The Christmas season will soon be drawing to a close–Christmas Day is just a night’s sleep away. Soon we will be packing up the ornaments and decorations, throwing away the crumbled shreds of wrapping paper, finishing off the last of the cookies and fudge and gearing up for a new year. The holiday festivities will be over and we’ll resume our daily routines once again.

But what do we have to learn from Christmas? Yes, we can rattle off the regular “peace on earth” and “joy to the world” jargon, but how do we live out the real meaning of the season? Maybe it should start at home–let’s put Christmas into action with the ones we love. Let’s practice giving–not just presents, but our time. In a world so fast-paced as ours today, let’s make an effort to spend more time with our loved ones. Time is a precious commodity–spend it wisely.

Let’s also practice giving to our communities. Our economy is suffering at the present time; one way we can help ourselves is to help those around us. As a local, family-owned business, we rely on the support of our surrounding community. In the coming year, we will strive more than ever to support the ones who support us, and that, too, is a gift we can all give–community support.

And let’s share the good news. Christmas truly is a time of joy, and once again we have so much to be thankful for. There is a lot of suffering in the world, but we can still give thanks for the many blessings given to us. Christ has come to us, not in the surrounding of a lavish palace or royal estate, but in a smelly, noisy stable in Bethlehem. At this time of year, let’s humble ourselves and be thankful for our blessings, for Salvation has come to earth.