Thursday, December 29, 2005

A Festivus for the Rest of Us!


Happy Holidays, Seasons Greetings, Warm Wishes.........Ok I'll just say it.........Happy Festivus!
The traditions of Festivus are quite simple. Festivus is celebrated on the 23rd of December. An aluminum pole is used on place of the Christmas tree. (To all my Seinfeld fans, you can acutally buy these poles online!) Everyone participates in what is called "the airing of grievances", which is basically giving everyone a piece of your mind, and expressing how much everyone has dissapointed you over the year. And finally, the "Feats of Strength", Festivus is not over until the head of the household is wrestled to the floor and "pinned."

Man, I have been feeling so overwhelmed with all the choas of Christmas, that I have seriously contemplated celebrating Festivus.........well, not seriously. But come on, if we're not focused on something meaningful during this season, a.k.a. God's heart, then why not celebrate a pointless holiday? As I've been seeking God's heart for my family, I've been seeing many go through the motions of Christmas, just like a routine. Everyone sings songs about Jesus the Son of God, but then carry on with their life of sin, not acutally making Jesus lord over anything. We exchange gifts, all the while expecting certain things, and if we don't get them, we're dissapointed. Maybe we truck off to all the "Stuff-Marts" on boxing day and buy them ourselves, as well as many other material things that we don't need. Am I dampering your Christmas spirit yet?

My hubby and I were driving around looking at Christmas lights on Christmas eve. We had the radio playing Christmas music. Talk about a nice 'Christmas mood' to get us into the "spirit" of things. So this song comes on by a secular artist, I think it was called "Make it Christmas day". The chorus of the song is, "get down on your knees and pray, He is the Son of God, if only for a day......make it Christmas day...." How incredibly twisted. This is not a pleasing sacrifice at all. Just one day eh? hmmmm.......am I sure I can give a day to the one who gave His life for me? I'll check my books.

Please do not allow my rants and raves to burden you. My hubby and I have felt a huge calling on us, to move in a different direction regarding the biggest holiday in the world, Christmas. I'm not trying to say that Christmas is bad, but like anything, the enemy can take something and make it self-centered, to take our eyes off the one true God. I am sick of how I get swept off my feet by the idea of stuff, food and more stuff......and more food. And like anything, we want to follow after God's heart, not ours.
"Jesus came so that sin would be defeated. Jesus came so that all may come to repentance. Jesus came to die. We focus so much on Christ 'coming' but I think we forget that the reason he came is because there are people that are condemned to Hell if they do not repent. " -(Quote from In search of Truths latest post)
I know everyone likes the idea of a baby, laying sweetly asleep in a manger, all cuddly, all content. But what about what He came here to do? To die a horrible death on a cross, a death we were destined to! As I go around for our seasons gatherings to my hubby's unbelieving family, I see our calling, right in front of me, but I get sidetracked, and distracted with all that the enemy want to blind us with. Christmas comes but once a year, better cash in on what it has to offer....... Well what do we have to offer to the King of Kings? I believe God has created us all to have something very specific and very unique and special to give at this time. I want to seek God's heart for me, will you join me?






4 comments:

  1. I'm there!!!
    I agree totally. It just has this amazing ability to "drag you in" there really is a pull to this "christmas spirit"....if your guard's not up, and armor not on.

    For the last several years, feeling un easy, unsatisfied, just wanting something more with what christmas is.
    The world is missing it. But we have the answer. Let your light shine and stop hiding it under a table!
    I rememebr closing my doors, shutting off my lights and praying on Halloween night. We WEREN"T going to participate. But it was CWG that really made me think outside my tiny little box. (THANK YOU BY THE WAY) Use everything to bring glory, to show His love. Use chrstmas to put a nativity scene on your lawn. Put up a jeesie tree instead. Give freely to your neighbours. Volenteer at the food bank....
    we havean amazing oputunity.

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  2. Amen,
    Christmas has become a shallow secular holiday based on me. It is all about me, what can I get, what can I do to make me feel good about being selfish all year.

    But it is not about me, it is reflecting on the second greatest thing God ever did for us, He sent us his son (#1 is the death and reserection).

    Blessings on you my sister

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  3. I agree, Christmas is a hard time of year for me cause we are soo distracted by all this other stuff we lose the real meaning of it in the traditions and Christmas music (its funny, I love music, just not Christmas music, no one focuses on the words anymore, including me) and gatherings and Christmas present. I often feel that we should be celebrating Christ's birth all year round and that way we would get the real meaning of it. Well anyways those are my thoughts.........blessings to you and your family during this holiday season. Thanks for your post on my site!

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  4. Hi Nin,

    Its taken two christmas' away from my family to really appreciate what christmas is all about. Not that christmas with my family is bad...I miss them terribly, and we do celebrate it for the right reason's. Its just that the last two have been just us, my husband and my kids, no extended family...nothing and nobody but us. Last year I didn't have a clue as to what we were suppose to do with ourselves, so it was hard. But this year, we did a few things to start some traditions and appreciated it so much more...even though it was just the four of us.

    I will always miss this time of year and spending it with my parents and my sister and her family. But I'm also glad that I've been given (almost forced) to experience it without all the family get togethers, etc. Its nice to just take it all in and reflect on the true meaning of christmas.

    Wishing you the best in the new year...maybe we'll get to see eachother sometime in 2006, I'd like that...if we make the trip next year. Take care

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