Dearest Friend, 

Hello dear friend! 
Well, as you know, it's time for my birthday again. 
Last year, they had a real big party for me 
and it seems like they will again this year. 
After all, they've been shopping and preparing for it 
for months now, 
and there have been announcements and advertisements 
almost everyday about how soon it's coming!
They really do go overboard about it, 
but it's nice to know that at least on one day of the year 
some people are thinking about me a little. 

You know, it's been many years now 
since they first started celebrating my birthday. 
Back then they seemed to realize and appreciate 
how much fun it is for the little children. 
Just the same, 
it seems that most folks are missing the point of it all. 

Like last year, for example: 
When my birthday came around, they threw a big party, 
but can you believe it?... I wasn't even invited! Imagine! 
The guest of honor, and they forgot all about me! 
Here they had begun preparing for the festivities 
two months in advance, but when the big day came, 
I was left out in the cold! 
Well, it has happened so many times in recent years, 
I wasn't even surprised. 
Even though I wasn't invited, 
I thought I'd just quietly slip in anyway. 
So I came in and stood off to the side. 

Everyone was eating, laughing and having a grand time, 
when all of a sudden, in came this fellow in a bright red suit, 
wearing a phony white beard and shouting, 
Ho Ho Ho! 
Everyone cheered at his arrival. 
All the little children 
went running over to him excitedly yelling, 
Santa! Santa! 
I mean, you'd have thought he was the guest of honor
and the whole holiday was in his honor! 

Finally I just had to leave, I walked out of the door, 
and it was hardly surprising that no one even noticed 
that I had gone. 
As I walked down the street afterward, 
I felt about as lonely and forlorn as a stray dog! 
I could hardly remember the last time I'd felt that low. 
Maybe you don't think I cry ..... 

That little manger scene you had put up 
in the corner of your living room was really touching! 
It's sweet of people to commemorate my birthday like that. 
But did you know that nowadays, in some countries, 
the authorities won't even allow manger scenes to be placed 
in the parks, streets, or public places! 
Not to mention their schools! 
And I'm not talking about Communist countries! 
I'm talking about the good, ole USA,  Imagine! 
What could be more innocent than a manger scene 
to remind people of my birthday? ... and yet they ban it! 
They've actually passed laws against it and made it illegal! 
What's this world coming to? 

Another thing that amazes me is how, 
on my birthday, 
instead of giving me presents, 
most people give gifts to each other! 
And to top it all off, 
it's usually all kinds of stuff they don't even need! 
Let me ask you, wouldn't you find it odd 
if when your birthday came along, 
all your friends decided to celebrate it 
by giving each other presents and never gave you a thing? 

Someone once told me, 
Well, it's because you're not around like other people are,
so how can we give you a present? 
You know my answer to that one: 
Then give gifts of food and clothing to the poor, 
help those who need it. 
Go visit the lonely! 
I said, Listen, any gift you give to your needy fellowmen, 
I'll count as if you gave it to me personally!

Well, sad to say, things are getting worse each year. 
You can just imagine my shock a few years ago 
when I began seeing them taking my name out 
of my birthday greeting and replacing it with an X 
What an insult! 
Think of it! ... Xmas! ... 
What if I wrote you a birthday card 
and said Happy Birthday X! 
You'd probably never talk with me again! 
And that's just about how I feel, 
I mean what more could they do to push me
right out of the picture on my own birthday? 

It reminds me of what happened recently 
to a friend of mine, 
a sweet elderly fellow. 
He's from the poorer side of town 
and he's been trying unsuccessfully for years 
to join the church. 
But this was a very exclusive church 
for the proper kind of folks,
and they just did not think he was good enough 
to be a member, 
I found him one day sitting by the church steps 
with his head on his hands bowed 
and I asked him what was wrong, he told me about it, 
I put my arm around his shoulder 
and told him I knew just how he felt. 
I've been wanting to enter that same church 
for twenty years 
and they'd never let me in either! 

Well there's an end even to my patience. 
So I'm going to let you in on a secret .....
Now this is something I've been planning on doing 
for quite sometime, 
but the way things are going, 
I think I'm planning of holding my own party! 
How about that? 
It's going to be the biggest most fantastic feast 
you could possibly imagine! 
It might not happen this year. 
But I'm sending out the invitations now anyway 
because I know you'll want to come. 
There's going to be room for billions, 
for everyone who wants to come!
Some really famous old timers and celebrities 
are going to be there 
and I'll reserve you a seat of honor right with them! 

So hold on to your hat because when everything is ready, 
I'm going to spring it as a big surprise! 
and a lot of people are going to be left out in the cold 
because they didn't answer my invitation. 
Let me know right away if you'd like to come, 
and I'll reserve you a place 
and write your name in large golden letters 
in my great big Guest Book! 

Much Love, 
JESUS