It’s that time of year again. Christmas is coming soon! It is advent season, the celebration of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ’s coming to earth as a baby (and preparation for His future coming). I, for one, couldn’t be more excited for the upcoming festivities. Yes, finals week is going to be stressful and will take up a good portion of my plans. However, the rest of the time I will be breaking out the traditional classic Christmas songs and listening/singing along. There are other things that get me in the Christmas spirit. Let me list them.
- Read the story of the Nativity
It would be remiss if I did not take the time to read the story of the prophetic story about Jesus and his arrival on earth. God intended for a virgin to give birth to the future Savior of mankind, who would also impact the lives of many, and eventually, take up the sins of the world on his shoulders and at Calvary. But this story doesn’t end. Jesus is still coming, and as his chosen people, we must be ready for his appearing. We must repent.
2. Watch a“25 Days of Christmas” movie on Television In years past, the television network/channel ABC Family holds a tradition of showing movies that associate with the Christmas holiday. These movies include “A Charlie Brown Christmas” (an animated classic), “Scrooged” (A modern-day retelling of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”), and “It’s A Wonderful Life.” This tradition still holds true to this day. Recently, on the newly renamed freeform network, I watched another Christmas comedy, entitled “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” made in 1989 and starring Chevy Chase. I highly recommend watching it, as well as “Scrooged.” They are both entertaining, family-friendly films that will never cease to be hilarious.
3. Listen to Christmas Music on Spotify
Because it is the holiday season, the music-streaming website Spotify has prepared in advance by creating two playlists, one including all the classic holiday tunes from legendary artists Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Bing Crosby, Andy Williams, etc., and the other playlist featuring contemporary Christian Worship artists such as Tenth Avenue North, Chris Tomlin, Kari Jobe, David Crowder Band, and so on. The songs may be the same, but the perspectives are not.
And so, the Christmas season is underway, and I am excited to be spending it with my family. I am also looking forward to the ongoing holiday celebrations. The important thing, however, is that I remember Christ coming to earth as an innocent child. He will be back, and I want to be there for it.