The other day, when it was sixty-three degrees outside, I said to Joel, “It just doesn’t feel like Christmas.”  Now, I know better than to gauge the arrival of the Christmas season by the weather…especially in Louisiana.  And I know better than to hinge reality on a feeling.  But knowing something doesn’t necessarily mean that you practice it, right?  That’s why, for the past few years, I’ve either read or listened to Rick Warren’s The Purpose of Christmas.

It’s a wonderful little book, a quick read, and I highly recommend it.

Warren tells us that Christmas really is the best news we could get, regardless of our background, religion, problems, or circumstances.  He sites Luke 2:10 which says, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”  Then he shares that Christmas is worth celebrating for three reasons:  It’s personal – I bring YOU, it’s positive – GOOD news of great joy, and it’s universal – for ALL the people.

Warren reminds us that the whole reason for Christmas is God’s love, and that it is not only a time for celebration, but for salvation and reconciliation as well.  This little book prompts me to acknowledge that Christmas has nothing to do with a feeling, but a reality that I must choose whether or not to accept.  AND…it doesn’t depend on the weather.