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J
that can be hard... i dont feel it is necessary to celebrate Christmas, but my honey does like so i find the things that i can enjoy about , it is nice to recognize Jesus came to earth as a baby, I do not want to overshadow the IMportance of the death and ressurection... so guess what i am saying ( in babbling form) perhaps you can find somethings in Christmas that you can enjoy and use that to celebrate it with some of those things can be
- blessings others with gifts or actions
- family times
-food is always better to enjoy with friends and family
- take time to remember the gift of JEsus's birht ( and the gift of the ressurection too)
like a lot of things there are good and bad perhaps if you focus on the things you feel comfortabel with you can enjoy a time with your family better
hope this helps
- blessings others with gifts or actions
- family times
-food is always better to enjoy with friends and family
- take time to remember the gift of JEsus's birht ( and the gift of the ressurection too)
like a lot of things there are good and bad perhaps if you focus on the things you feel comfortabel with you can enjoy a time with your family better
hope this helps
I think we need to be careful what we turn into big issues. Satan will gladly derail us into small matters to keep us from the big ones.
To me, celebrating Christmas means celebrating Christ's birth. History does not record His exact birth, so the early church picked a date. I think Dec. 25th used to be a pagan holiday. Maybe it was a pretty smart thing to do to change that date into something else. What a great way to get rid of an evil...turn it into something good.
I think it's more important to stress the coming of the Messiah than it is to know the exact date. When the unbelieving world sees Christians arguing about small matters it turns them off from the life-saving message.
Praying for the Holy Spirit to lead you in wisdom and truth
.
To me, celebrating Christmas means celebrating Christ's birth. History does not record His exact birth, so the early church picked a date. I think Dec. 25th used to be a pagan holiday. Maybe it was a pretty smart thing to do to change that date into something else. What a great way to get rid of an evil...turn it into something good.
I think it's more important to stress the coming of the Messiah than it is to know the exact date. When the unbelieving world sees Christians arguing about small matters it turns them off from the life-saving message.
Praying for the Holy Spirit to lead you in wisdom and truth
.
I definitely don't feel like I have the 'Christmas Spirit' anymore. I have felt this way the last few years. I purchase a couple of small gifts for family and move on. I agree that it shouldn't be turned into a big issue. It would be different if you felt that you could approach your family and share your beliefs and feelings and know that they'd accept it. If you feel uncomfortable or feel like it could turn into a big thing and, ultimately, push them away from a relationship with Christ, then just choose to celebrate it with them without making it into a big old thing.
Time for the old stodgy adults to get back in touch with their inner child. I love Christmas. Yeah it's over commercialized but it's also the time when we celebrate the incarnation of my Lord and Savior. I love to reflect on His birth and think on the immense innocence in the cradle.
As a family we have scaled back the gifts we purchase but we still gather and share time together. Christmas trees and such may and likely are pagan or worldly but if we do not ascribe the worlds values to them I see no real problem. Hey I shop in the grocery store and it is worldly. Christmas is a great time to tell the world Who was in that manger in Bethlehem so long ago.
Rejoice and give glory to God. Emmanuel is with us.
For the cause of Christ
Roger
As a family we have scaled back the gifts we purchase but we still gather and share time together. Christmas trees and such may and likely are pagan or worldly but if we do not ascribe the worlds values to them I see no real problem. Hey I shop in the grocery store and it is worldly. Christmas is a great time to tell the world Who was in that manger in Bethlehem so long ago.
Rejoice and give glory to God. Emmanuel is with us.
For the cause of Christ
Roger
We're not 'old stodgy adults' just because we aren't into Christmas as it is today. One can honor and celebrate Christ without doing so during December. Personally, I enjoy Christmas, but to me, it isn't all "yeah, let's put up our tree! yeah, let's open our gifts! yeah, let's carve the turkey!" It is a holiday on the calendar when I get off of work without taking any leave.
If we don't honor and celebrate Christ daily, do we really think He enjoys us using Christmas as a reason to do so? He wants all of us, every day, not just December. Just saying. Just because someone doesn't particularly like Christmas doesn't mean they're uber-religious or stodgy. It just means they've gotten past the glamor and commercialism and are seeing it for what it really is: a man-made holiday.
Truth is, as we all know, the early church combined Jesus' birth with a pagan celebration. Jesus was born in late summer, I believe. So, the best thing to do is respect others and not force your non-Christmas on them. I give gifts. I celebrate. I love my family so that's what I do. I just don't get all fired up and pumped about it.
