Christmas Thoughts Log Out | Topics | Search
Moderators | Edit Profile

Former Adventist Fellowship Forum » ARCHIVED DISCUSSIONS 2 » Christmas Thoughts « Previous Next »

Author Message
Colleentinker
Posted on Monday, December 17, 2001 - 5:20 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I just wondered if any of you have particular plans, wonderful or nerve-wracking, planned for Christmas? I'm thinking of you, Carolóthis will be your first Christmas in freedom. Richard and I could not believe how different Christmas was when we finally knew we were saved and did not depend on the SDA church for any spiritual credit. Jesus could finally be the center of Christmas! Even our tastes in decorations, cards, etc. have changed.

Because of my (however shallow) exposure to art history during my music history classes in college, I always loved church art. Richard, however, always disliked the Madonna and Child paintings because of his Adventist conviction that they were somehow pagan and definitely Catholic. I always bought the religious Christmas stamps partly because it was a subtle way to say (how embarrassing!) "I'm educated!" After Richard and I were married, I bought a combination of secular and religious stamps, using the secular ones for people who might also feel tainted by Catholicism.

This year Richard bought the Christmas stamps. When he brought them home, all of them were of the Madonna and Child. Those stamps even have a completely new meaning for both of us. It's no longer about education or Catholicism. Now Jesus is the center of Christmas, and it only makes sense to use those stamps!

Another thing we're going to do is to attend a Service of Remembrance at our church on December 23 for those who have lost someone dear to them this year. It is odd (although normal, I'm told), how holidays can make you hae vivid memories and pangs of sadness more intense than you might otherwise when you've lost a family member. I found myself sitting at my desk at school today, and for some reason I had a vivid picture of my dad standing in my kitchen wearing a blue shirt I often saw him wear, and in my vivid memory he was smiling his animated smile and saying something to someone near him. Suddenly I was cryingóbut I pulled myself together. It was too early in the day to be tear-streaked; my students wouldn't understand!

Also, while I'm pondering a succession of thoughts related to Christmas, have you ever wondered what it really meant that "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us"? What an awesome thought. That Word was the same One that spoke creation, that confused the languages at Babel (how ironic!), and that made its home in our hearts at Pentecost. The Word reversed Babel! Isn't that an amazing thought? God, who preserved humanity by confounding and multiplying its languages, died to heal the rift of sin, and came to live in human hearts, forever connecting us to God. The first outward evidence of the Spirit's power was those disciples speaking inóyes, LANGUAGES they didn't know! The divisions that had rested on humanity since Babel were reversed by God making our hearts his home.

Now when we're in Christ, we're no longer divided and unable to work in unity. We're unified by something much greater than language; we're unified by God himself! Language is insignificant when we're in Christ. We can collaborate and work for our common commitmentóJesus Christ! The curse of Babel no longer claims and controls us. The church has a new realityówe are one in Christ. Isn't that so awesome?!

Thankful for Christmas and praising God for Jesus and for the Lamb slain from the creation of the world,

Colleen
Lydell
Posted on Tuesday, December 18, 2001 - 6:43 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Praying for you this Christmas Colleen. All the firsts after a loss can be so hard! And there's no way around them, you have to walk through them.

I really dreaded last Christmas. My mom lives a 10 hour drive away, so it wasn't like I could be there with her for the days leading up to the holidays. So that was constantly on my mind. Then, the day before I'd planned to go out and buy our tree and do our decorating (and not excited about it at that), a dear friend died unexpectedly. That pretty much nailed it. Figured I might as well write off any thought of that holiday having any cheer what so ever.

But, you know, we were with my mom on Christmas day, and while of course there were some tears, we were all surprised that we actually had a really lovely day. Didn't do anything special really. It was just that family being together meant so much more and was so much more precious than before, I guess.

So, my prayer for you is that you will find that same thing this year. That you will have a lovely day of remembering the good stuff, all your blessings that the Lord has given you through your life in the gift of your dad.

I heard something on the radio yesterday that I thought was really good. They were speaking about the Christmas story and put a slightly different emphasis on the reading of the verse, "for to YOU is born this day a Saviour...to YOU...to YOU". What the world hears this time of year as pretty or historical words with no meaning, the Christian hears as a personal letter from the Creator.

