Hey Cougs! Is it tradition for you and your family to read the story of Jesus’ birth? It is in my family. On Christmas Eve, my family gathers around the nativity scene and reads the story from Luke. We each read about five verses and then one of us gets the chance to put baby Jesus into the scene (we even switch who does it every year so no one gets left out).

We get so caught up in the every day things, and about opening presents and Santa that we forget what is really important about this time of the year. It’s Jesus. The reason His birth is so important to us is because with life comes death and His death allows us to be the Christians we are today. He even allows us to grow in our faith, every single day.

Christmas is a day that we dedicate to celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, but Monday through Sunday we should be celebrating the life He lived. It’s because through His life and death we are given the most precious gift of all. It can’t be wrapped, it can be put into a bag and a bow can’t be tied around it. That gift is faith. With faith comes unconditional love, hope, strength and something to believe in.

I think that gift is better than any gift that can be put underneath a Christmas tree. Jesus is the gift that keeps on giving (even after the tree has died and the money has been spent). So remember the importance of Jesus Christ and celebrate Him everyday and not just on CHRISTmas.

Happy Holidays! I hope you all had a Merry Christmas.

Catch ya later, Cougs!

[WRITER’S NOTE: ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON WWW.SAUSPACE.COM]