So, Christmas Is Over, Huh?

So, Christmas is Over, huh?

I have a poem I’d like to share with you. It’s called "The Month After Christmas."

‘Twas the month after Christmas, and all through the house, nothing would fit me,

not even a blouse.

The cookies I’d nibbled, the fudge I did taste, all the holiday parties had gone to my

waist.

When I got on the scales there arose such a number! When I walked to the store

(less a walk than a lumber).

I remembered the marvelous meals I’d prepared, the gravies and sauces and beef

nicely rare.

The pies and the cakes, the bread and the cheese, and the way I never said, "No

thank you please."

As I dressed myself in my husband’s old shirt, and prepared once again to do battle

with dirt---

I said to myself, as I only can "You can’t spend the winter disguised as a man!"

So away with the last of the sour cream dip, get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker

and chip.

Every last bit of food that I like must be banished, ‘till all the additional ounces have

vanished.

I won’t have a cookie, not even a lick, I’ll want only to chew on a long celery stick.

I won’t have hot biscuits, or corn bread, or pie, I’ll munch on a carrot and quietly

cry.

I’m hungry, I’m lonesome, and life is a bore --- But isn’t that what January is for?

Unable to giggle, no longer a riot ... Happy New Year to all and to all a good diet!

The title of my message today is CHRISTMAS IS OVER...NOW WHAT?

So take in a big breath, now let out a big sigh. Christmas is over. Or is it? Let’s

think about this a minute.

We’re really in the middle of celebrating the Christmas season right now, because

Christmas doesn’t begin until Dec. 25th when we celebrate the birth of Christ. So

actually, according to the Christian calendar, it’s still Christmas.

Of course, according to the secular world, the Christmas season started about the

day after Halloween and ended on Dec. 25th. This lengthy season give you, the

consumer, plenty of time to spend, spend, spend, because, really, love for our fellow

man is measured by how much we spend, right? Then, on Dec. 26th, the POST-

Christmas season begins, when you’re expected to rush out to the big sales to spend

even more money on those items that you didn’t receive on the 25th.

We are always so busy during the Christmas season. Rushing here, rushing there. I

spent part of Christmas day working on this message I’m sharing with you today.

I’m not telling you this to imply that I never take a day off or that spending time

with my family is less important. No, as most of you can attest to, writing is much

easier when the thoughts are fresh in your mind.

Christmas Day was a little different this year in many ways at our house. Wendy’s

mom works at Countryside Nursing Home and, for the first time in a few years, she

had to work on this day. So that changed the schedule of things somewhat. Instead

of getting up and rushing around (actually Wendy rushing around, I’ll admit I don’t

do much) to make the final preparations for the day, we got up, had a nice, leisurely

breakfast, opened our presents to each other, and then had most of the day to relax

and prepare for our late afternoon meal with Wendy’s parents and my sister.

Cody spent time in his room sitting on his new bean-bag chair (in South Central

colors) putting together his 3 or 4 new Lego sets. Wendy was able to relax and just

enjoy the day because she had most of the dinner prepared and I went into my office

to finalize this message, which I enjoy doing each week. A wonderful day.

Yet, as we were opening our presents that morning, the thought that had been

dwelling in my mind for the past several weeks came right to the forefront of my

thinking. The thought that we, as Christians, are polarized by this holiday. We battle

against the secularization and commercialism of one of the 2 most Holy days in the

life of a Christian.

We participate in the holiday hustle and bustle of shopping, parties, etc. while

raging against the system. Our priorities are all tangled up just like our tree lights

when we get them out each year, no matter how hard we try to keep them neat and

orderly. So we close our eyes and try to focus on the reason for the season, but

when we open them the world keeps getting in our face.

1. On one hand we see crowded shopping malls, & presents that need to be bought,