That's Merry Christmas in Hawaiian, and in spite of all the fun I had as a kid playing in the snow and drinking hot chocolate to fight the frosty air, I'd just as soon be celebrating in Hawaii as anywhere. I'm pretty sure Santa Claus goes there last and spends the rest of the winter working on his tan.

Whether you are in the snow or on the sands, I hope you have a very Merry Christmas. Spend at least part of it with family and friends, spend at least part of it listening to good music, and spend at least part of it remembering what Christmas is really all about in the first place.

I know the wise men didn't really show up while Jesus was still sleeping in a feed trough, and I even know that the Bible doesn't say there were three of them. (We get that because there are three gifts named, so we figure there must have been three wise men.) I also know that there is something wonderful in the fact that the first visitors to the Good Shepherd were lowly shepherds. I can imagine one of them saying to the others, "They told us he was some kind of King, but I think he looks like one of us!"

But all those facts and more are unimportant compared to knowing who that baby was, why he was born, and what he did with his life.

That is worth celebrating, worth being joyful and merry about, and worth a few moments of your time and a few words of thanks.

My Christmas wish for you is simply this: that this season will give you a deeper appreciation for God, for those people you love, and for all people everywhere. If that happens, you will have a Mele Kalikimaka indeed!