Here I am, casually walking into a department store, in the middle of November and all I hear around me is Christmas music. Here I am, turning on the radio in the middle of November listening to Jingle Bell Rock. Here I am, looking through store catalogs and already seeing advertisements for Black Friday specials or Christmas decorations. Don't we all think that there is a problem with this scenario?

I believe that Christmas is a special time to be celebrated with family and friends just as everyone else does, but if I am hearing Christmas music even before Thanksgiving, I feel like there is a problem.

Thanksgiving is the holiday that is the least televised and the least profited. Thanksgiving means a large turkey dinner with close family and friends. Thanksgiving is a holiday where people give thanks for one day, which seems to be the only day out of the year that we are expected to be thankful. All of the other days throughout the year we hear complaining, jealousy, and even fighting about who will be paying for dinner. But with all this hustle and bustle that comes with life, we need to slow down the Christmas season.

Christmas is a holiday celebrated for the Birth of Jesus Christ. God sent his son to live on this earth as a human and die for our sins. We need to remember why Christmas is celebrated and not just rush it all the time.

The day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday, kick starts the Christmas season in shopping malls, department stores, and restaurants. There is complete chaos with doorbuster sales and people running through stores, fighting for the best deal. However, instead of thinking about how to make the most cash this season, let's remember why we celebrate the season. Give gifts because you want to and not because you feel obligated to. Remember all of the things that you value, and spend quality time with your family and friends. Create memories, and make traditions for the future.

Psalm 107:1 "Give thanks to the Lord for he is good. His steadfast love endures forever."