Christmas... Is for giving

Can you feel the buzz? The excitement as gifts from the grandparents arrive at our front door. The excitement as the cookies bake (I'm lame, just baking chocolate chip cookies and others that are blob shaped. No patience for sugar cookies here). The excitement as North Carolina braces for snow - teasing us with thoughts of a white Christmas (not gonna happen)...

Yet, Christmas is not about the buzz. The excitement is fun, but Christmas is for giving! My boys are on Christmas break next week. While it's tempting to fill the time with sleeping in, eating, sleeping some more, eating, playing games, watching movies, and more eating... they will also be giving their time and energy to something bigger.

They will be volunteering their time to a local charity, sorting clothes, toys, and food donations. They'll be cleaning storage rooms and stocking shelves to help others.

The greatest gift we can give this Christmas is ourselves.

If not to a local charity, how about making cookies for the neighbors? Or taking small gifts to the nursing home, visiting those whose families won't be there?

Or... what about "forgiving"? The true gift of Christmas is Jesus. He came so that we might live in forgiveness and peace. Why not forgive someone and let go of the hurts that weigh us down? Imagine, a family healed when we say, "It's okay." Or a friendship restored when we, ourselves, ask forgiveness for holding the grudge?

Christmas is "for giving!"