“And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”

— Luke 2:6-7 (ESV)

This special Christmas edition of the staff ed comes in the form of a challenge.

This year, don’t let the stressed or the gift-obsessed trends that plague America ruin your Christmas. Don’t let this Jesus-centered, life-giving holiday be corrupted by the consumerism and greed of our society.

Don’t allow yourself to get stressed out. It’s not worth it. So, you forgot to buy the rolls. Or you ran out of time to wrap that last gift. Or your house can just never seem to stay clean. Who cares? It’s not the end of the world — I promise.

Don’t waste your time this Christmas. As a senior, I’m finally realizing how short life really is and how fast time flies by. So, don’t let one more Christmas pass you by without soaking all the joy and hope out of it that you need for the new year. Don’t let this be a Christmas that you just have to “get through.” I want each and every one of you to enjoy it because that’s what Jesus’ birthday deserves. Even if this means simply asking God to enter back into this busy season or choosing to focus on relational gifts instead of material presents this year.

Go ice skating, watch a Christmas movie, go to church, volunteer at a food pantry, complete an act of service, spend time in prayer with your friends, make homemade gifts. . . whatever it may be, allow this season to fill you up instead of emptying you out. After all, the light of the world seems to be a pretty good reason to celebrate.

From the staff of The Wildcat Roar, we wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!