it's not over

If you had any doubt, the eradication of Christmas displays and the arrival of Valentine's Day product in your favorite retail outlet will help you understand that Christmas is, in fact, over. The speed with which this happens still amazes me. It seemed like a switch was flipped. We're on to the next thing--and it's not even New Year's yet!
My older daughter looked around the house yesterday and asked "Mom, is it okay that we still have the Christmas stuff up?"
Of course it's okay.I want my family to relish Christmas for a bit longer. I want to enjoy Christmas for a while. The lights look brighter and the colors look richer when they aren't viewed through the lens of panic, pressure, and obligation.
The celebration doesn't have to end, either. No matter the day or the season, we can marvel at the wonder of God coming to earth in the form a of little baby. Imagine: the God who loved us enough to share in our worldly challenges and remove any obstacle he could in order to love us and live with us forever.
We don't need lights and tinsel and evergreen garland, really. The miracle of that little baby's birth decorates our lives every day.