Christmas Commandments!

It is Monday again, and I trust your household is filled with love and peace as you prepare for the Birthday of the King!  The Christmas carols are so beautiful -- let us keep them ringing in our hearts and homes throughout this blessed season!
I read these "Ten Commandments for Christmas" in a Sunday School paper I had kept from 11 years ago.  Perhaps it would be good for us to meditate on them again this Christmas.

     1.  Thou shalt not leave "Christ" out of Christmas, making it "Xmas."  To most minds, "X" does not stand for Christ, but for the algebraic unknown.

     2.  Thou shalt not value thy gifts by their cost, for many shall signify love that is more blessed and beautiful than silver and gold.

     3.  Thou shalt give thyself with thy gifts.  Thy love, thy personality, and thy service shall increase the value of thy gifts an hundredfold, and he that receiveth it shall treasure it forever.

     4.  Thou shalt not let Santa Claus take the place of Christ, lest Christmas become a fairy tale rather than a sublime reality in the spiritual realm.

     5.  Thou shalt not burden thy servant.  The shop girl, the mail carrier, and the merchant shall have thy consideration.

     6.  Thou shalt not neglect thy church.  Its Christmas services are planned to help spiritualize the Christmas season for thee, thy family, and thy friends.

     7.  Thou shalt not neglect the needy.  Let thy bountiful blessings be shared with the many who will go hungry and cold unless thou art generous at Christmas.

     8.  Thou shalt be as a little child.  Christmas is the day of the Christ Child; not until thou hast become in spirit as a little child art thou ready to enter into the kingdom of heaven.

     9.  Thou shalt prepare thy soul for Christmas.  Verily most of us spend much time and money getting gifts ready, but few seconds in preparing our souls.

    10.  Thou shalt give thy heart to Christ.  Let thy Christmas list have Christ at the top and thy heart as the gift.  In so doing thou art as the wise men of old, and verily thou shalt find thyself born again on Christmas Day!