It is the holiday season, and vacations are starting around the office.  The offices here are closed the last week of the December between Christmas and New Years.

Things get hectic and nerves get frayed as the tension and excitement builds.  The children are all getting more and more excited in anticipation of Christmas Day.  I can remember my dad always reading the Christmas story from the Bible every year.   He would seemingly drag out the story with all of his "rabbit trails" before praying and we would begin to open the gifts.

With all the commercialization of the season, it is not a bad idea to instill into our children what this season is all about.  Reinforce what we already know and celebrate with your family.  Churches are doing plays and children church presentations all over the country.  Don't think that children don't remember all these events.  They learn the stories, participate with groups, get a little dramatic exposure and maybe even sing and dance a little.

As we celebrate, don't forget our troups in Iraq, Afganastan, and at military instillations all around the world.  Say a prayer for them before you "lay me down to sleep."  Without them and those of us who served before them, our way of life might currently be dramatically different.

May God richly bless and keep you and yours during this holiday season and in the coming months and years.

Bubba