As we flip a page on the calendar and begin the last month of 2013 today, we can’t help but wonder, “Where did the year go?”

Here we are kicking off the holiday season and ready to wrap up the year and begin anew.

As you gear up this holiday season we encourage you to do two things.

First, make sure you remember the reason for the season. Christmas is a celebration of the birth of the Christ child, so let’s keep Jesus as our focus.

Second, just like the wonderful gift God gave all of in sending his Son to earth, the season is about giving to others.

In that spirit, today we kick off our annual Season of Wishes series, which focuses on some of the many non-profit agencies in our community, explains a little about the organization and details some of what they need to continue their work.

Leaders of many of those organizations suggest their work would not continue were it not for generous giving during the holiday season.

That’s where you come in. As you work on your holiday shopping and spending plans, we hope you can find room to contribute to one of the many local charitable organizations — including local churches.

Their success next year will depend upon how much support the community can provide.

Let’s help each of these groups kick off 2014 with confidence knowing they have the resources to do the great work they do for our community.