4:21 p.m. - 2005-11-16

I'm not a Bah-Hum-Bug!

No Christmas lights today. No Christmas music today. All�s quiet on the western front.

However, I am now on the hunt for Christmas themed items for a variety of projects within my own job. I just can�t win.

It�s not that I don�t like Christmas. In fact, I very much enjoy Christmas. But I do believe there is a right time to begin to celebrate it. There seems to be more and more hype building up to it. You arrive at it (December 25th), you blink, and the day is gone, all the hype for what? Prezzies? Good food? People you hopefully like to be with?

I�m sure you must think me a Scrooge. I�m really not. I think if I can take an unbiased look at it, my trepidation and apparent lack of joyfulness is that I work in a church � a Christian organization. We begin our preparations for the �time� so far in advance. The number of services set, special music arranged, parties organized that we (as staff) finally arrive at �the day� that we�re too exhausted to truly relax and enjoy.

In particular for us at my church we put three Christmas Eve services on in one evening. Most staff doesn�t get home until 1 o�clock Christmas day morning.

This is the time of year that I begin to dread what should be a happy, joyful, grace filling time to remember the birth of our saviour. (Keeping in mind that I am well aware that early Christians were simply taking a day that was a pagan celebration, twisting the facts, and making it their own.), or more aptly put � a symbolic day designated as Christ�s birth.

Rest assured I will get over this momentary laps in season�s greetings. Just please don�t make me play Christmas Carols just yet, or have you consult me on your Christmas decoration ideas. At least ... not yet � not until after December 1st. Then I�m all yours!