"Joy to the world the Lord is come." This is a song sang every Christmas Season. It celebrates the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We sing Christmas Carols and deliver cookies and gifts to the unfortunate. So many things that believers used to do to make the lives of those unfortunate better. We give our old broken toys to places that fix them and give them to children who other wise would not have any.We visit those who cannot leave their home and sing Christmas carols to them. What a wonderful season this used to be. Most of this has gone. Yes people still do this but most do this to earn Browne points to try and make up for the year of selfish and terrible living. WHERE HAS ALL THE JOY GONE? What happened to the excitement of the holiday seasons? What happened to being kind to each other and especially the handicapped and or disabled? Something has gone wrong. I no longer look forward to this season with joy and eagerness but with dread and foreboding. I have learned to be anxious to get it over with and move on. Children expect expensive gifts or they hate their parents. We are expected to go out and go hopelessly in debt to make sure everyone gets a gift. If we don't get a gift or one that is expensive and full of bells and whistles we are upset for the rest of the year. This is the season that depression runs rampant across this nation. Another song goes "deck the halls with boughs of Holly fa la la la la, Tis the season to be jolly". That is no longer true. I personally have come to dislike this time of the year. No longer do you get greeted Merry Christmas. Its usually merry Xmas or happy holidays. There are fights over people who put the manger seen on their lawns. There are those who fight to keep this from happening, while that fake Santa Clause is worshiped instead. Peoples moods these days are no longer Jolly or joyful. Here is a good example. I am a disabled veteran. When I go shopping at Walmart I ride on their electric carts because it becomes to painful to walk all over the store. If the carts are all being used I will sit and patiently wait for the next available cart. If others are ahead of me waiting I patiently wait my turn. Here it is the Christmas season and I had waited for 45 minutes. A lady came into the store and asked for a cart. There was an elderly gentleman using one and was checking out. I was politely waiting for him to be done and bring the cart back. The Lady was told I was next in line. She got up and flew over to the old gentleman walking like she had no need for one to begin with and took the cart away from the gentleman. This woman showed exactly to days Christmas attitude. Where has all the joy gone? People are rude and inconsiderate. Children are undisciplined and will have nothing to do with their own parents if there is no money flow. Some children will not speak to their parents if the parent cannot afford to buy them expensive gifts or any gift at all. I have come to the conclusion of where the joy has gone. Money, greed, self gratification, Lack of love for your fellow man, lovers of oneself. There are those that still love and still try their best but until we get back to the basic of celebrating Christ's birth and when giving a gift, give it in love and when receiving a gift, be grateful and appreciate the giver for the thoughtfulness behind it. Even if it is just a card or a simple Merry Christmas and God bless you. One of the biggest thing is to be thankful to God, give thanks in everything. Only then will the joy return. Unless we get back to the basics there will be no more joy during the holidays or the whole year, or years to come. All the glitter and money and high dollar items are useless if no joy is there. The reason joy is not there is because it is Jesus that brings us Joy. It is Jesus that brings us happiness in the midst of tribulation. We have removed Jesus from Christmas, and by doing this we have removed the joy. The only true joy is the Joy of the Lord. © Copyright 2004 by John C. Thomas Sr.