Tuesday, December 27, 2016

the prequel and the sequel to christmas

my post from yesterday
about christmas
actually flowed right out of me while i was writing in my journal on christmas morning
i'm going to share what i wrote

*christmas morning
up at 5:30 to water the chickens
quiet in my room (my bubby cave)
kitty & coffee
looked at internet
a video on Voskamp
i need a techno break
right. now.
there is too much of the world that comes into my life through SCREENS.
i.   can't.    handle.     it.
today.....
church.  i'm not feeling like going.  i would much rather go off into the woods.
God is with me.
i don't need to go to church to find Him.
i don't need to go to church to satisfy a legalistic need to participate in organized religion.
 

yep.  i wrote that.  then my post from yesterday just flowed out onto the paper.
sometimes you just need to write it.  get it out.  some things are worth sharing.  most is not, and thankfully i don't.

So.
what i wrote above.....about church........
it had NOTHING to do with church.
it had EVERYTHING  to do with ME!
i get people overload.
i get situational overload (i may have just made that up but its real, people)
can i get an amen?

in the woods i can talk to God.  i can sing, i can pray, i can cry! or i can do nothing at all and just sit quiet before Him.

let's face it.
the boundaries are there.  the line you have to toe.  everyone likes to pretend it's not, but it is.
the judgments are there.  everyone likes to pretend they are not.  but they are.
we are all human.  i get it.  and i'm honest.  at least here.

so, when i'm already emotionally drained......
church is the last place i need to go!
again, i'm talking about me.  i'm talking about what i know is best for me.
when i go to church i have to "put my game face on"

anyway,
this post is NOT about church
yada, yada, yada
i get it
don't preach it to me
fellowship
don't forsake it
i don't
i just don't crave it
........maybe if i lived under a rock from monday through saturday and had no contact at all with other christian people............
but i don't
.................................................................

this seems rambling and all over the place but i'm getting to the good stuff, i promise.

this morning i went back to my regular bible study in the morning.  i had been studying isaiah before the advent break.
i opened my bible to where i needed to begin again

isaiah 29
v 1  what sorrow awaits Ariel, the city of David.  year after year you celebrate your feasts.
v2  yet I will bring disaster upon you and there will be much weeping and sorrow

i won't go on.......
i found this passage interesting
ironic even
in light of my brain dump about christmas

God works in mysterious ways.  





Monday, December 26, 2016

thank you Lord, its over for another year!

christmas.
think about it.
think about the excess.
excess decorations....lights.....food.....gifts......
most of it is nonsense.
unnecessary.
unneeded.
there is no "awe" in that.
if there is, then it's the "awe" of excess.
is it just americans?  i think most of the world can't nearly afford this excess.  and that most of the world could live...eat....have clean water and a roof for the amount the average american spends on christmas frivolity.
how do we justify this?  i think it's impossible to justify it.
the "celebration" of christmas as we know it is totally about giving in to the flesh.
sure......there are some spiritual "moments"
but it is OVERWHELMINGLY a physical, irreverent celebration.
too much food is consumed.
too much money is spent.
it is about more.  more things.  "what do i buy so and so, what do i buy for dinner, what do i buy for breakfast"  it's all about more.  everything is bigger in christmasland.

the "celebration" of christmas is completely opposite of what we should be concentrating on.
more of God.
more peace.
more stillness.
more prayer.

there are two sides to the christmas dilemma.  in both instances i will be talking about "christian" celebrations.
one side throws themselves into it with wild abandon.  embracing and enjoying everything about christmas.
the other side shuns it altogether.  they see the paganess and excesses and can't justify any of it.
then....
there are those like me.
those whose hearts and minds are torn between the physical and the spiritual aspects of this celebration.
the christmas celebration has pagan roots.  there is no denying the truth so we won't argue the point.  it is mostly paganism wrapped up with a shiny bow.

the santa aspect represents childhood fantasy, which i totally support.  but why does santa need a tree to put the gifts under?  and why does santa have to bring PILES of gifts?  excess is the reason why.  americans love the excess.

since the majority of the rituals surrounding christmas have roots in paganism, we must choose carefully and sparingly what we participate in.
if only christmas could be more like thanksgiving, and thanksgiving could be an every day event.

shouldn't we acknowledge daily our need for a savior?  and that one was provided?  shouldn't we celebrate continually that God came for us?  that He came right down here to rescue us all if we only let Him?
why we set aside one day to excessively acknowledge this while feeding our own flesh is beyond me, and it is a shame.
why we only pull out the Nativity and wonder at the story once a year is beyond my comprehension.  this needs to change if WE are to change.

i will tell you why christmas is celebrated once a year.  it is a celebration that is tied to the pagan celebration of the solstice.  it is chained to the pagan worship of the sun god.

why can we not break these chains?  the pull of the "world" is strong.  it is hard and seemingly impossible to do things differently than everyone else.

can we "celebrate"  the fact that God came down here to get us, sent Jesus to be a man among us, die for our sins, pay the price, so we may come before God blameless, if we only choose that?  can we celebrate that?
how about
every day instead of saving it for december?

so
what would the practical application of this celebration....all year long.....look like?
let's brainstorm
regular family dinners
inviting friends,
inviting acquaintances  for coffee, lunch, dinner, to go for a walk, to talk....
turn off the screens.  be more conscious of what else you could be doing.  write someone a letter, a note, a card....make a phone call.....pop in for a visit......make the effort
open your eyes for everyday needs, every day.
get someone a gift or make someone a gift.......for no reason at all other than you were thinking of them.......just because......
infuse your life with Godly things:  books, music, video? (oh be careful little eyes, ears, feet, etc....)
keep the Nativity our all years.  light a Jesus candle every night.
make simple times special
invite God into every moment.

i pray that God will bless our efforts to excessively  invite Him into our every day instead of just the one day.