Thinking of Others a Priority This Christmas

Here we are in the midst of another Christmas celebration. Every year it seems that there is more commercialization than ever before and the meaning of Christmas gets lost as we channel surf away from the latest commercial.

This year I am acutely aware of several things happening this holiday season. I thought I would take this opportunity to share a few observations with you. Read on if you dare.

First, is there anybody more thankful than President Bush is for the end of this year? After taking a daily beating in the media for nearly six straight years, I am sure he is looking forward to some quiet time at home. I know some of you are glad, but I wonder if anyone deserved the castigation he faced in leading this nation. Additionally, I hope our new President will learn from the errors and successes of his predecessor, but if he does not, I hope he never has to face such insulting scrutiny.

Furthermore, this season of giving is tougher than most on many families. Some who would give have less to share this year, making it difficult to obtain help for the most needy among us. Those who can give, please remember those in need.

One thing is clear; every child needs the gift of education, even at the expense of a PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360. I never understood giving a child a video game console, when they need help reading and doing math. For Christmas, I would like to give the gift of common sense to every parent who puts entertainment before his or her child's education.

Is there anything more ridiculous than the fight to remove Christmas from the national landscape? If you are an atheist and do not believe in God or His redemption of the world through Christ, that is your right. However, for the other 90% of us who enjoy this celebration of God's expression of love, we have the right to celebrate as well. If you do not like manger scenes, here's a thought; look the other way! It is no more a force of religion upon you than the saturation of reproductive television commercials irritates some of us.

Another thing I notice is how much time people spend angry and upset at Christmas time. Perhaps if we who believe would demonstrate the true values of this season in our daily lives, those who do not believe would have better examples to possibly follow. This is just a thought for you to ponder.

In addition, I think about our troops who fight for our freedom every day on foreign and domestic soil. There are so many separated from their families because they were brave enough to believe in the defense of this country from all enemies, foreign or domestic. I thank God for their sacrifice, and especially for those who gave their lives in past and current conflict on behalf of our freedom.

Finally, as this year ends, I look back with gratitude to all of you who read this column, send in your comments, email your criticisms and thoughts. I have not been perfect in this effort; in fact I threw a couple pitches I would like to have back, but all in all it is a blessing for me to communicate with you. I look forward to next year with earnest.

To each one of you, have a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year.