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Christmas

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Madeline:
The physical world sometimes reflects the spiritual. If someone has a fancy car, goes to clubs and loves to dress in rich clothing—this physical reflects whats in the inside of this person.

Love,
Madeline

Michele:
Well, I am feeling odd after reading this discussion.  Everything that goes on in daily life is "pagan"  it seems.  Birthdays, all the fun childhood holiday's Easter, Christmas and halloween.  Days of the months, days of the week, seasons.  All of it.  All of the traditional holiday's that are the very foundations of close families.

It frightens me when i see all the different responces to it.  Sometimes all I know to do is ask myself how I feel about something...as I've always thought of God as being my conscience.  Does doing this that or the other make me feel bad is the way I answer things when everything else is confusion to me.

I love Christmas and the other holidays as they were always times when famillies got together to spend time together and have fun fellowship together.  I know now that the tree/lights/etc are pagan derived. (as is nearly everything in daily life)  I know that a birthday is "pagan".  I do not consciously worship anyone but Jesus/God.  Some of the most wonderful memories of my life are the beautiful holiday's when my mother did everything she could to make our lives a little "magical" and she did it out of pure love, the same as I do with my child.  I told her (my kid)l from the get-go about the holiday's and their origins and that santa isn't real just because i didn't want to lie to her. 

 I understand what you're saying as much as I"m able but at this point I do not feel bad about any of this and it makes me feel sad to think that I am supposed to feel  bad about it?

 

I don't know.  I guess were all in different places in this journey. I must confess deep inside my heart I"m afraid to be or maybe afraid I never will be all the things that people here say we're supposed to be.  We all still live in this world and while I'd never want to be a part of anything bad in this world and I do not wish to displease God either.   

I just feel only happiness and love and goodness when I remember all of the holiday's of my childhood.  I only feel that same happiness now, until I come here and read something to the contrary. 

I love giving and making gifts and spending time with my family, I love the pretty decorations.  I told my daughter that the star on top of the christmas tree was to represent the star over bethlehem when christ was born, that the gifts we give one another represent the gifts that the  wise men gave to jesus. That's what my mother taught me.  Those things always felt good and happy.  Are those things supposed to be wrong or just the special observance of days that used to be pagan that we try to convert into special rememberances of particular christain occasions?   Is it better to keep our family traditions and use them to love our family even more or to give them up and cause family strife? If we dont' want to give them up does that make us bad?
Personally I can truthfully say that I don't want to give them up.   I guess if it's wrong I pray that God will forgive me. 
Ever seen A Christmas Carol?  That's how I feel inside at christmas time.

I like to "Celebrate" with my family.  I am thankful for them, I am thankful Jesus, I am thankful that I can give a gift or bring a smile to someones face by giving them a gift or just sharing a good meal together.  I used to look with love upon a nativity scene...

Everything is just so complicated...........

hillsbororiver:
Hi Michele,

I would not stress over this issue, continue to seek Him first in all things and this stuff will sort itself out. I don't think anyone here was advising that we should be so rigid as to ruin our families' holiday.

The point is that one day is no more "holy" than any other, every day should be in celebration of our Lord and Saviour.

Enjoy the fellowship with family and friends.

His Peace and Wisdom to you,

Joe

gmik:
I agree with Joe Michele, don't stress.  We basically are all gonna do what we feel right about doing.  Don't celebrate, do celebrate.  Me, I don't have the total say in the matter since my husband loves Christmas, so we celebrate.  But as Joe says, we can celebrate HIM everyday. Whatever, the Lord loves us SO much that if HE is bothered by it HE will let us know.

Michele, I just wanted to tell you I named my daughter Leah Michele.  I just love the one "l".

gena

I just reread this thread from start to finish.  So many good thoughts.

ned:
One thing about Christmas for me is because I thought it was to be a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus, I for so many years was expecting to feel something "spiritual" at Christmas. I always yearned for some supernatural feeling because I was "celebrating for the right reason".
No special aura, no spirituality, no supernatural feelings ever came. I actually cried one year because this was lacking.

I think this is the kind of rudiment of the world we are too avoid.

Following man's traditions leads you to think you are doing the right thing, when really you are so far from the truth it's unbelievable!

God knows our hearts. Christmas is another day, it's a gift. If anything, enjoy it for that reason alone.

Love,
Marie

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