It beginning to look like Christmas

As you know on the 12 December I will embark of the Spirit of Christmas Journey, together with some of the It Takes One Team and The Pay It Forward Organisation we will be seeking to share to true meaning of Christmas and record our own journey's.  I have since gotten involved in another facebook movement called Random Acts Of Christmas Kindness (RAOCK)  where people around the world are performing random acts of kindness like sticking taping candy canes to automatic teller machines and leaving gift vouches on random park benches. Over the first 25 days of December. There's also been lots of baking for school teachers and elderly neighbours happening.

While my own random acts of kindness have been limited others are well into the swing and when you have a few free minutes is this hassle and bustle we call The Christmas Season to read RAOCK'S Facebook wall post. Perhaps you have already been on the receiving end of a Random Act Of Kindness. In return you could leave a post about how that act of kindness has affected you. Even a thank for thank part in RAOCK would bring a smile to faces of strangers. I like smiles and believe smiling more can help make a positive difference in the world.

Yesterday a neighbour left a Christmas Card under my front door on the back of the envelope was written Christmas is Smiles. It was so great to start my day smiling and the 'Christmas Gifts' seem to keep following. I have spent today and yesterday, finishing making home made Christmas Cards, printing letters to post and adding hand written short messages. . . and addressing envelopes. Spreading the spirit of Christmas kindness does extend to our family, friends and work colleagues. We mustn't neglect those around us to reach out to strangers.

I fear I stumbled in that department this morning. . . but there's a whole bunch of issues there and sometimes the ones we love the most seem to cause sparks during the Christmas season. I really need to resolve some interal issues in 2012. Until then I need to keep a lid on a certain can of worms.

One RAOCK I was able to achieve was last week after waiting 1hr for cab and just arriving as dinner was served was to give the driver a tip the smile on his face showed me he appreciated the tip and it set me up to enjoy my work Christmas party. I hadn't danced in nearly 20 years. I had the best night. (Yes, you can still dance when you use a wheelchair.

If its so easy to turn a negative to the start of the night around. . . Then may if enough  people are involved in Random Acts of Kindness we can put behind us the commercialism of Christmas.

  Christmas At My Place

is about a Special Gift

God Gave to me . . .

I Remember the Birth of Christ At Christmas

Making Cards for Family and Friends
and Thanking Jesus for each of them.

I will be sharing my Spirit of Christmas Journey daily from the 12th December oin the meantime I  am sharing on the RAOCK Facebook Page and It Takes One Facebook Wall .  

Is Jesus The Reason For The Season?

So Christmas was celebrate long before it was claimed it as the Holy Day to celebrate the memory of the birth of Jesus. Like Easter, Christmas celebrations have there roots in pagan religion. So if your asking what Jesus Christ has to do with Santa Claus, I am one Christian whose happy to admit the two entities have nothing to do with each other.

There are a small group of "Christians" who stop saying Merry Christ and now say Happy Birthday to Jesus, nothing gets under my skin more! The fact that Jesus Christ the 'Son of God', was not born on the 25th December seems to escape these people. (Wikipedia)

Christmas day was founded on the celebration of Dies Natalis Solis Invicti which translate in to "the birthday of the unconquered sun. (Wikipedia) Which is "sun" not "Son" or Jesus Christ which is perhaps where some confusion has arisen from. There's certain no bibical conection as Christmas was not celebrated by the New Testament Church.

For biblical accounts the best estimation is sometime in September Jesus came to earth as a baby. The Book of John tells us that in the beginning was the word and the word was God. If Jesus is God then he existed before time. The idea that Jesus has a birthday and thus a date of birth doesn't sit with my theology or biblical knowledge. So I am happy concede the only birthday I celebrate Christmas Day is my Aunt's.

But as a Christian the day I chose to reflect on the Gift God gave us in the form of his Son is the day we know as Christmas. It a great day to reflect and celebrate this gift of a saviour as Christmas regardless of your religious background is about giving and sharing with those we love . . . And the Santa thing well. .   shh! I haven't believed in Santa for a very long time so for me Santa and Christmas don't gel but I'm happy for others to have the jolly old man as part of their celebrations.

