What many people think of when they think of Christmas preparations are the lists of presents they have to buy, the decorations they have to put up, the cookies they have to bake, and the cleaning they have to do. Although those things have become cultural staples for the holiday, they can sometimes conceal the real reason for the season. The season is more about a preparation of the heart than a preparation of the hearth.

In some ways, our society seems to be getting things backwards. This is a time of preparation for Christ's coming, but sometimes it seems like instead we are getting wrapped up in all the wrapping paper and consumed by the consumerism. It seems that many have lost sight of what Christmas is really all about.

People focus so largely on the materialistic side of it that they can't take time to appreciate the true meaning of this season. Around this time each year, kids will make sure to come up with a huge list of gifts for Santa, a figure that their parents claim gives them the presents under their tree on Christmas day. Don't get me wrong -- I always loved the idea as a kid of Santa delivering my toys to me that his elves made me, but I don't think I ever really appreciated what Christmas was all about until I was older.

Beneath all the glitz and glam, I came to a better realization that Christians all around celebrate this special day for the birth of Jesus who ultimately gave up his life for us. He did something so incredible and selfless for all of us, and as a child, I definitely did not appreciate it as much as I should have. I, like most other kids out there, loved Christmas mainly for the presents and didn't really understand what we were exactly celebrating and why.

The whole point of presents is not to be about receiving, but about giving. Giving to those we love to put a smile on their face. But in today's society, it has become all about the materialistic receiving of gifts. People scoff at a homemade gift, and long for a PlayStation or another expensive purse that they don't really need. We live in an age where three-year-olds have iPads, and teenagers stare more at a screen than their actual surroundings.

We are constantly entertained, and therefore forget to acknowledge the reason this holiday was created to begin with. Gifts tend to be exchanged rather than given and expected rather than hoped for. We need to be reminded that a gift is a privilege and a blessing, not a right. Jesus gave his life without expecting anything in return, so why can't we give a coffee mug without expectations of receiving a present in return?

It is sad to hear stories of kids crying because they didn't get the present they wanted or didn't get as many presents as they thought they would. It's even sadder hearing about parents who hate Christmas because of all the preparation and shopping that they feel they have to put into it. It has become all about the gifts, and not enough about the actual meaning.

While this is a day to celebrate Jesus, it is also a day to remember what Jesus did. Jesus helped those in need such as the poor, the sick, the hungry, the oppressed, and the outsiders. He provided the help to anyone who needed it. The Christmas season is the perfect season to feed, donate, and share some time with the lonely and homeless, as well as appreciating our loved ones that surround us. It's a time to really feel the "true spirit of Christmas" through the helping of others.

I am by no means trying to be Scrooge. I love Christmas just as much as the next person does, but maybe, just maybe, people can start to acknowledge again that there is more to Christmas than the ribbons and bows and the sparkling lights and the extravagant presents because if the question, "What is the true meaning of Christmas?" were to be asked today all of those things will be the most common answers.

Have a safe and healthy holiday! Merry Christmas!