If You Can’t Lick ‘Em – Join ‘Em

It's been "beginning to look a lot like Christmas" for months now. The big box stores have been touting us with their holiday wares since before Spring ended.This year I’m noticing even more folks skipping right over Thanksgiving and putting up their Christmas trees, house lights and decorations. Their home covered in a blanket of snow was all one of my friends needed to get her home all decorated with Christmas. One of the young volunteers who works with me at Children’s Hospital, along with her sister, put up their Christmas tree, fully decorated, while their mom was at work – completely against their mom’s desire to wait until after Thanksgiving.

Time for confession. I caved. Seems I’m still nostalgic with remembering nine years ago when I decorated our home for Christmas before Thanksgiving just before my husband passed away. I had never done that before and never since, but this year I can’t help myself. I've got a mishmosh going on -- Thanksgiving décor mixed with Christmas décor. My family will be getting two great celebration seasons rolled into one when they come in for Thanksgiving next week.

I was amused hearing some folks complaining about the early sales of Christmas decorations and hearing Christmas music playing since back in September. I understand retail stores want their bottom lines increased so they amp it up to get us into the "buying" frenzy way before the Christmas season. I can’t fault them for that. In order to vacate those shelves as quickly as possible, there are already 50% off sales.

Most of us want to embrace each season and make it as memorable as we can. We want to savor Fall with the leaves changing colors, pumpkin spice aromas and coffee, autumn décor. We want to remember the first Thanksgiving and the pilgrims and we want to make the Fall season special and meaningful. But, what's the big deal? Why should it matter when people begin to celebrate Thanksgiving or Christmas? What matters is that we open our hearts and our homes to gratitude at Thanksgiving and to the joys, delights, and celebrations of Christmas. Actually, both seasons could easily be merged together as one. So, here I am -- on board the early Christmas train!

Both of these beautiful seasons tend to make us more thankful, kinder, and expressing gratitude for God's blessings and for celebrating Christ’s birth. Joy to the world; the Lord has come. It really is the most wonderful time of the year. I’m already allowing myself to get caught up in the miraculous Christmas story as I set out my many manger and Holy Family scenes. And, as I’m embracing and pondering all that Christmas means, when my family is together here in Frisco next week, this mode of thanksgiving, will simply open the door for all the joys and beauty of Christmas.

I've honed into this beautiful journey that will lead to the most Holy Day when our Savior was born – and, it would have been okay if I started way back in July! After all, it’s more than a season or a day. It's our reason for unspeakable joy, indescribable love, and amazing sacrifice – that the ONE Who placed the stars in the sky and Who knows them all by name -- chose to come to this earth as a little baby to be with me, understand me, live in this world like me. He totally gets me and my frailties, but better yet, He is my all powerful, incomparable, awesome and amazing God. That's plenty reason to celebrate all read round! So, the next time we're tempted to complain about "too early", let's turn that around and welcome the reminder to thank God for the Reason for the season. It’s just too great a story to compact it into only one celebration.

Easter is the Answer to EVERYTHING!

As I was on my morning walk, I saw this sign in one of the neighbors’ front yard. I looked around at other homes, and it occurred to me that there were no other reminders that the Easter season is here. Even at our local stores -- Easter décor is pretty slim pickin’s. To think that just three months ago, our homes were over-embellished with Christmas décor and an abundance of lights and animation, inside and outside, and EASTER......zilch -- nada!

Easter is only two weeks away, yet there is no resemblance to the craziness of what we do at Christmas. Besides decorating our homes, our churches, our front lawns and even wear Christmas themed clothing, we also buy gifts for our families and even for people we hardly know. Our calendars fill up for almost the entire month of December with all of the parties, concerts, and other celebrations.

The Son of God, Jesus -- His birth was a really BIG DEAL!! Without His birth, there would be no Easter. Prophets told of his birth hundreds of years in advance and Mary, His mother, was a virgin -- now that's reason enough for a noteworthy holiday! His birth stands out in history, and the story is worthy of remembering and retelling. But, then fast forward three months and based on the lack of decorating and outloud, grandiose fanfare and celebrations, Easter seems to come in almost unnoticed.

For many of us, it's on purpose. Partying isn't what we do when someone we love is facing death. In reality, for many of us, we started on Ash Wednesday to welcome this season as one where we go more introspective to a place of hallowness to realize our need to ponder -- not just the sacrifice Christ made by leaving heaven's glories to become one of us, but to walk side-by-side with Him on His journey to Calvary. No fanfare is needed. With great gratitude, we remember Jesus because of who He was and what He did, not simply because of His birth. In particular, we celebrate Easter because Holy Week marks the culmination and fulfillment of His life and work. All of humanity – ALL OF US -- were cursed and doomed to death, but during the week of Easter, Jesus assumed the guilt of humanity and died in our place so that we might live. Three days later, Jesus rose from the grave and demonstrated His power over death. At Easter, Jesus rescued humanity for all time.

So why does it seem like Christmas is a bigger deal than Easter? Is it the presents? Is it the snow, the holiday movies, Santa Claus? Is it the family traditions, the many parties, caroling and delicious Christmas delicacies?

Here is one of my fondest Easter memories as a child. We’d get up very early, while it was still dark, on Easter morning. Then we'd head to the Easter Sunrise Service held at Laurel Land Cemetery in Oak Cliff, Dallas. Yes, an Easter Service in a grave yard! That seems like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? But, what better place to relate to the fact that He, Who was as dead as those folks are and was entombed to be there forever, BUT, unlike those precious loved ones buried there…..that grave could not hold Him down.

A birth always seems more reason for celebrating than a death, but not in this case. From the cross to the grave to life is the grandest celebration of all because His death means life everlasting for you and me. Yes, my friends, without Easter, we would have no hope for today or tomorrow. So, how big is Easter? Oh, it's only the answer to pretty much EVERYTHING!!! So let the celebrations BEGIN!!