Yes Virginia there is a Jesus!

Today I was asked "what is your son asking for, for Christmas"?
This question had me think about the differences in the wish lists of children over the last 60 years.  It also had me think about why the list has had such a dramatic change.

In the 1950's- The most popular gift request among little boys, were skateboards.  These were not like the numerous models we have today but simply a box on 4 wheels and it was not an art or competitive sport but a way for little ones to go outside and have fun.  Matchbox was another favorite among little gents.  For the little girl in your life "ginny" dolls were all the rage, and the fashionable Barbie doll.
In the 1960's-
 #1 seller was Hot Wheels
 #2 Legos
 #3 GI Joe
 #4 Easy Bake Oven
 #5 Etch A Sketch
 #6 Super Balls
 #7 The game of Life
 #8 Sea Monkeys
 #9 Barrel of Monkey's
 #10 operation
In the 1970's
1971 - Space Hoppers
1972 - Mastermind
1973 - Magna Doodle.
1974 - Wombles
1975 - Slime
1976 - Raw Power. A handle that you added to your bike and 'revved' to create the sound of an engine.
1977 - Holly Hobbie
1978 - Star Wars
1979 - Space Lego
In the 1980's
 1980- Rubiks Cube
1981 - Lego Train. 
1982 - BMX Bikes, everybody went BMX crazy. .
1983 - My Little Pony
          He Man & The Masters Of The Universe.
1984 - Care Bears.  
Cabbage Patch Kids
The Board game Trivial Pursuit
1985 - Transformers
In the 1990's
1990 - Donatello, Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael, the Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles 
1991 - Nintendo launched Game Boy in the UK.
1992 - Thunderbirds enjoyed a re-birth this year and dads of a certain age across the land re-lived there childhoods with their children
1993 - Power Rangers
1994 - Magic Eye Pictures.
1995 - POGS, small cardboard disks stormed into playgrounds and became a huge craze
 Star Wars toys start production again after a short hiatus, 1970's kids are now adults and collect the toys out of nostalgia but a new generation of kids also embraces the saga.
1996 - Toy Story, Buzz Lightyear doll
1997 - The year of T, Teletubbies, Tamagotchi and TY Beanie Babies are toy shop best sellers.
1998 - The humble Yo Yo returns as the craze of the year, after last being seen in the 1950's and the 1970's. The ProYo II is the Yo Yo of choice. Just before Christmas the interactive pet, Furby arrives in toy shops
1999 - A board game based on the hit TV quiz show 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire' is the best selling board game.
Toys and games based on Pokemon the Nintendo game

In 2000

2000 - Robotic Pets and Aluminium Folding Scooters are this year crazes.
2001 - Bob The Builder toys are big hits, 
2002 - Bratz Dolls
          Beyblades, customizable spinning
          Micropets, miniature robotic pets are the favourite crazes
2003 - Beyblades continue to be the playground craze 
2004 - Nintendo launch the ever popular Nintendo DS
2005 & 2006 - Nintendo launch the Nintendo Wii, which with the Nintendo DS has proven to be very successful in bringing families closer together through playing games.
2007, 2008 and 2009 - Some of the most popular toys in these years are in the electronics .
Ok so now that we have that bit of interesting information out of the way, is it easy to see the differences in the wish lists of today's children? 

A quarter of US kids aged between six and 12 want a 3DS this Christmas, making it the most desired dedicated games console on the market among pre-teens.
 25 per cent of the six to 12 demographic are interested in buying Nintendo's new handheld in the next six months.
The iPad came top with 44 per cent, with the iPod on 30 per cent, the iPhone 27 per cent and a computer at 25 per cent
However, the results for the 13 and above age group were markedly different. The iPad, computers and e-readers topped the list, with dedicate gaming systems proving much less popular.

That said is it clear to see how so many aspects of our lives are affected by the growth and progress of society and the need for immediate gratification.
Don't misunderstand me I think progress is great and I have nothing against electronics.  What I see is that the rapid growth and changes to all the gaming systems, phones, e-readers, computers, just make us want more. I mean really that laptop computer you got less than a year ago is no longer efficient because it isn't an ipad?  Is it really less efficient or is it more desire driven?  A child is obsessed with his x-box until suddenly there is a new x-box that may be slightly better AND does not take the same games so now you have to buy the same games but for a different system.  I think I have dizzy spells keeping up with all the new phones and each one has a better and different feature than the last.  Can't we just use our phone for a phone?  If you need that phone to take pictures then why is a camera on your Christmas list?
Trust me I am no scrooge and I like to "give" my point is not so much these items as what it says about the changes in "us" over the years.  We always want the better and different.

This brings me (I know finally) to my thought on all of this.  If we want more and better then think about this;

Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS.

I read this and thought , while this is a warm and fuzzy for sure how much truer would it be if it read like this;
Yes Virginia, there is a Jesus.  HE exists as certainly as Love & Hope & Forgiveness exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life the greatest joy.  Alas how hopeless would be the world if there were no Jesus. It would be as sad as if there were no Virginias. (or you).

I will still do all the traditional Christmas things with joy in my heart, I can make a mad mess in my kitchen baking goodies, and I can create reindeer food having deer come from near and far.  I can hang stockings and I can get giddy with excitement for Santa to come and fill them.  I can still put out that plate of cookies and milk for that jolly man in red, but what I can also do is Celebrate the Birth of a little baby who came to this world so that I might live and live abundantly.  That gift right there trumps any gift you will ever have to pug in.