Christmas Angel vs The Grinch

Well, it's Christmas - that time of year which either brings out the Christmas Angel or the Grinch in millions of people worldwide!

It's that time of year when you begin to suspect there's an invisible hole in your wallet. It's also when you might convince yourself that each of the people on your gift list would be overjoyed to benefit from the five- for- a -pound sock deal at Primark.

I don't know what Christmas means for you. Maybe it's long-awaited excuse to kick back and party... on the other hand, maybe it's just another reminder of how alone you feel, how materialistic the world around you has become, and how much you realize you remind yourself of Ebenzer Scrooge.

You know, this may surprise you, but Christmas never used to be about wasting money on useless gifts, or being stuffed with more Tesco mince pies then you could ever hope to digest, or standing in massive queues for hours on end waiting to see 'Santa Claus'.

Christmas was, and still is, a magical time! It's the birthday of Jesus and the anniversary of the day when love, hope, joy and peace walked the earth in human form. It's about the miracle of God's love for us, and about turning around and giving that love to others in whatever way you can!

Christmas is all about the heart! So many people still think they can buy Christmas, but the only way to really feel that magic which you've always heard of but perhaps never experienced is to give Christmas away!

Try something new and tell Jesus 'happy birthday'! Stop and think of some gifts which you can give Him - things like showing love to others, forgiving those who've hurt you, stepping out to help someone in need.

It may sound unheard-of or a little too simple... but you should try it all the same! I guarantee you that you'll discover the warmth and magic and peace of Christmas as you do it!