LUKE 2:11–12
I love Christmas! It’s definitely my favorite time of year. Wonderful food (what could be better than green bean casserole?), lots of family, and presents! Not to mention that all of the best songs are Christmas songs; the weather turns all nice and cold, with gray skies and the promise of snow; the house seems ever so cozy; and everything is in shades of white, silver, gold, green, and red. It’s a cheerful time of year. Outshining all this, of course, is our Savior’s birth. Every year, we get to celebrate the birth of the One who died for us to save us from our sins. It is an honor and a blessing to be able to do so. Everything (well, almost everything) is wrapped up in traditions that go back to Biblical times—which includes the giving of the gifts, of course. Okay, okay, I’ll stop with the presents (even though I’m sure all of you don’t mind getting and giving things on Christmas day). I love the tradition of a star or angel atop the Christmas tree. To me, it seems as if it is looking down on us, watching over us as we laugh and be merry. Christmas is a time of giving, and of celebrating our Savior’s birth. It is a time to be cheerful, to have fun, and to be glad in our hearts. So, I have one more thing to say about Christmas: Rejoice and be merry!
Kelsie Nygren, 15, Covenant Christian Academy, El Paso, TX
Father, thank You for Christmastime
and all the traditions that I love, especially getting to be with my family.