For years I have seen Christmas as the greatest opportunity Christians have for witnessing at any time thru the year. Absolutely the focus grows more every year toward the glitz and gift buying. But, at the same time, there are those Christmas carols playing wherever you go. Our prayer at any time in a store should be that the Spirit would annoint the words of the songs and break thru the conciousness of those with tender hearts.

I think maybe one of the smallest of things we can do is choose very carefully the cards that we send. You know, picking ones that present the message that it is all about Him, and who He is, and what this was all for.
Colleentinker
Posted on Tuesday, December 18, 2001 - 4:39 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Lydell, thank you for your insights. And I love your idea of praying that the Spirit would annoint the words of the carols playing in public and break through to the hearts of people.

Last year Richard heard something on the radio that your ideas reminded me of. (Terrible sentence, I know!) He can't remember the speaker--he thinks it might have been Greg Laurie or Chuck Smith--but whoever it was said that Christmas alone ensures that the world has heard about Christ. The name of the holiday, Christ-Mas(s), puts His name and His birth before the entire world, whether or not they celebrate it. I loved that idea!

Now I must go get some ornaments on that treeÖ

Praising God for his faithfulness,
Colleen
Sammi
Posted on Tuesday, December 18, 2001 - 7:07 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I am having a blessed holiday season Colleen and friends. Thanksgiving was wonderful, with a lot of family. I had feared it beforehand, as it was my first time to see some family since leaving adventism, but all went well. You're right though, Christmas is much more special and sacred in the church we are now attending. And I continue to feel a freedom now that in all my years I have never before experienced. It's weird at times, it's kind of euphoric. Like everyone, I have good days and bad days, but I notice now more than ever even on the stressful days I still have a peace and calm I didn't have before. Plus, and for this I'm very thankful, I'm reaching a point where I'm no longer afraid or worried about what others are going to think about me (even family) or say about me, I know God is in control of my life and the Holy Spirit is living in me and guiding me. I've finally had to answer some questions (I avoided it at first) and was able to be calm and unafraid (you guys don't know me so you can't really understand or appreciate that this is an achievement.) Recently while spending some time with some friends one of them (a non-sda) asked me about the things I'd been studying and about my leaving the church. She asked about my understanding of the Sabbath as she and her boyfriend (an sda) had been discussing it. I told her that basically my beliefs and understanding were probably similar to hers in that it was not an issue under the New Covenant, etc. She and her boyfriend seemed a little surprised because their entire discussion has been revolving around the fact that the Sabbath was CHANGED. She questioned the reliability of the calendars, etc., and how do you even know for sure that Saturday is the 7th day, her boyfriend of course trying to persuade her that it is indeed still so. I assured her that I personally felt confident that the 7th day was still Saturday, no calendar tampering concerns/issues in my mind anyway, but that wasn't even the issue. Her boyfriend then suggested she talk with another friend who was there about his perspective as he is an sda who came into the church fairly recently from another denomination. Anyway, I felt good about it all and it felt so good to be able to speak with confidence and without fear!

Colleen, we will keep you in our prayers this holiday season. My father-in-law passed away last February. Last Christmas was a very bittersweet time. We knew it was probably his last Christmas (he'd been battling pancreatic cancer about 8 months and was no longer responding to the chemo.) He was too weak and sick to spend Christmas day with all the family, but we all went to his home that night for a short visit. He wore his santa cap with battery charged lights and the kids loved it. We got so many precious pictures his last Thanksgiving & Christmas. Anyway, it was hard and sad, yet he was a Christian and had peace, as we all did. I personally felt very blessed and honored by God as I was the one who spent his last day with him. We thought he had a few more days left, and his last day I just stayed with him and prayed, read scripture and held his hands. Even though he wasn't talking any more, every time I let go of his hands he found mine and hung on to them tight. It really was a special day and I know God used me to be of comfort. I am thankful for that time. OK, didn't mean to write a sad story for ya'll, but I do praise and thank God for that time. Please remember my husband too at this time, he was especially close to his dad. Well, better get busy, have some friends coming in tomorrow and need to try and get a little more done. Best wishes to all of you - hope your holidays are blessed. Would love to know how you're all doing, haven't heard from some of you in a while.....Lisa? Hannah? Doug? Madelle? Sherri? etc....Love and prayers, Carol
Colleentinker
Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2001 - 8:05 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Carol, thank you for telling about your father-in-law. With my growing understanding that God is sovereign and everything in a believer's life is inside His will and filtered with his love, I'm certain God used you to help your father-in-law feel loved and peaceful as he died. What a precious memory God gave you! I have thought many times how grateful I am that God gave us a week with my dad when he was more lucid and we could actually have interaction with him before he died. I have some wonderful memories of his love and affirmation which he was able to communicate even though he was somewhat mentally foggy and unable to speak intelligibly. God really is powerfully present when his children die. What a gift!

