ho ho ho

if we're all honest with ourselves, the christmas season is a mixed bag. there is plenty of holiday cheer out there, but it is certainly jumbled with many other emotions. there is the stress of all the extra demands--the pressure of getting all the gifts so that you can get to that joy of giving. right, that joy, that's what it's about. and there is the cold. a lot of people hate the cold, even when there's snow--because really, who cares what it looks like, i have to drive in that stuff!  and then there is the sadness.  the sense of loss of who is not with you at the celebration.  the holidays are hard on people they say.

why should the holidays--the freaking holidays be something that leaves us worse than before they came?  well if you look up "holiday" in the dictionary, depending on your dictionary, it will usually give the first several definitions of holiday as something that is merely a break from work.  "a fixed day by law or custom..."  ugh.  that sounds wonderful.  it's all just a bunch of cultural customs.  go through the motions. 

you could make this case for thanksgiving, fourth of july, mother's day, labor day, etc.  but christmas?  oh no.  let's not lump christmas in with all the others.  we have to take hold of christmas as not the same as just any other holiday.  yes we do that through focusing on advent.  we do that through fighting consumerism and materialism.  we do that by focusing on Jesus more than santa.  but is that enough?  is that working for us?  it's almost as if we need something more.  it's all so pervasive that it's really hard to keep our heads above the surface. 

never fear my dear readers--i have the solution! i have the thing that is going to push us all over the top so that we can finally find our christmas cheer and hold the holiday in goodness and truth.

it's here.

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