December 21 Home Communicator – Merry Christmas!
Who would have ever thought this familiar and meaningful expression could face scrutiny in our world? Many have asked that the phrase be changed to Happy Holidays so as not to offend those who choose not to celebrate our Savior’s birth.
For me, and I am sure for many of you as well, Christmas is a time that we celebrate the single greatest gift we have ever received: the birth of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Over the years, we have all created our own memories celebrating this very special day with our families. To this day, I still get excited attending the Christmas Eve service with my family and holding up our lit candles while singing “Silent Night”. I remember this as a child and now my own children ages 28 and 22 talk about it as well. What do you remember? What will your children remember? As a staff, we often talk about how, in this fast-paced, pack-it-all-in world of technology in which we live, we must not forget the important lessons we all need to remember as Christians.
Tonight at our Elementary Christmas Celebration, and last Thursday at the Middle School Concert, Christmas – or Christ’s birth – was truly the focus of the message. We remind ourselves often that the things we really value, the things that matter most, have to be intentionally taught and not caught.
Have you ever stopped and thought about the message you give to your children about Christmas? Of course they hear the story of the real meaning of Christmas at Hudsonville Christian School, but it never hurts to share the story again about why this day is so very special. I ran across an article that gave two great suggestions for ways to share Christmas with our families and I thought they were worth sharing with you:
- Read the story of Jesus’ birth to your children before anything else happens on Christmas morning.
- Write a letter to Jesus, thanking Him for His birth, and have them give examples why it means so much to them.
Christmas is a time to enjoy your family and friends and, most importantly, celebrate Christ. There certainly is no present that can compare to that gift.
Merry Christmas!
Dan Pott, Superintendent