If we don't honor and celebrate Christ daily, do we really think He enjoys us using Christmas as a reason to do so? He wants all of us, every day, not just December. Just saying. Just because someone doesn't particularly like Christmas doesn't mean they're uber-religious or stodgy. It just means they've gotten past the glamor and commercialism and are seeing it for what it really is: a man-made holiday.
Truth is, as we all know, the early church combined Jesus' birth with a pagan celebration. Jesus was born in late summer, I believe. So, the best thing to do is respect others and not force your non-Christmas on them. I give gifts. I celebrate. I love my family so that's what I do. I just don't get all fired up and pumped about it.
I stand daily in awe of what God has done. I have joy and peace that cannot be taken from me. I'm not going to say you must be happy or have any joy but I sure wish you would.
We can wrangle over the legalities but we are far better off to simply rejoice and live for Christ without respect to whatever the world does.
Are you going to forego Easter because the world has bunnies and chicks made of marsh mellow? I love peanut butter eggs.
For the cause of Christ
Roger
We can wrangle over the legalities but we are far better off to simply rejoice and live for Christ without respect to whatever the world does.
Are you going to forego Easter because the world has bunnies and chicks made of marsh mellow? I love peanut butter eggs.
For the cause of Christ
Roger
R
Nothing wrong with not celebrating Christmas, as long as you aren't purposely alienating yourself from family around that time specifically to "boycott" the holiday, I see nothing wrong. And I don't see any reason why it should be any of their business what you do or don't do at your home, and you shouldn't have to owe them any explanation.
If not exchanging gifts with you makes them feel uptight, that's their problem. You have already explained to them you don't "do" Christmas. But I don't think it should mean you have to avoid all Christmas parties. You don't have to go for the "Christmas-y" stuff, you'd just be going to see your friends and family.
Lots of things are man made. That's just life. It shouldn't be that hard to keep true to what you believe in as long as you are aware the whole time. Carry the truth inside you, the beauty of it just might be contagious. <3
If not exchanging gifts with you makes them feel uptight, that's their problem. You have already explained to them you don't "do" Christmas. But I don't think it should mean you have to avoid all Christmas parties. You don't have to go for the "Christmas-y" stuff, you'd just be going to see your friends and family.
Lots of things are man made. That's just life. It shouldn't be that hard to keep true to what you believe in as long as you are aware the whole time. Carry the truth inside you, the beauty of it just might be contagious. <3
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R
Christmas is something I dont do. purely because its not a happy time of year for me. Both my parents passed away around Christmas. So I do keep myself away from all family celebrations, for this reason too. is that My family are not a close family. We never have been, not sure if we will ever be. But I'm am happy to sit at home, and hybernate from all this Christmas larky. and keep myself to myself. Im truly happy about that. As far as Gifts? well I ask people kindly not get me anything. I would be more happy for them to save there money for themselves. its not that I don't appreciate there hearts, but I look for respect from them. as not happy about Christmas at all. So far so good. everyone respects my wishes. and learnt to keep away from me around the Christmas celebrations.
My husband and I do not celebrate Christmas, but we will let the kids receive gifts. The older boys celebrate it with their mom, so we can't really stop that.
We don't celebrate because it is pagan, the ornaments for the trees, even the trees aren't good.
Jeremiah 10 tells us about Christmas trees:
Jer 10:1 Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:
Jer 10:2 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
Jer 10:3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
Jer 10:4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
Jer 10:5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.
10:3
Many people will go to the forest mountains to cut the trees down, just like it says here
10:4
People will decorate the tree in silver and gold tinsel, and ornaments
The trees, once in the house, are constrained with the holder so that it does not move on its own.
10:5
The trees stand straight up, just like a palm tree does
We don't celebrate because it is pagan, the ornaments for the trees, even the trees aren't good.
Jeremiah 10 tells us about Christmas trees:
Jer 10:1 Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:
Jer 10:2 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
Jer 10:3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
Jer 10:4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
Jer 10:5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.
10:3
Many people will go to the forest mountains to cut the trees down, just like it says here
10:4
People will decorate the tree in silver and gold tinsel, and ornaments
The trees, once in the house, are constrained with the holder so that it does not move on its own.
10:5
The trees stand straight up, just like a palm tree does