Christmas is over

I LOVE Christmas, everything about Christmas, but this year not as much.  I didn't feel as "Happy" to put out all the decorations and decorate our home in anticipation.  It wasn't until Christmas was over did I really realize why...Christmas to the "world" is ALL about the presents and I was reminded of that so vividly this year.  We have tried for the past 8 years (since having Emma) to instill Christ-centered Holiday, but everything and everyone screams "gimme, gimme, gimme".  As our kiddos have gotten older it is becoming even harder to keep them focused.  Yes, there is the magic of the season and they are just kiddos, BUT it is our job as parents to raise them in a Christ-honoring way, why is that so wrong to so many people especially Christians???  We had so many people say "Your church is having church ON Christmas day???"  OF COURSE!  Aren't we as Christians celebrating Christ's birth?  I was so confused and bewildered that people would have such a negative annotation, like we should stay at home and spend time with family instead of the ONE and ONLY SAVIOR, the one who gave his life for us, just so we wouldn't interrupt lunch or the schedule???  I am a HUGE family girl and love spending time with my family, but there was the rest of the day...Do not confuse what I'm saying with legalism...yes I do believe as Christians we have certain things we should stay away from or abstain from and the bible is VERY clear on those things, but not because we are following rules, but because we are trying to be more like Christ!  I used this example the other night at Bible Study with our girls...we were discussing in Luke, a parable about a woman who was a hunch-back for 18 years and the Jewish people didn't want Jesus to heal her because it was the Sabbath, I am a rule follower, but in SOME cases (when you are being led by the Holy Spirit) it is ok to break the rules.  I used that in saying it's not ok to miss church because you had to do schoolwork or had to study for a test when you wasted the afternoon on facebook, texting or watching a tv show!  When you put God first in your life everything else will fall into place, this is not a reason to be lazy either.  One of our girls attends a Christian school, she was so consumed with her schoolwork last year and came occasionally to Sunday morning church and rarely on a Sunday night or Wednesday night.  But this year she was really convicted about putting God first in everything including her studies and hasn't missed a Sunday or Wednesday since the beginning of the school year AND her grades are the best they have ever been!  What an encouragement she was to the students as well as us leaders.  I tell you all this to challenge you in "choosing" to out God first in EVERYTHING you do and to do it because you want to, not because it's a rule.