I guess I'm fighting the "Christmas war"

The Salt Lake Trib had this provocative cartoon in Sunday's paper yesterday:

It's right on the money.

I've been thinking about Christmas topics a lot lately. And yes, I will speak of my faith for just a moment.

This is a busy week for me. I have a Young Women activity on Wednesday, the theater on Thursday, the symphony on Friday, an office party on Saturday, an extended family dinner on Sunday which I have to preparer something edible for, and I am also giving the Christmas lesson this Sunday to the combined Young Women classes. Oh yeah, and somewhere in there I have to send out greeting cards, neighbor gifts, and squeeze in more Christmas shopping.

I'm booked solid, even though it's mostly with fun Christmas stuff. It's easy to see why we get caught up in the stress of Christmas and forget what it REALLY is about.

And, surprisingly enough, Christmas is not actually about what the media is telling us that it is about: that Christmas is about "giving." While generosity and consideration for your fellow men are worthy  principles that we should be following all year round, they are NOT all Christmas is about. Not really. Actually, they're by-products of the true meaning.

The media will do anything to take Christ out of Christmas and appeal to a larger shopping and money-spending demographic.

Christmas... really... is about Christ. The Savior and Light of the world. Christmas is a Christian holiday, whatever the media says.

I've been making a point of wishing strangers "Merry Christmas" instead of just "Happy Holidays." The best gift we Christians can give  is the simple reminder of what this life is all about, and we can share Christ's love with others. I think I'll challenge my Young Women on Sunday to be eager to wish people a "Merry Christmas" this season.

I love Christmas, I love Santa, I love the songs, the trees, the lights, the gifts... and the giving, of course! I really don't think any of these celebrations are bad. But most of all, I love the way that all of these secular symbols are really just that - symbols to turn our hearts toward the birth of Christ and what that really means to us.

So on that note... Merry Christmas! May it be magical. :)