Christmas, Christmas Shows, and Christians

[Saintscruiser]

I was determined to go to the grocery store on Tuesday. I haven't shopped in years. But, I needed a few things to bake some Christmas snacks. So off I went. I now remember why I quit going.....it put me in the bed for 3 days. I'm not back to normal yet.

So, I was watching a lot of Christmas movies on Netflix and tv. Christians celebrate the spirit of Christmas 365 days a year......don't we? We don't give to organizations once a year, do we? There is no special 'magic' of Christmas, is there? Everything doesn't always work out the way we wish it would only at Christmas, does it? Does God only perform miracles at Christmas? 1) Hope so; 2) Hope not; 3) Magic? No; 4) No; 5) Of course not!

The thing I just love at Christmas are the lights! But, I'm in a minority. I don't need gifts! I really don't. Almighty God gives me what I need! I've got too much 'stuff' as it is. I do love to give, but that goes for the entire year! I've always enjoyed making things as gifts, but some people don't like receiving them. I love homemade gifts because there are pieces of the person in each and every one.

And then the 26th of December comes around and it's like 'it's over.' The big let down. The New Year rolls around and all of the Christmas stuff has to be taken down, all the bills start pouring in, then the arguments trying to pay the bills, and before you know it, family breakdowns, illnesses, and all kinds of mayhem.

So, why do we celebrate Christmas? It's the day that we celebrate the birth of Jesus! Is it His real birthday? Odds are high that His birthday wasn't December 25th. However, that is the day I celebrate His birthday. Have a great birthday party for Him!!! OR, hang up a stocking with His name on it and as you sin, which we all do, write down the sin and put it in His stocking, asking for forgiveness. Once you get used to doing this, it becomes easier until you do it without thinking about it! I challenge you to come up with an idea and share it with us! Enjoy the day. Enjoy your family! Enjoy Jesus!

 

[mightymen]

Not to burst your bubble with Christmas just around the corner and all that comes along with it. I don't see any harm in it as long as we do it to the Lord.

Jesus never said once that we should celebrate His birthday which is a unknown date but He did tell us to celebrate His death and gave detailed instructions.

Jesus in Luke 22:19, and repeated by Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:24-25. "Reference to the Lord's supper"

Oh we can't find the exact date of Jesus birth but Scripture can tell us around when.
http://www.cgg.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Library.sr/CT/ARTB/k/568/When-Was-Jesus-Born.htm

 

[Rat2chat2]

Hope you get all recoupdafied from your outing. I hate going shopping. I usually sit out in the car when we go.

I watched Prancer the other night. Even though it was from 89, I had never seen it. I so enjoyed it. First time I've watched a movie in a while. Cried like a baby at the end. I also love lights. There is a house here that we go to visit every year. I swear I've never seen a house with so many lights. The man stands outside in a Santa outfit waving at all the children of all ages. Just makes you feel good. Maybe I need to go see if he is there this year. I've been being sort of "bah, humbug" so far this year.

 

[Saintscruiser]

Not to burst your bubble with Christmas just around the corner and all that comes along with it. I don't see any harm in it as long as we do it to the Lord.

Jesus never said once that we should celebrate His birthday which is a unknown date but He did tell us to celebrate His death and gave detailed instructions.

Jesus in Luke 22:19, and repeated by Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:24-25. "Reference to the Lord's supper"

Oh we can't find the exact date of Jesus birth but Scripture can tell us around when.
When Was Jesus Born?

It doesn't matter to me when Jesus' birthday is, I choose to celebrate it on Christmas Day. I was attempting to say that to avert anyone from saying, "Hey....He wasn't even born in the winter." In the south, Christmas is a full season. The day of Thanksgiving, decorations go up and they don't come down until the 26th through to New Years Day. Last year, I finally got the tree down before Valentine's Day.

All I was trying to say, is that the Christmas season lasts all year. We try to help people 365 days of the year. God performs miracles all year, not just during Christmas. I personally know a lady who would spend $16,000 a year on Christmas gifts and spend the year after paying down her card. I knew another lady that our family's swapped gifts with and she thought the gifts I made were tacky. I found this out after we stopped getting together as friends. We lived on a very tight budget and I thought they were nice. Oh well. Win some lose some. Everyone else loved them.

I was watching a 1947 movie with Cary Grant last night called the Bishop's Wife. Cary Grant was an angel and he made such a nice looking one, too. He did a sermon for the Bishop to give on Christmas Day. In that sermon was a question of 'Who has an empty stocking at Christmas?" Of course it was Jesus. So, I thought about writing down commited sins as they happen and put the paper into the stocking. Since He forgives a repentant heart, you can take it right out. I am probably going to have a stocking for Jesus this year. I like the idea. I thought I would share it. That's all!

 

[r77r7r]

Love the lights, also! Our church(the one Kate plus 8 used to attend), has a large lite show and gets thousands of visitors. You can sit in your car and tune in the radio to the church station and they perform a 15min show.