I was just reading about Christians wanting to put Christ back in to Christmas as if the first Christmas day was the day Jesus was born which as I shared believe is incorrect. Jesus is the reason I celebrate Christmas and he is at the center of my Christmas Season, but this is not true for everyone who celebrates the Christmas Tradition. .  

It was in fact Roman pagans were the first to introduce the Satumalia "holiday or festival" which was a week long celebration between the 17th and 25th of December. At the start of the festival an enemy of the Roman people was chosen to represent "Lord of Misrule" resulting in a innocent person being killed on the 25th December to end the Festival. (The origins of Christmas)

It wasn't until the 4th Century CE the Christians imported the Satumalia festival in the hope of taking in the pagan masses with it, to which they agreed to celebrate Christmas as Satumalia. However the problem remained that the two feasts had nothing in common so the Christians declared the 25th December to be Jesus' birthday. However even this ploy had little success as the 'first Christmases' were celebrated by drinking, sexual indulgences and signing naked in the streets (which was a precursor to our modern Christmas Carols)  (The origins of Christmas)

After this Christmas continued to carelessly be celebrated by pagans, Jews and even Christians. Very few people have stopped to reflect what they were celebrating down through the centuries and so it still exists today. (The origins of Christmas) So it seems that Christians have been struggling to put Christ into Xmas down through the ages with various degrees of success.

Reading about how the traditions of Christmas started I know understand how non-Christians in countries which have little Christian input draw picture of Santa Claus on a cross. Regardless of where Christmas traditions emerged from or why other people celebrate Christmas for me the 25th December is the day I reflect on the gift of Jesus given to me by God.

Like all the gifts that my relationships are to me, it makes sense that my relationship with Christ is also celebrated along with all the other gifts of friendship and family are celebrated on the day we know as Christmas Day.

Jesus certainly is the reason I celebrate Christmas. Feel free to email me to find more about the Christian Celebrations on the 25th December.  

It is the Season

The Christmas decorations are up in the shops and people are wrapping their presents, even Santa Claus is arriving in town. But in the mist of this party season do we know what the true meaning of Christmas is or have we forgotten the simple magic of Christmas.

I live in Australian so its hot and sticky this time of year and people often escape to the air-conditioning of their local shopping centre where its impossible to escape the commencerism of the Christmas Season. Do we remember why we're out buying gifts this time of year? Or are we just stressed out by the number of times we find ourselves using our Credit Cards? Becoming hot and bothered by the stress of find the perfect gift for Aunty Mary. Are we concerned the kids next door will get better presents than the kids down the road.

Lets take a deep breath and slow down a minute and think about what and why we are celebrating Christmas.

Here are some reasons people celebrate the season of Christmas:-

1. Remembering the gift God first gave to us.
2. A religious Holy Day 
3. A chance to give gifts
4. Family
5. A celebration of friendship and love.
6. Being with the people most important to you
7. Giving to others who are unable to give back 

Wishing each other a Merry Christmas shouldn't be about over eating and drinking until we can't stand up. Another thing Christmas is about for me is memories and that's why the memories of my childhood Christmases are so precious to me. My Grandmother passed away the year I turned 18, Christmas has never felt the same since, perhaps that said more about my relationship with my grandmother than it does about Christmas.

However as a Christian, Christmas is all about relationships. Its about my relationship with God and the gifts he has given me; Its about my relationships with my friends and family; Its about the meaning each of those relationships  brings to my life; Its about giving - personally the best presents are the ones I give to others, they bring more joy to my world than any gifts I receive on Christmas Day and its about sharing joy with people I don't even know.

My challenge to you is to slow down before the Silly Season really starts and reflect on why you are about to celebrate and how to do that more appropriately this year. I won't wish you a Merry Christmas this year. . .