I survived Christmas!

It's Christmas Day in the city!

Merry Christmas every one!

I made it.  I made it through all the terrors of the night.  I made it through all the awful advertising and money talk and shopping mauls.  Yes mauls - people pepper sprayed, mothers fighting over Air Jordan's.  Public demonstrations in support of, or against tacky Nativity scenes on public, or private property.  But let's be honest - lights are lights and our inner child always gets excited when we see them - no matter how garish.

I survived all the murder stories - Minneapolis has a lot of gun happy boyfriends who shoot their girlfriends.  My advice - get married - then you can get divorced instead of killing one another. 

I lived through Christmas - Advent to all ye faithful - because tomorrow it is over for those people who don't need a Church to tell them what to do.  Yep - some people actually take all their decor down the day after Christmas.  One year a relative of mine who prides herself on neatness and efficiency took her tree down Christmas night.  "Aren't you neat though, Agnes!"

I survived the depression, the recriminations, the guilt of not being the man my family and friends expected me to be - although some tell me God is even more disappointed. That's a toughie, but it won't keep me from going to him this morning, as he lays in that manger - he doesn't turn anyone away... man nor beast.

Today those who keep Christmas come to know that Christmas is above all about Christ.

So once again:  Merry Christmas!  And remember, today is just the beginning!