WHAT NEXT AFTER CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION?

  I know that Christmas is over, but I've been thinking a lot about the
  shepherds in the Christmas story lately. We all know that a host of angels
  appeared to the shepherds and told them about the birth of our Lord and
  Savior, Jesus Christ. The shepherds were thrilled with the news and told
  many others about what they had seen and heard. That impressed me.

  But verse 20 is what struck me this year. "Then the shepherds returned,
  glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and
  seen." (Luke 2:17 NIV) They returned to their sheep and resumed their
  former lowly lives, accept for one thing “ they continued "glorifying
  and praising God . . ."

  A question shot through my mind. What do I do after Christmas? When things
  return to normal after the holidays, what do I do with Jesus? Do I wrap
  Him up in tissue paper, so to speak, pack Him away and forget about Him
  like I do my delicate Tree ornaments? Or do I continue to glorify and
  praise Him like the shepherds did?

  I'm happy to report that I don't pack Him away and forget Him, but I have
  to admit that He doesn't always get as much attention from me as He does
  during the Christmas season. We often here the saying: "Let's keep Christ
  in Christmas." This year I plan to modify that saying to "Keep Christ
  first and foremost in 2018," and continue to glorify and praise Him often.
  I hope you will, too.

  Heavenly Father, thank You for the precious lessons you teach us from Your
  Holy Word. I surrender my life to you once again in 2018 and will strive
  to spend more time glorifying and praising You. In Jesus Name. Amen.