Gift-mas - Originally Drafted 12/15/11

Finals are done (hurray) and now I'm back in the real world and focusing on different lists. The other day I spent over an hour on the phone trying to sort out a gift that never came - oh the joys of living in a small town and having to order most things online. This has been going on for a while, but my sweet Mr. Man has been the one making the dreaded phone calls. With finals out of the way, and me still in my bathrobe after just showering at 1pm, I figured I should make the call. They are issuing us a refund, HOWEVER, what I really want is the item to arrive because it's my daughter's main Christmas present (her GOLD gift, people)! I was getting rather riled up and frustrated and basically yelled at this man that he was ruining Christmas for my daughter.

Right.

This is my daughter's talk she prepared and presented in her primary at church last Sunday:

Mary and Joseph were on their way to Bethlehem to pay their taxes. Mary, who would soon give birth to Jesus, was weak and tired after a long journey. Joseph was tired too and he knew his wife needed to rest. Joseph searched for a place to rest in an inn, but because everyone came to pay taxes there was no room. He tried many inns till a kind man who owned the inn said, "I do not have any room, but my stable is clean and you may stay there." Joseph and Mary took the shot.

That night Jesus was born. Lying in a manger full of hay, wrapped in swaddling clothes, he laid there quietly and peacefully. When Jesus was born, Heavenly Father wanted everyone to know so in that case he put a star way up in the sky above the stable to mark where he is. Then an angel was sent to deliver a message to some shepherds. St. Luke 2:10-16

Far off, three wise men were camping. Seeing the star, they put their best robes on and raced to Bethlehem to see him, bring three gifts to worship him.

I know that during the Christmas season we get busy and look forward to the gifts on Christmas day, but we need to remember the true meaning of Christmas. One way I remember the meaning is when I'm busy is I write Christmas in two words "Christ" and "mas". It's not called "giftmas" but it shows what Christmas is truly about.