My dear Friends.

In the run-up to Christmas I sometimes hear people say 'Christmas will never be the same again'. That is true for most of us, if not all of us, and for a variety of reasons.

The first reason is common to all, surely. We change and because we grow up and grow older what we look forward to and enjoy at this time of the year does tend to change. Now I know some stay young at heart when it comes to celebrating Christmas but even that kind of person would not want Christmas to remain exactly as it was when they first became aware of it. We change and that is a fact of life.

But there are other reasons also why Christmas will never be the same again. For some this is because a loved one has died and we miss them so very much and Christmas without them being around just doesn't bear thinking about. For others it is the breakdown of ~ marriage or another close relationship. For others the change is because the children are no longer children! Instead of waking us at some unearthly hour on Christmas morning, we now have to wake them and some only crawl out of bed just in time for dinner and often with a sore head! Youngsters today seem to go out to celebrate when we were made to come in! Christmas will never be the same.

Then, of course, children leave home (eventually!) and it may not be too long before we are able to enjoy seeing little children enjoy all the wonders of Christmas once again, and this time as grandparents - which can be a lot easier!! Christmas will never be the same again in the home and family and, of course, in the world outside.

Once upon a time it was lovely to look through front windows to see how people had decorated their front rooms - nowadays it can be most interior rooms, the outside of the house and the front garden as well. Anyone for decorating the back garden?! Did you manage to get a black Christmas tree!

There has been also quite a change in church life as weli. Once upon a time you had to come early for Carol Services and the Midnight Communion, but that is no longer the case for many churches. The drink-driving laws have had some effect here but there is also a great deal more on offer even late on Christmas Eve and that coupled with the general apathy of people towards the established Churches means that there are fewer in church at Christmas.

But there is another angle to all this and once again the result is that Christmas wi.ll never be the same again. Each year Christmas is invested with so much hope and expectation and even if we are totally fulfilled in these (and usually we are not!) there is something missing for so many. One person has put it like this 'I seemed to be looking at Christmas from the outside not really enjoying the real Christmas'.

It is my firm belief that Christmas will never be the sanie again for a person whose eyes are opened to the fact that those historical events of long ago, when Christ was born in Bethlehem, were for him or her! When a person realizes that Jesus Christ came to this earth for them - that he was born as one of us - lived - died on a cross so we can be forgiven our sins and rose from the dead and has gone back to heaven to prepare a welcome for us when we die - when someone realizes that Jesus did all this for him or her personally, that here is God's Christmas gift that simply needs to be accepted into our lives -then such a person will never be the same again and certainly Christmas will never be the same again!

Take my word for it, or if you do not believe me, try it out for yourself - for after all a gift has be received.

God bless you
Yours sincerely

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