The life and trials of a growing Christian-Day Seven

I've been kicking around two things to write about today and have narrowed it down to this one.... I took down the Christmas lights today and I'm kinda sad about it. I'm not sad because Christmas is over, in fact, in a way, I'm a little glad that Christmas is over. I don't hate Christmas or anything, but I do hate the way people allow themselves to get about Christmas. The greed from companies staying open later and longer for that last beloved dollar, and the greed from the consumer camping out for days and pummeling each other to get the cheapest and the most stuff possible to give to complaining people who think they're worth far more than what they were given. Then there are the others who try to make you feel guilty for celebrating Christmas because Jesus wasn't born on December 25th and Christmas was originally a pagan holiday. I know all of those facts and have learned a few more and have decided that it doesn't matter what day Jesus was born, it just matters that He was born. It also doesn't matter that December 25th was originally a pagan holiday, now it's the observed day of the birth of Christ. What does matter is the frame of mind we are in when we celebrate Christmas. Are we focused on Jesus or are we focused on me me me? Any how, I went off on a bit of a tangent but I'm glad I did. Now back to my thoughts about today. As I said at the beginning, I'm a little sad about taking down my lights. Most of you don't know, but my lights are always the same; icicle lights on the front and five strands wrapped around a seven foot tall cross that is facing a busy street. All of those lights made our front yard pretty bright, but now that they're gone it's like there's a void. The yard is cold and lifeless..... Really bleak huh? That's how life without Jesus is. There's nothing to look forward to, no life or light,only cold darkness. Taking down those lights made me think about ALL of those LOST SOULS muttering around aimlessly in the darkness. How sad it must be to think that there is no God and that Jesus was just a really nice guy that lived a long time ago. All of those people are going to spend eternity in HELL! Hell, the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Hell, where the worm never dies and the fire is not quenched. If I am able to lead just one person to Christ, if I can help just one person to get out of that darkness......