Are you ready for Christmas?

It's two and a half weeks until Christmas.

Are you ready?

Winter weather has finally arrived. Christmas music is playing on most of the radio stations and throughout all the stores and restaurants.

"Are you ready?" seems to be the main greeting people use this time of year asking one another if they're "ready for Christmas."

What does it mean?

For many, it means having bought all the groceries for the Christmas feast, purchased or made the Christmas gifts, wrapped them, placed them under the perfectly decorated tree in the perfectly decorated house, mailed all the Christmas cards with the beautifully posed people smiling from the photograph accompanied by the informative and positive Christmas newsletter chronicling the previous year.

Are you ready?

This year, many of us will bemoan the loss of a family member or friend during the past year. Some will celebrate a new family member gained through birth, adoption or marriage. Some will be sitting by a hospital bedside, oblivious of the festivity all around as they pray for the health and survival of their loved one.

A lady bemoaned that one of her friends had "all but two of her gifts purchased and wrapped" and she said: "I've only got two gifts bought."

"Thankfully, all my kids want something 'Apple,' so that's not too hard," she laughed.

What is Christmas to you?

There have been many tragedies around the world in the last year -- weather tragedies as well as crimes. Families have buried loved ones, lost in senseless crimes, gone too soon. But many of us are consumed with what we're going to receive as a material gift.

Christmas isn't about getting. It's about giving. What are you teaching your children?

A friend of mine allows, and encourages, her children to make lists of requests for their birthdays but not for Christmas, because, as she says, Christmas is about celebrating the greatest gift ever given -- from God to man. It's not my birthday.

It's about bringing joy to mankind and sharing that joy with one another. It's about giving, giving love -- first from God to man and then to one another.

"And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.' For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"" Luke 2:10-11, 14

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." Romans 15:13

"Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift." 2 Corinthians 9:15 (KJV)

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." James 1:17

If someone walked up to you now and gave you keys and the title to a new car and said it is a free gift -- no hidden costs -- what would you do? Most likely, you'd rejoice.

Why is it that we get excited about material things that tarnish and decay but don't rejoice over eternal, unfading gifts that cannot be taken away?

This Christmas, no matter what has led you to this moment, slow down, take a minute to reflect on what is truly important and rejoice, enjoy Christ and your loved ones in this holiday season.

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Editor's note: Annette Beard is the managing editor of The Times of Northeast Benton County. She has nine children, four sons-in-law, seven grandsons and two granddaughters with a new grandson due this month. The opinions expressed are those of the writer. She can be reached at [email protected].