Christmas, & then some.

Warning. Long story ahead:

Here comes Santa Claus! With him are gifts and toys for kids! Uh oh, you almost blew your cover as Santa Claus when you kissed you wife under the mistletoe. Luckily, your kid didn't see that. And before you headed for the master bedroom, oops I mean chimney, you left a present for each of your loved ones in their stockings.

Presents donned with shiny paper, gently hugged by beautiful ribbons fill the space under the ever so unchanging Christmas tree (because it's plastic). Golden bells, candy canes, mistletoes and leafy thinga-majigga dangles from every corner and suitable space in the lightly dimmed house. You can hear the carols of neighbours during the peaceful nights of cold December and you would silently join in while sipping off eggnog from your favourite glass every ten seconds or so. Then early on Christmas day, you feel the warm embrace of heat on your skin as the sunrays enter through the glass window after the long cold hours of night, and you would sit by the tree with your loved ones and each of you would blatantly tear open sheets and sheets of wrapping paper from presents received. A season of giving, hmm.. Sounds like a decent Christmas, eh?

But is Christmas really all about trees and presents, candy canes and mistletoes, eggnog and log cakes? Is Christmas about Santa Claus? Who is Santa Claus anyway? Are the only things we can offer as gifts, presents bought with money?

Well, Christmas was originated from a pagan festival. Read more at http://www.essortment.com/christmas-pagan-origins-42543.html.

It was so that the pagans could accept the new religion, Christianity, easier with the knowledge that their merrymaking would not be halted. Nevertheless, the new festive season was created to celebrate and commemorate Christ's birth! The greatest gift of all!

When it comes down to it, Christmas isn't about jinglebelling or dashing through the snow. It isn't about Santa Claus (Who was actually Saint Nicholas, a bishop who secretly gives gifts and is remembered on every 6th of December).

The meaning of Christmas is to celebrate God's gift to us,
"For to us a child is born,
To us a son is given,"
Isaiah 9:6

Jesus, a righteous man, the Son of God, born of a virgin, died on the cross (a death of criminals) for us. With that, He paid for our death penalty (with His blood) that was sentenced on us by the wrath of God because of our sinful nature that is despised by the Father. God loves us, but hates sin. He cannot deny Himself (He is righteous), therefore, He must punish us for our wrongdoings. But because of His compassion and amazing grace (and love for us!), He gave His Son to endure suffering and shame to redeem us, all of humankind. A life for many lives. Atonement.

And that gift, of what Christ has done on the cross, is still open to all.
A gift remains just a gift unless you accept it and unwrap it.

What else have you given during Christmas other than a present? What about your time? What about your joy? What about your love? What about your message of peace?

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The new year is here! Happy New Year! Happy 2014!

The year 2013, had come and gone,
It left with good memories, fun time and song,
But many scars it laid, upon the heart of my own,
In difficulty, sickness and temptations,
In January, bitterness was sown.
February was a month of experience,
An exposure to work in a conducive environment,
March, the start of a new adventure,
To test the truth of the things I treasure,
And it helped me grow, though in mind I was weak,
But I learned many things, by the end of the 13th week,
This journey lasted till the end of May,
I recall having dengue, even on graduation day.
And when June came, I re-entered my school,
Met many new friends, yes, I think they're cool,
I worked in Sushi King, until it was July,
Working teaches me, to not be too shy,
August, the deadline is near,
As we were sorting prom,
September brought in fear,
Of nearing examinations.
October was to study,
And study so we did,
November we took selfies,
And karaoke when papers finished.
December was the bomb,
Catching up with many old friends,
I wonder if I regret anything,
Did I miss out any chance?
But time is up for 2013,
The clock has been rewind.
The gear is set for 2014,
New things I wish to find.

Char Siew Pau.