Venting for Jesus...

Your voices have been heard. I feel like a high schooler with a bunch of friends who are a TERRIBLE influence, but since I want to hang out with the "cool crowd" I will bow to your will do a little Christmas vent.

I love the IDEA of Christmas in it's purest form.

The Christmas story is beautiful for its simplicity.

It’s a story of giving, of God coming to earth to make a way back for a fallen planet.

I wish we could find a way to keep Christmas about the quiet and and wonder of that wondrous night in Bethlehem.

Some say that Christmas isn't about Christ. I hate to break it to you folks, but the holiday is called CHRISTmas. And even if you're not a Christian, you can't deny that the original holiday was, in fact, a celebration of the birth of Jesus CHRIST.

In that vein, I often wonder what Jesus thinks of this whole debacle.

When the wise men came to Bethlehem to present the new savior with gifts do you think the sweet baby in swaddling clothes was pissed that he didn't get a Zhu Zhu pet?

Do you think the Wise Men spent countless hours driving from mall to mall and store to store maxing out their credit cards to buy a bunch of crap?

Did Mary demand a birthing gift from Joseph, maybe a David Yurman bracelet? Did Joseph yell at Mary for spending too much on a bunch of cashmere sweaters from J. Crew?

Hell no!!! Come on people. Jesus is a tolerant man, but I think he's stressing out right about now.

I don't think this is what God had in mind when he sent us his only son.

For most people this time of year is the exact opposite of that silent night in Bethlehem. It's all about the things that I hate; chaos, deadlines, way too much rushing around, piles of STUFF everywhere that I'm expected to organize, and absolutely no alone time to reflect or enjoy a moment of silence. (Or perhaps go on Facebook.)

In the midst of all the craziness, I have to remind myself to take a moment, and a deep breath, and remember the joy and magic my children are experiencing this time of year.

I sat at my daughter's holiday concert yesterday and looked at all the sweet faces singing holiday songs and all the proud parents adoring their children. THAT'S the stuff that makes Christmas special.

To make things even nicer, my husband decided to take us out to dinner, my daughter handed me the most adorable sweet Christmas card that she made just for me, and suddenly all the hustle and bustle and stress and pressure all seemed somehow manageable.

Peace On Earth.

Enjoy this special holiday. Give your loved ones a big hug, and take a quiet moment, if you can find one, to thank god for all your blessings.

And if someone steals your parking space at the mall, don't give them the finger. Just lean out your car window and wish them a "Happy Christmas."

And then, after they've gone into the mall, pour a milkshake all over their windshield.

Ho! Ho! Ho!