Every chance I get on the way home from anywhere, I detour and drive thru residential neiborhoods for an hour, lol. Christmas day is more about gathering with friends and family all day ( like T-Giving). Kids don't hardly touch their gifts that day.

The stocking with His name on it idea? Good idea, but seems too penitent. Works during prayer time, for me. I don't think I'd have enough ink and paper to get through the day....

Hope you get to feeling better, Saints!

 

[Saintscruiser]

Hope you get all recoupdafied from your outing. I hate going shopping. I usually sit out in the car when we go.

I watched Prancer the other night. Even though it was from 89, I had never seen it. I so enjoyed it. First time I've watched a movie in a while. Cried like a baby at the end. I also love lights. There is a house here that we go to visit every year. I swear I've never seen a house with so many lights. The man stands outside in a Santa outfit waving at all the children of all ages. Just makes you feel good. Maybe I need to go see if he is there this year. I've been being sort of "bah, humbug" so far this year.

Girl, I thought I was having a heart attack at the grocery store.....a physical heart attack. I have either a hiatal hernia or esphogus spasms, but when this one grabbed, it was in the middle of my chest, grabbing me harder and harder. I started shaking and got nauseous. I kept saying to the Lord that I didn't mind if it was my time....I just wanted to get home and tell my husband I loved him 1 more time and then I'd be ready. In the past, I would consume a soda, burp quite a few times, and it would cease. I went to a cardiologist 2 years ago for this and heart was ruled out. So what I did was grab a small group of small coke cans, pull one off and drank it in the store. I bought the group, of course, burped a few times, and the pressure was mostly gone. It concerned me because the symptoms were different. But, by the time I got home, I was okay. I thought at the store, "Cool! I'm spending Christmas with Jesus!" I just didn't want to fall out on that nasty floor, but I wasn't sure if I had a choice or not.

My 4 legged baby boy, I noticed, has an infection in his manly parts. Husband took him to the vet on Thursday and vet put him on antibiotics. There was also a dark spot there. It's a pigment.....like a birthmark. Then vet checked Carson's heart murmur. It's gone from slight to significant. He gave us symptoms to be aware of and thus far, he hasn't shown any. There are avenues we can go down, but even surgery is risky as putting him under could be fatal. So, we are enjoying each and every moment God allows us with Carson. It hasn't been the greatest week.....yet, we are still blessed, and I Praise God for His blessings, love, and protection. He is a MIGHTY God and deserves our respect, dedication, praise and love. Our God IS AN AWESOME GOD!!! Hallelujah! Amein!

I have a bit of Bah Humbug myself. Go riding around looking at the lights! It always cheers me up! My face lights up like a light bulb...like a child. Do it! Do it for you!

 

[Saintscruiser]

Love the lights, also! Our church(the one Kate plus 8 used to attend), has a large lite show and gets thousands of visitors. You can sit in your car and tune in the radio to the church station and they perform a 15min show.

Every chance I get on the way home from anywhere, I detour and drive thru residential neiborhoods for an hour, lol. Christmas day is more about gathering with friends and family all day ( like T-Giving). Kids don't hardly touch their gifts that day.

The stocking with His name on it idea? Good idea, but seems to penitent. Works during prayer time, for me. I don't think I'd have enough ink and paper to get through the day....

Hope you get to feeling better, Saints!

You are so very kind, 777. Thank you so very much!

 

[wshanncap]

You are right to point out that we should celebrate our Savior all year. Amen. And I agree that it is nice to have a special day (even if it isn't the right day on the calendar) to give special tribute to the birth of the Messiah. But honestly, my favorite thing about Christmas is that it really gets me to thinking (every year) about what a miraculous event took place that night in Bethlehem. 9 months earlier a special miracle occurred when the Holy Spirit touched a young virgin and she became pregnant with the child of our creator God. But then that night in a stable in Bethlehem God punched a hole in the warp of the time/space continuum and the timeless Alpha and Omega entered the realm of human kind in physical form full of glory and majesty yet tender as a newborn babe. And the event was marked by a band of shepherds coming to the stable telling of their angelic visitation. And young Mary "treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart".

 

[Saintscruiser]

You are right to point out that we should celebrate our Savior all year. Amen. And I agree that it is nice to have a special day (even if it isn't the right day on the calendar) to give special tribute to the birth of the Messiah. But honestly, my favorite thing about Christmas is that it really gets me to thinking (every year) about what a miraculous event took place that night in Bethlehem. 9 months earlier a special miracle occurred when the Holy Spirit touched a young virgin and she became pregnant with the child of our creator God. But then that night in a stable in Bethlehem God punched a hole in the warp of the time/space continuum and the timeless Alpha and Omega entered the realm of human kind in physical form full of glory and majesty yet tender as a newborn babe. And the event was marked by a band of shepherds coming to the stable telling of their angelic visitation. And young Mary "treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart".

