Is Christmas becoming too commercial? Do you think Christmas is lacking the religious background that it originally had? Every year Christmas decorations come out earlier and earlier, and they lose their spiritual meaning more and more. Colorful lights and evergreens are put up in all the stores to announce the coming of Santa Claus and Christmas, but hardly a manger scene can be found to remind us of the true meaning of Christmas.

Have you ever noticed how little children come home with pictures of Santa and Christmas trees? This proves the point that all this commercialism is making Christmas just a time for receiving gifts but not for giving them. Not many little

children realize that Christmas is the coming of the Lord until they are seven or eight years old. All they can think about is what Santa is going to bring them. This is not their fault. Their parents tell them if they do not behave, Santa will find out and he will put coal in their stockings instead of presents. They don't seem to take the time to tell their children the story of the first Christmas.

A more spiritual meaning should be put into Christmas at Maine West this year. Get your Christmas shopping done and your trees trimmed, but also take time to thank God and to remember the story of the first Christmas.