Thanksgiving bypass

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Ethan had a half day at school on yesterday so I took him and Sophia to the mall to kill some time. All of the stores in the mall have decked their halls for Christmas already. It seems like retailers aren't even bothering to "celebrate" Thanksgiving this year. They're focusing on Christmas right from the get go.

So this is Christmas huh? One never ending attempt to part people from their money for trinkets that they don't really need. All we need now are for the stories of little kids being forbidden to mention the religious meaning of Christmas and towns battling over nativity scenes and Christmas trees and it will officially be Christmas time in America.

I am thankful that I have children to teach to help me remember what holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving are really about. Tonight I got the chance to tell Ethan that Thanksgiving is a day on which we gather with family to give thanks for God's blessings. In the process I reminded myself that it is not about gorging yourself on an extravagant display of culinary excess.

As Christmas approaches and retailers ratchet up the sales pitch I will daily and joyfully teach my children of the wonder of the birth of the son of God who gave up his life for us.

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