Christmas is my time of year. Christmas thoughts of times past.

I love the winter months of November and December. I know, I know, that may seem weird to a lot of people. All I hear at this time of year from just about everybody is, “It’s so cold, I wish we were in Florida or California were it’s warm and sunny.”

I love winters in Michigan.

I think of ice skating in the open air rinks. Taking a rest inside a log cabin where there is a warm fire, sipping on a cup of hot chocolate, and listening to a guy playing his guitar and singing some Christmas carols.

I think of playing hockey with the guys at an outside rink, that we made.

Sledding down a hill and falling off the sled as you slide all the way down in the snow. Laughter and fun times with friends and family.

I think of trudging out to the woods and finding just the right tree. Cutting it down, dragging it back to the truck, taking it home and trimming it before we put it up in the living room window. Wow, I still remember how beautiful it looked after it was all decorated with lights and lots of old and homemade ornaments. And the wonderful smell of the fresh pine scent that filled the whole room.

Not being able to get to sleep on Christmas eve. Thoughts of Christmas presents under the tree as my brother and I, laying in our bunk beds, and talking for hours until we finally and slowly drifted off to sleep. And than killing ourselves as we rushed down the hallway to see what waited for us under the tree.

My wife and I watched the movie, ” The Grinch that stole Christmas”, the other night. The one part that stuck in my head from the movie was when after the Grinch had stolen all the presents, and all the things that represented what we all think today, means Christmas, he stopped and listened from the top of the snowy mountain that he called home, and instead of hearing kids crying and people wailing away from the loss of all the things that were stolen, he heard something very different. He heard singing, and people coming all together and even though they didn’t have their things, they were still celebrating Christmas. Holding hands and singing around the Christmas tree.

The Grinch stood there in amazement and silence. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing! As the snow continued to fall all around him, he thought, ” I guess I didn’t steal Christmas after all. Christmas isn’t in the things that we spend our money on, that we buy in stores. Christmas is in your heart. It comes from within. Than an amazing thing happened. The Grinch’s heart grew three sizes that day.

That to me, was the best part of the whole movie. That was the theme of the movie. Our society puts so much on presents and getting things, that we really miss the true, and real meaning of what Christmas is about. We have lost that over time, and over years of rushing and going as fast as we can to achieve and preserve what we have worked for, and for what we want and for what we can get. We, we, we. I me my. That is what we have turned into.

It’s about giving not getting. It’s about letting someone else go first instead of me pushing my way to the front.

” For God so loved the world, that He gave his one and only son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. God loved, so He gave. What do you love? That’s what you will put first in your life. Whatever you love comes first. It’s human nature.

Well anyway, those are my thoughts about Christmas. What are yours? What thoughts scurry through your mind when you think about Christmas?

Give to someone. Help someone and see if your heart might not grow a couple of sizes too.

Let me know what you think. I really would like to know. I want to see how many thoughts from Christmas you all can accumulate and post.

Thank you. God bless you and Merry Christmas.

Brian Gosur