Well, dear readers, I don’t know about you, but the holiday season is in full force at the Fuller Homestead.

We’ve got our tree up, filled with gold and red bells, bright lights, a garland and more. We’ve got lights and golden bells hung in the door ways, and this year, we’ve even got lights outside and one of those inflatable light-up figures.

This year, we’re not playing around.

However, I do have to register a complaint with Santa’s elves. We pulled out our boxes of Christmas decorations, only to find there were two stockings instead of three. My stocking is missing, and I believe one of the elves ran away with it. If this article happens to reach the North Pole, I’d like whoever is in charge of such things to return it. After all, Santa does leave some of the best candy in the stockings and I don’t want to miss out.

In all seriousness, it was a great joy to decorate the tree with my little family and get ready for Christmas. My husband lifted up my kiddo to put the star on top of the tree which of course was a delight to behold, and she relished putting her hand up to all the handprint ornaments from the previous years to see how much bigger her hands are now.

Time certainly has flown, and that’s one tangible way to measure it. However, she’s not the only one that’s learned a thing or two over the years.

I remember one of her first few Christmases, I was so worried about what would be under the tree from Santa. I racked up a lot of debt just to make sure there were all kinds of things under the tree, but my kid taught me an important lesson that year. She tore up the wrapping paper with glee and played with the boxes. The toys sat by the wayside, and my gift was one of wisdom that morning.

We do pile it on a bit thick when it comes to the Christmas lights and other such things, but lately, I’ve been trying to explain to the kiddo what the big deal is with the baby in the manger.

We have a little porcelain Nativity that depicts baby Jesus, Joseph, Mary, the shepherds and some livestock. She likes to run her fingers over its smooth surface, and look at its shiny blue and white colors. We’ve talked about it a few times, and I’ve read her the accounts of Christ’s birth — but I’m not sure if the connection is lost between the Christmas tree, the twinkling lights and all the other trappings.

I think it’s time to pull out Charlie Brown’s Christmas special one more time, and listen to Linus deliver those famous lines after Charlie asks what Christmas is really all about.

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, ‘Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.'” Luke 2:14

Something tells me she’ll get it more when Linus says it.

I’ve watched a million different Christmas shows over my life time, but none of them nailed the meaning of Christmas like that. A Savior is born, a sign is given and the heavenly host praises God.

I guess we don’t really need an inflatable snowman or a Christmas tree for that, do we? Rather, we need a great rejoicing of spirit and a song of praise on our lips.

This season, I want to make it a goal to celebrate Christ’s birth for what it is — not just for what we’ve made it. I’m not saying I won’t buy presents, or I’m going to take down our Christmas lights; however, I would like to place that picture of baby Jesus in a manger right at the center of my holidays.

What a better picture of simple joy — the Lord’s plan that is higher than our plan, that the Savior of the world would be born in a manger to a poor couple tucked in an animal lean-to behind an inn. Wrapped in swaddling clothes, the baby that would live out a ministry so bold and unheard of that it would cause others to want to kill him, while still others would follow in his footsteps for one more word from his lips.

Jesus’ birth was a miracle. There’s no doubt about that, but the tale that unfolds afterward fits in squarely with that beginning. Without his humble beginnings, his baptism, the temptation, his teachings, his miracles and the rest — we wouldn’t get the full effect. The King of Kings was born in a stable, not in riches and comfort but in swaddling clothes and straw — which was a theme that continued throughout his ministry and his life. Not once did he strive for riches, but rather, he strove to help the people know the Father, which is real wealth.

Let us come into the Christmas season celebrating the beginning of Jesus’ life — and rejoicing in the fullness of what it meant looking forward.

May your season be full of joy in the best and brightest way!