Thank you for your prayers. I am grateful for how God holds us up through each other's prayers.

I'm quite excited that school is out as of today at 11:30. This morning when the alarm rang at 5:00 I was so excited that I was actually going to have vacation that I jumped out of bed (quite unlike me) and said to Richard, "They're letting me out today!"

I wish all of you a wonderful Christmas.

I praise God for everyone here!
Colleen
Sammi
Posted on Friday, December 21, 2001 - 7:46 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Colleen - Can I ever relate to your excitement about school being out!!!! I am working for the local public school district as a teacher's aide. I had never done anything like this before, have always done secretarial work. Anyway, I'm loving my job (working with high school kids new to this country that don't speak English, mostly Hispanic.) The fact that I now have two weeks at home has made me appreciate it even more! Enjoy your time at home! Merry Christmas to all! Carol
Colleentinker
Posted on Sunday, December 23, 2001 - 10:24 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

This afternoon we attended our church's service of remembrance for those who had lost loved ones. It was an emotional but healing experience. Every family lit a candle in memory of the one who died while our loved ones' names were read. Our associate pastor gave a really wonderful homily in which he stressed two things I wanted to share with you all. First, he said that unlike the world, Christianity is the only religion (let alone philosophy) that offers us peace IN our struggles. Buddhism, he pointed out, promotes peace in spite of our troubles and teaches learning not to feel. We are to transcend our pain--but that obviously doesn't work. Christ is the only way we can experience peace in the middle of pain without denying it or avoiding it.

He went on to say that "Shalom" in the OT is the word for peace. But the peace of shalom is closer to living in harmony with our surroundings than it is an absence of conflict. Harmony in music, he points out, means nothing without a melody. For a Christian to live in harmony, we must live with a melody that's not our own; we must live with God's melody.

God's melody will likely be nothing we would predict or plan. It may definitely include suffering and pain. But we can live in harmony and experience the peace of shalom only if we accept that melody God sings to us and embrace it instead of fighting or avoiding it. Then the Holy Spirit gives us peace, true peace, that fills our hearts without logical explanation.

I realize that many people have trouble with grief and depression and sadness at Christmas. I suspect that many of us who frequent this site, whether or not we post, are struggling with unresolved trauma or grief or potential change and loss. I'd like to encourage all of us to make a point, this Christmas season, to share, both here and among our loved ones, the things for which we praise God and the things for which we need prayer. We all struggle in some way(s), and we can help each other face the holidays and the new year by supporting and praying for each other.

I praise God for everyone who comes to this website, and I do pray for us all. I also want to thank all of you for being part of my family in Christ. God is so good to bring us into each other's lives!

Merry Christmas, and Praise God for Jesus!

Colleen
Doug222
Posted on Monday, December 24, 2001 - 9:09 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Q. What does Jesus want for Chrismas?

How many times have you heard this question asked? The question is usually followed with a guilt trip about all the things you're not doing for him--in light of the great gift he has given you. But yesterday, I got an answer to this question that was so simple, yet so profound. So think about it, and once you have your own anwser go ahead and scroll down and see how your answer matches mine.


A. Nothing!! God doesn't want anything from us. He wants to be everything for us!

Isn't that amazing? What a paradigm shift. God doesn't want to "keep us under his thumb. He wants us to win." And when you think about it, isn't this the true definition of love?

Loving Him more everyday.

Doug
Colleentinker
Posted on Monday, December 24, 2001 - 1:48 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Doug--Thank you! You're right; it's so simple, yet so profound.

Thankful for Jesus,
Colleen
Sabra
Posted on Wednesday, December 26, 2001 - 11:00 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Doug,
that is so awesome, what could we possibly give the One who created everything He has blessed us with? The only thing that He gave us that we can give back is our ability to make a choice....and that's all He could want, our unconditional love by our free will.

Glory to the Most High God!

Add Your Message Here
Posting is currently disabled in this topic. Contact your discussion moderator for more information.

Topics | Last Day | Last Week | Tree View | Search | Help/Instructions | Program Credits Administration