly celebrating it. If we celebrate the birth and life of the King of kings and Lord of lords, we celebrate who He is, what He did, and what His example should lead us to be.

Especially in a time of financial crisis, to have the true spirit of Christmas, we must have the two traits most connected to the season: sacrifice and service. No one sacrificed more and gave more than Christ. How can we repay Him more than by following his example? The exact opposite of sacrifice and service is selfishness. Find ourselves giving of our time, our talents, and donate to those in need. May I suggest, just as we fast every month and donate that money to those in need, maybe we could give up one or two gifts this year and donate that to those in need. I am always saddened to think of those without the gospel, without food, shelter, fuel, employment, and what I can do to help. But the greatest happiness I've had in my life is in sacrificing things of myself to bless the lives of others.