Sunday, December 14, 2008, 7:11 p.m., C.S.T., Nashville, TN~

What does Christmas mean to me?  It can mean many things, but for me, particularly, it means one special event that has changed the course of history.

It means that a Holy Child was born in a manger; He was born so He could save Mankind from the dredges of sin.  It is not exactly known exactly when Jesus was born, but people think He wasn't born on December 25th.  Nevertheless, this is when we celebrate the birth of the Christ Child, so this is why December 25th is called "Christmas".

I have always believed in God, and in Jesus, but when I was seven, I accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour.  Christmas for the past nine years have meant more to me than before I accepted Him in my life. 

I can now see why Christ was born, and I thank God every day for His son to be born.  What would the world have been like had not Jesus been born??  I often wonder about that, and don't even want to try to think of the answers. 

If it wasn't for Christ, I would have always remained a sinner, and not know the peace, love, joy that only God (or Jesus) can provide.  I would have been separated from His love, and never know the glories of Heaven:  I would have been doomed to a lifetime of suffering, pain, torment in hell, and it would be ten times worse than what I've gone through now here on Earth.

The world isn't perfect, and it is getting scarier by the day; however, unlike a lot of people, I made the decision to accept Jesus, and now I have peace, joy inside, even when I'm going through trials.  Whenever I'm going through things, I can always count on God to get me through them, and He's always with me; He will never leave or forsake me.  He is with me until the end! :)

I celebrate Christmas as a way of remembering the birth of Christ, and I honor Him by singing the songs that have stood the passage of time, songs that glorify His coming to earth as a Babe in a manger.  Songs like "Silent Night", "The First Noel", "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing", and "O, Holy Night" stir me everytime I hear (or sing) them; they never get old or tiresome with me.  I'd much rather hear songs like this than the usual, "non-religious" fodder that's so often prevelent on tv and radio, especially now in this day and age.

Christmas not only means the Holy Birth or remembering Him:  to me, it also means family, friends getting together, sharing the love, joy, laughter, good times.  Christmas means presents, yes, but it means so much more to me.  It is, in addition to all the above, my actual birth date.  I was BORN on Christmas Day, December 25, 1992.  I'm a Christmas Child; but I am not THE Christmas Child.  :)

At first, I hated being born on Christmas:  everyone forgot about me, and it was like I was an after thought.  Then I got to thinking about Christ, and all of a sudden, it doesn't seem so bad.  I don't mind sharing a birthday with Christ; it's not His actual birth date, per se, but that's Who we celebrate, and I'd much rather celebrate Jesus' Birth than my own! :)

Next time you hear "O, Holy Night" or "Joy! To The World", think about that First Night when Christ came to earth as a baby, and the Promise that God held, even in that miraculous event, that would change the course of mankind forever and ever; and the Promise that He will be returning home again to take US to be with Him, forever in Glory!

Kind of makes one feel pretty small, doesn't it??

On that note, let me wish you the Merriest Christmas ever, and think about why we REALLY celebrate it! 

~Ronee' Le-Anne Reaux. :)