keeping christ in christmas 2

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Keeping Christ in Christmas

Melissa Hart

November 1, 2011

English 3134 R51


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As the holidays are quickly approaching we begin

to think about shopping. Many of us start looking for the

Black Fridayads to see where the best deals will be. We wake as the sun begins to shine on

November 25 to rush out to the packed stores in order to try and save a little money. As I sit

here and ponder on Christmas gifts for my children, friends, and family my mind begins to travel

to the true meaning of Christmas.

People are so focused on gifts,Santa Claus, Rudolph, decorating, and the stress of getting

everything together that we forget what Christmas is truly about. So many children are taught

about Santa Claus while Jesus is never

mentioned. The children are told If you

are not good Santa will not bring you any

toys. If we are to ask most children what

Christmas is about they will answer

presents. Like the majority of us, I was

taught that Santa was real.
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We went all out decorating the Christmas tree, listening to Christmas music, and baking

Christmas candy. I did attend the church Christmas

program every year and participated in it most years. I

was also read the story of Jesus on Christmas morning

before opening gifts. This is a tradition that I continue

with my children. Christmas is a wonderful celebration

of the birth of a precious baby; a Savior for the world.

The wonderful Christmas story commences with

the Virgin Mary and her fianc Joseph. The angel Gabriel

spoke to Mary and said Dont be afraid, God has been very kind to you. You will become

pregnant by the Holy Spirit and give birth to a baby boy and you will call him Jesus. He will be

Godsown son and his kingdom will never end. Mary was frightened, but she trusted the Lord.

Joseph was disturbed as well when he heard the news that a baby was on the way before the two

were married. An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and said Dont be afraid to have Mary

as your wife. The angel explained to Joseph that Mary had been selected by God to be the

mother of his son and that the baby would be named Jesus.


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TheRoman Emperor Augustuswanted to

complete a census to make certain everyone paid

their taxes Augustus then ordered every person to

return to the town their families were from and

enter their names on the register. Mary and Joseph

headed out for their journey from Nazareth to

Bethlehemwhere Josephs family was from. The journey was a long one, about 70miles, for an

extremely pregnant Mary.

Mary and Joseph reachedBethlehemand could not come across a place to stay. There

were so many people traveling because of the order Augustus made that all the beds at the Inns

and homes were full. The only place they could find to rest was a stable and this is where baby

Jesus was born. An angel appeared to the shepherds outside ofBethlehemand said Dont be

afraid. I have good news to bring. Today a Savior has been born for you. You will find him

lying in a manger. The shepherds traveled toBethlehemto see Jesus and tell everyone about

the angel.
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The night Jesus was born a new star appeared in the sky. The star could be seen from far

away countries. Most people refer to the star as the beautiful star of Bethlehem. The Wise Men

saw the star and followed it. They came to Jerusalem

asking Where is the child who is born to be

King of the Jews? They continued to follow the star

to the stable where Jesus was born. The Wise Men

brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

They bowed down and worshipped baby Jesus.

This baby born in a manger on a starry night in Bethlehem gave his life on a cross for our

sins. He was tortured, beaten, battered, and bruised because of his unending love for us. For

God so loved the world, that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish

but have eternal life(John 3:16). How many of us would be willing to sacrifice our children for

others?

Christmas is one of the most wonderful times of the year. I enjoy spending time with my

family as much as anyone else. Decorating the tree, making candy, listening to Christmas music,

and family dinners are some of my favorite memories. I love to see the look on the faces of my

boys when they get their gifts on Christmas morning. The one thing that I will not fail to do is
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remind my children every year what Christmas truly is. We will continue to read the story of the

birth of Jesus each year. My family makes Jesus a birthday cake and sings happy birthday to

him. Everywhere we look people want to take Jesus from us just like removing prayer from

school. Let us all keep him in our homes where he needs to be. Teach our children that there is

more to Christmas than Santa, the elves, reindeer, and presents. The gift of Christmas isn't

wrapped up in presents or parties. . Everyone enjoys giving and receiving gifts. The gift of

Christmas is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Alpha and Omega. When we choose to follow him

we may find that we spend less time in lines, less money, and more time with the people we love.

We all need to remember that Jesus is the reason for the season.

keeping christ in christmas 2

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