SUP?
Hoping the Holiday Season is less stressful than ever for ya. In this day of instant everything, how have your Holiday Traditions (if any) changed?
Do you even care to celebrate, and if so- is it different from your childhood?
I am so put off by the mass commercialization of Christmas that is has dulled the meaning for me over the years. Not having children certainly played into that as well.
But I am not a Scrooge at heart and I do wish you and yours a Blessed and Happy Holiday Season however you chose to celebrate it.
THE TRUE REASON OF CHRISTMAS IS STILL IN MY HEART. NO PREACHING HERE BUT IT WORKS FOR ME! HERIN LIES THE CONUNDRUM...
JESUS, OR ALL THE BOWL GAMES?
I'm just sayin'!
THE SKY IS FALL ING!
ORANGE BOWL PREVIEW!
I have truly been blessed with health recovery as well as a financial blessing just when it was need most!
I CHOOSE TO THANK THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT IS ALWAYS MY COMFORTER, NO MATTER WHAT THE SEASON OR CIRCUMSTANCE!
LOVE YOU ALL!
JMc
As Tiny Tim says: God Bless Us Everyone.
ReplyDeleteI find all the Christmas hype to be a lot of crass materialism. Nothing to do with the actual holiday. It's certainly not Christian any more if it ever was.
Growing up in a family of athiests, it was more about Santa than baby Jesus anyway. I just find that it's a lot of bother now for little return. No one ever waits desperately for months and months for that special something do they? They go out and buy it. Maybe the young kids wait for the latest and greatest but it's only likely the few weeks since its release. meanwhile - they get umpteen other gadgets and toys between Christmases that I doubt they have any idea of the anticipation we had as kids. There is precious little joy in giving when no one has a real need or even a long standing desire for anything. (Lily's birthday was in mid-October - she put all her birthday gifts but her iPod in a bag and it's still sitting where she left it in the basement)
And I am so far from needing anything special bought for me that I really don't care to receive either.
Even food that used to be special - well we buy yummy crap all the time all year. There should be a lent before Christmas as well as Easter. A lent where you can't even buy the crap at double the price. Then we'd have some appreciation when we got to indulge again.
Our high standard of living makes holidays pretty superficial.
I'm trying to drum up the energy to put the tree up. Most evenings, we don't even bother lighting the lights anyway. And I'm sure the kitten will try to climb it or maybe chew the cords.
Sigh.
I would head to church but that's pretty empty these days too. The brand of Christianity that's being preached seems far removed from what's written in the bible.
As for traditions, many of them remain the same as when I was a kid. We open gifts Christmas Eve and have the big meal Christmas Day. I'm thinking of doing the meal Christmas Eve as well so we can veg and pick and leftovers the next day but I'll have to see what the kids want.
Oh my! I LOVE Christmas, but not the gift giving and receiving so much as the music, lights, festivity and special church services. Bowl games - not so much.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you are better and that you got that financial blessing, John.
Christmas has changed quite a bit at our house since the kids are all grown, but over the years we've started new traditions that we enjoy. (one of the biggest being "holiday bingo" which is more about the fun and fellowship than the silly prizes)
ReplyDeleteOf course the real meaning is celebrating the birth of Christ since you really can't have Christmas without Him. It's just another winter celebration otherwise. And just like Easter, it's a feeling that should stay in our hearts year round.
Yeah, it's easy to become a curmudgeon with all the commercialism, etc. this time of year.
Great pics, John! Christmas is totally different than when I was a kid because...there is no evil stepmother! Seriously! There's a nice stepmother now ;)
ReplyDeleteI, too, detest the commercial crap. I like spending holidays with people I like, as well (I wrote a post about this recently.)
WOW-- What awesome comments everyone! I Love the REAL Christmas- the anticipation like Jeanie said and the SPECIAL Church services.
ReplyDeleteI try to live as Jesus directs--(and fail of course)- but that is all year long and not just on a day that has become synonymous with commercialism and POLITICAL CORRECTNESS- ie: Happy Holidays..etc.
LOVE, LOVE the comments and thought that went into them!
God Bless You ALL!
J
delighted you are being blessed as you so richly deserve!
ReplyDeleteWhy choose? Jesus might be a football fan too . . .
Thanks for sharing, Bro
Aloha from Waikiki
Comfort Spiral
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I love you tons, dear John.
ReplyDeleteKeep enjoying your blessings.
xoxoRobyn
My family and I have skipped most of the Christmas stuff this year being that we are hauling butt to Disney World December 26th.
ReplyDeleteThis will be a no consumption Christmas. Why feed the corporate pockets that are trying to destroy my nation through Oligarchy? No I will pass on both the holidays and the bowl games (no sports fan here) and just sit in my quiet room and continue to contemplate why and how I am infinite in the finite world.
ReplyDeleteBe Well John
I know just what you mean when you talk about the mass commercialization of Christmas - I hate it, that and the fact it seems to get earlier and earlier every year, one shop was selling advent calendars in August. Then of course there is the sheer amount of money we are expected to spend - stocking fillers of £50. Way back when when I was a girl (and I'm only 43 so not exactly old) we got small things, generally costing less than a £, in our stockings. How times have changed and not for the better.
ReplyDeleteAll of you are dead on with the intent of the message! Dang I have a smart group of friends, and yes I am being lazy and not responding individually! But everyone is expressing the feelings of a changed Christmas so well!
ReplyDeleteI DO Love you all! and thanks for the awesome comments and well wishes!
and contrary to popular belief--Jesus doesn't pull for Notre Dame!
J