muddysmind.com

i love Jesus- and I love God- but Christmas i almost hate- it makes me sick

Your not alone in that feeling. Many people feel the same way.

You know, it would almost be funny if it weren't so sick and pathetic. I actually worked "retail" for 3 1/2 yrs, (remember that muddy?) and anyone who's *ever* worked retail can tell you the same story. We used to say: "Stand back everyone...time to let the wave of animals in" because that's EXACTLY how it was/is. Most people wouldn't even WANT to be out shopping but they did it anyway because, "If I don't buy for everyone for Christmas, then SOMEBODYS going to get upset."
And they would always say it with a disgusted annoyance.

I'd always say, "So! LET them get upset - it's not what Christmas is about anyway. Keep it simple...buy a few things but remember why we celebrate it." Of course, 98% of the time my words would always fall on deaf ears as they would take their mile high packed carts and push it with all their might out the door and to their cars (or u-halls in some cases). Interestingly enough, I haven't liked Christmas very much because of that ( and other reasons) for years. We do celebrate Christmas in our own way though but Muddy and I try very hard to keep things simple, simple, simple.

Sorry for the rambling but hey....if I didn't do my rambling...you'd people would think something was very wrong with me :-) Right? :-/

yea christmas as a child was always horrid- a million gifts to open thast how my mom rated christmas- i dont know the effect it had on my sister but it made me realize that christmas isn't about how many toys you got or how expensive your gifts were.... but really the true Christian meaning of Christmas

For me, Christmas has a different meaning. My family has typically given each of us 3 gifts (plus whatever my grandparents et cetera decide to give us.) And usually nothing particularly expensive. I was brought up always being told was Christmas truly meant and was never taught to believe in Santa Clause or anything like that.

I was taught to think of Christ, friends, and family at Christmas. I was taught to think of the important things.

For me, these past few years Christmas time gets to be a sad time as it is at this time that I think about the friends who are no longer with me, and the people I miss. Last year was particularly trying for me personally, but that's more than I want to get into right now.

It is at this time of year that I become introspective and I look at myself and think about how I have changed in the past years, what I wish I had done differently, and what I will try to do better in the future.

I guess what I'm trying to say is this: Christmas is what you make of it. If you worry yourself with what the idiots out there make of it, then you're going to ruin it for yourself.

"It is at this time of year that I become introspective and I look at myself and think....."

I know this is going to sound very contradictory of me (especially compaired to my last post on this subject) but, I actually do tend to do the same thing you do around the Christmas season. I also reflect on who God is to me and what Christ has personally done in my life and the impact he has made (as I'm sure you obviously do too). This is also the time of year when my listening to Christmas music is FINALLY acceptable - as *I* tend to listen to it off and on all year round :-P

"Christmas is what you make of it."

Very, very true. There is a fine line between *witnessing* the way others can lose track of the meaning of Christmas and rising above it to be a better within yourself As compaired to *allowing* that attitude to affect you and allowing it to mold and make you. Sometime I do cross that line.

Personally, my family didn't have alot growing up either. My dad was a sickly man ( though that NEVER stopped him from working) and my mom had to carry most of the financial load. We (my sister and I) were also taught the true meaning of the Holliday. Unfortunatly, now that Muddy and I have a family of our own, some people in our family (mine mostly) seem to have forgotten how NOT to spoil the children. Though we ALL still do teach the real message of Christmas, I think some in MY family are trying to make up with mine and muddy's kids of what they couldn't give to me and my sister growing up. Muddy and I have tried and tried to get the message across of how we desprately are trying to keep things simple and basic but the excuse is always:

"...but we WANT to do it."

I do try to look at it possitivly like:

"These people are not going to be around forever and it is their money they're spending so...."

But, I have to admit, It does still bug me but I *have* decided to do things a little differently this year with the kids (I may fill you all in later - I'll fill Muddy in as soon as I post this as I just thought of this a few hours ago.). As far as you go, you mentioned last year was..."...particularly trying for me..." - So, I hope you will have a better Christmas this year:-)

*mrs. muddy's personal note: I'm sorry for my lack of correctly spelled words but I am to lazy right now to break out my dictionary and spell check nor do I care to try...deal with it :-P *

For my family, it hasn't been so much that we didn't hve so much - we had more than some families we know - as much as it is that my parents simply chose not to spoil us as much. My parents some years would spend a good bit on us, but they didn't ever go into debt on us. The same went at birthdays. When I was 16 most of the kids I knew had gotten, or were going to get a car for their 16th birthday. My parents told me to go buy my own. So my 16th birthday present was 2 months of car insurance! :-)

Another thing my parents did was never spend more on one of us than the others. Same went when we had foster children. No one got more than the others.

As for Christmas music: once again, this is a time of year that tends to sadden me, so I tend to stick to my punk rock all year. :-)

I am so happy with the used car I bought online, and I saved a ton of cash!

"I am so happy with the used car I bought online, and I saved a ton of cash!"

Did you also save alot of money on your car insurance by switching to Geico?