When you're walking through the mall and you hear it's the most wonderful time of the year and you start to smile

And then you go how many people would actually say this is the most wonderful time of the year

They might start out saying well, they would say that's what I want it to be

That's what I hope it's gonna be but mid-December when they're frustrated and life's gotten too busy and things aren't going the way you want them to they go

What happened here?

Welcome to Family Life today where we want to help you pursue the relationships that matter most. I'm Dave Wilson and I'm Ann Wilson and you can find us at FamilyLifeToday.com or on the Family Life app.

This is Family Life today.

Christmas is right around the corner. Yeah sure is. What gets you in the mood like when do you start thinking oh yeah it's coming.

When I start hearing Christmas music on the radio in like June. No it usually starts right after Thanksgiving.

And now it's starting the beginning of November and Christmas movies. Yes. I love Christmas movies. I love Christmas vacation.

There's a couple parts we can't watch but overall it's a pretty fun movie with you know Clark Rizwold. So that's yeah that's me what about you.

I think Christmas music starts getting me in the mood but also I really start thinking about Jesus and the birth of Christ. I was a huge Santa Claus lover growing up.

And so when I realized that Christmas was about Jesus it renewed my faith in a new way when I gave my life to Jesus and realized this is the meaning of Christmas.

This is way better than Santa Claus. That really the beginning of December I really start thinking about the gospel and with the birth of Christ and the death of Christ and what that means.

Well let's talk a little bit about the emotions of Christmas and of all people that you would bring in the studio talk about emotions. You might not think of Bob Lapino.

But the former host of Family Life today. Bob Lapino is with us in Orlando in Christmas time. No snow here on the ground. But Bob welcome back to Family Life today.

Great to be with you guys. I always enjoy this. It just feels like being home. It does for us too. It does for us too.

And you know you've written this book called the Four Emotions of Christmas. You're hoping that this book is not just bought by a person for themselves but it's a gift to give to your neighbors. I think that's a beautiful vision.

My hope and our plan at our church by the way is to give them to people in our congregation. If you give every family in the church five or ten copies of the book and just said start now praying about who would God put on your heart the five or ten people that you ought to give one of these books to.

And along with the book include an invitation to the Christmas Eve service at church and maybe add a plate of cookies or something special that you do. And it's a gift for neighbors or for friends or for relatives.

And it's a little book. It's not an overwhelming book. This is a book that somebody can read in an hour and a half maybe it's about 80 pages long.

And the book is designed to pull people into the common emotions we experience during the Christmas season emotions like disappointment and stress and sadness.

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