Christmas is a special time of year for many around the world. Many people in U.S. celebrate the birth of Christ others celebrate Hanukkah, and some simply celebrate a few days off.

One of the things that is common to most all who celebrate at Christmas time is that we pay more attention to certain aspects of our lives than we do at other times of the year. We spend more time with the family. We bake special goodies to share with friends and neighbors. We send Christmas cards to the people we often have neglected to contact all year long. We give gifts to the letter carrier, the paper boy, and other almost strangers. We greet all with a positive attitude of peace, joy, and love. We drop dollars in the Salvation Army pot. We hum Christmas carols as we do our chores.

More precisely, perhaps, those things which should be first in our lives actually become first for a week or two. I believe that this is what makes the holiday season a special time for all of us. That is, if I can borrow a few words from Stephen Covey, for a few weeks we actually find a way to put "first things first."

To borrow a few more words from Stephen Covey, "On their death bed, how many folks say ‘I wish I had spent more time at the office.’" So this year, my New Year’s resolution will be to put "first things first," all year long.

I pray that you and yours have a happy, blessed holiday season; and a healthy and prosperous new year.