By George, you understood what I was 'trying' to say. The secular people express love, thanksgiving, giving, donating, etc. once a year. Christians do it all the time.....or at least we are suppose to. We don't need a special day or season as this is in obedience to Almighty God. Don't get me wrong as I love Christmas movies and watch a ton a year. My favorites are: A Christmas Carol starring George C. Scott, and A Garfield Christmas, however this year I was able to watch 'It's a Wonderful Life.' There are many shows on every year and 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' reads Scripture from Luke. In this day and time, that's almost unheard of on any secular tv network. Even in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, all the ribbons and trappings, presents and a crumb even too small for a mouse was taken. They still celebrated Christmas.

When I was a small kid, 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' was published in a magazine as an insert. It was the first time it was published. My mom cut it out, stapled it, and we brought it out every year to read. I learned most of the narration from that. We loved it! So all I was trying to say is that we give and love all the time.....or should. We give ourselves to all that we can.....even 'a widow's mite.'

 

[wshanncap]

Amen Saintscruiser. Amen!

 

[Saintscruiser]

Love the lights, also! Our church(the one Kate plus 8 used to attend), has a large lite show and gets thousands of visitors. You can sit in your car and tune in the radio to the church station and they perform a 15min show.

Every chance I get on the way home from anywhere, I detour and drive thru residential neiborhoods for an hour, lol. Christmas day is more about gathering with friends and family all day ( like T-Giving). Kids don't hardly touch their gifts that day.

The stocking with His name on it idea? Good idea, but seems too penitent. Works during prayer time, for me. I don't think I'd have enough ink and paper to get through the day....

Hope you get to feeling better, Saints!

God's love got a hold of me and I'm having an awesome Christmas celebration in my heart! I haven't had it this strong in......I can't remember when. I will tell you this and I know that I will be laughed at, but here goes.

MM and I were talking about how demonic influences can bring you down when they enter your home. How do they enter your home? They float or walk in through your door by being on someone, or going to a busy place and they attach themselves They know they cannot possess a Christian, but they can oppress us. So, as MM said, I started rebuking demons, devils, and satan himself to leave my home in the Name of Jesus, by binding their power and rebuking them. I include my house, animals, my husband, our property, (vehicles), and cast them out, by Kingdom Authority, into the abyss. There have been some days that I've had to do this many times, but I did. I feel a massive difference in my attitude, my love and mercy for others, and peace. Inner peace is sooooo important. That's why when I was at the grocery store and was okay if it was my time. It's a win win situation for me! I can actually feel a difference within....even in a car driving to my sister's. I did spiritual housekeeping in my vehicle and man, my attitude changed.

I believe in spiritual warfare. I have seen a demon......so has my husband. Don't let anyone fool you as they are real! However, in Jesus' name they have to flee. I just can't describe the difference, but by doing this, I've moved closer to God. All of the interference is gone, for the moment, until I feel the dark trying to come around. satan never quits. Once you see and feel the difference, you never want to go back. Maintaining will be the challenge, but I'm up for a challenge, and I plead the Blood of Jesus over myself for talking about it.

777, as far gifts for kids......get a huge box! Boys and girls love playing with a large box! Their imagination goes off the charts! Go to Lowes, or Home Depot and get a refrigerator box and the kids will love it!!!

 

[mightymen]

I'll add just a little bit more. Be aware that at this happy and joyful season of Christmas. I suggest anything you touch put your hands on think about JESUS that you realize the demons have attached themselves to the physical things around us somehow, somewhere during the idea of making it and delivery, from the things God created for us, for the purpose of promoting a lie and disruption. Nothings wrong with a nativity scene or tree or any thing we do, as long as we think on Jesus and don't take I eye's off of Him. For in Jesus we are free from the law. That's the easy part here's the hard part.

1 Corinthians 8:13 New Living Translation
So if what I eat causes another believer to sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live--for I don't want to cause another believer to stumble.

 

[Saintscruiser]

I'll add just a little bit more. Be aware that at this happy and joyful season of Christmas. I suggest anything you touch put your hands on think about JESUS that you realize the demons have attached themselves to the physical things around us somehow, somewhere during the idea of making it and delivery, from the things God created for us, for the purpose of promoting a lie and disruption. Nothings wrong with a nativity scene or tree or any thing we do, as long as we think on Jesus and don't take I eye's off of Him. For in Jesus we are free from the law. That's the easy part here's the hard part.

How very true.....sadly. We don't catch ourselves before the mouth goes into gear or our actions go into gear.

What is the deal about being right about something? How many arguments go down between people because they want the superior recognition? I was right! Yeah, and now you have a huge argument on your hands. Before you can catch your breath, you find yourself in a situation where anger is being spewed....just because you wanted the bragging rights about 'being right.' I'm guilty too! It's not good enough to leave well enough alone. Now how about an, 'I told you so!' Same thing. I know I am glad that Almighty God doesn't do that. There is a difference between a warning and an 'I told you so.'

Thank You, Father for loving me inspite of all the dumb things I do.