Turkey curry anyone?

It's all over for another year.

All that's left to do now is eat the left overs, pack away the decorations and grumble about the weight we've all put on.  All the fuss and hurry, all the hassle and stress, all the buying of presents and learning new carols has passed.  So the question must be, was it worth it?

In our case I think it was, we had a great Christmas day and a great boxing day.  There was the occasional moment of food based stressed (cremated parsnips anyone?) but overall things went well and we had a lovely time.

Unfortunately that is not going to be the case for everyone, as much as we would like it to be life is not suspended at Christmas.  People still fight and annoy, people still get sick and die, things happen that range from the inconvenient to the tragic. Unfortunately life and death and loneliness don't stop on Christmas day. (If any of you have experienced a Christmas like that and you would like prayer then don't be afraid to email your requests here).

And now the sales.  Everything is reduced, bargains are to be had.  This is the time when people queue for three days outside a shop so to get some cheap white goods or a half price frock.  It is silly season when people spend money they don't have on stuff they don't need just because they are told they are getting a bargain.  As my granny always said, 'It's only a bargain if you need it.'

The Irony is that people seem to quickly forget about the free gift offered to them,  a gift which is backed by a massive advertising campaign at this time of year.  The free gift of eternal life through Jesus.  A proper gift with longevity.  A gift that will never break, or decay, or loose it's shine.  The gift of salvation is there for everyone, for you.  Snap it up.