362 days till Christmas

Another Christmas has come and gone. The hype building up to it seems crazy when you think that the main event happens in one day. Maybe we should make Christmas a 3 day event. But seriously there is a lot of hype leading up to the event...shopping trips, wrapping, finding sales, baking cookies, baking pies, inviting guests, planning out the day, keeping secrets, visits to Santa (if you're 4 or 24), hiding presents, cleaning house, decorating, writing cards and the list goes on. There is a lot of prep and a lot of "cheer" passed around. Okay some of the "cheer" is fake because we feel the need to be polite towards others...good will towards men. And in the midst of all this shuffle lies the real reason many celebrate Christmas. The birth of Christ. Hope came into the world. A hope that transcends all with a love so deep that it had to come into this world so innocent--as a baby. I guess with all the prep for the holiday season, it's easy to miss the true meaning of Christmas. And with only 362 days until the next time we celebrate this festive season, we shouldn't be so quick to forget the birth of Christ. Hope had come into the world and that was just the beginning.