Family, friends, snow, parties, eggnog, presents, time off of school/work, Christmas lights, Christmas festivals, Christmas trees, and Christmas-cookie making -- all of these are things that immediately come to peoples' minds when they hear the word, "Christmas." As Christians, we know that December 25th, although it might not be the actual date of birth, signifies the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ; Christmas is Jesus's birthday!

It's easy to let the meaning of Christmas stop there. We remember the story of the baby born in the manger because there was no room in. We remember the wise men bringing gifts of Frankincense, Gold, and Myrrh. We may or may not think of all the prophecies fulfilled by the birth of Jesus. But, we often let the thinking stop there. From most of the Christians I have talked to, Christmas is about the birth of our Savior and family time. Not much more, not much less.

However, if we are going to think about the birth of our Savior, we might as well think about the life of our Savior... and what did the life of our Savior emanate? Love.

And after the life of our Savior comes the death of our Savior. What does that signify? Sacrifice.

Because of the sacrifice of Jesus, it is possible for anyone to receive: Salvation.

And it is only possible for people to receive salvation because of God's what? Grace & Forgiveness.

So, while we are out shopping in crowded stores, driving on busy, snowy roads, and spending time with our families (who may or may not drive us crazy at times), it is important to remember these things. There is not a single person on this earth who couldn't use a little love, grace, and forgiveness, and it should not be a problem for anyone to sacrifice a little of their time in order to help someone out. Let's have our Christmas story not just be about the facts of what happened 2016 years ago, but about the semantics, as well.

There's no greater way to reveal the true meaning of Christmas than by living it.