the thing that really bothers me....

One thing that really bothers me...
and this may seem trivial or mundane to some..

is when preachers or pastors..or church leaders.. talk about Santa from the pulpit.
Please, hear me out..

First of all, I don't judge those who do the whole Santa thing.. I did it for years until about three years ago..
But I will tell you why it bothers me when "ol saint nick..Father Christmas..whatever you want to call him... is mentioned from behind the pulpit..

I remember as a child, our church endorsed the whole santa claus idea. So.. when I found out that santa didn't exist.. I remember thinking that maybe the whole God thing was also a sham.

I saw this elaborate Christmas setup..this huge story concocted about a man that travels all around the world in a single night. This, all knowing, all seeing man..aka..Santa.. had the "supernatural" ability of seeing into our lives and secretly coming into our homes. He had a fleet of flying reindeer and all sorts of other wily things at his disposal..

So, of course, I began to wonder if the whole Christ story..the whole of Christianity was just a huge scam. I wondered if it was just a made up...highly elaborate story...
The whole Santa thing really bothered me...

Of course, I now know that Christ is not a scam..He is more real than I could ever possibly imagine.. But, to me, the whole Santa claus "fantasy" lie..whatever you want to call it... detracts from the real Christmas story.
The One real truth of this world..

So, when I hear Santa being endorsed or talked about by preachers...It makes me wonder how many other children will feel the way I did.. How many will question the veracity of anything that the preacher has said..once they find out the truth about Mr. Claus.

Have you ever heard the story of the boy who cried wolf?
It doesn't take many lies for a person to stop trusting in someone's word..

the santa story is a lie any way you try to paint it..

I don't want my children to doubt Christ for even a second the way that I did.
He is too real and good to be doubted for even a second..
I hope this offends no one.. I know that I truly care about my pastor and pray for him, and i'm actually glad that he doesn't "endorse" santa.....and I truly don't judge those who do,even though I feel as if it is wrong to mix santa and talk of a Savior because it can cause confusion in children..

This is my space for my own thoughts and opinions.
I love you and I welcome your thoughts and opinions.

another  thing that truly bothers me is the massive commercialization of Christmas. The other day I was talking to my mom about how silly it seems to have children immersed in a sea of gifts..half of which they will never even use.
Every Christmas, Brendan literally gets at least a dozen toys and only plays with one or two. The rest sit in the toybox..and when the next Christmas rolls around, new toys will be added to pile.

I don't like waste.
I read a beautiful story in Crazy Love by Franis Chan.. The story was about a family who truly wanted to do something different of Christmas. So, instead of buying elaborate toys and excess for their family, they sacrificed. They decided to go into a poor section of town and deliver homemade breakfasts to needy families.
Stories like those get me.. They are the stories written by people who seem to understand what the gospel is truly about. Jesus and His perfect sacrifice for mankind.. His death so the we might have life... we forget that we are called to die to self ...and instead, we make provisions for the excess..

Let's do something different.

Let's not forget the real Christmas story. Let's not forget the fact that Christ having been born in a manger is significant.

Christmas is still some time away, but I hope that yours is wonderful.

Here's the real Christmas story... Does it sound strange that I actually really want to hear Christmas music?

Luke 2:1-20

New King James Version (NKJV)

Christ Born of Mary

2 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ² This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. ³ So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

⁴ Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵ to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife,^[a] who was with child. ⁶ So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. ⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Glory in the Highest

⁸ Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And behold,^[b] an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. ¹⁰ Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. ¹¹ For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”^[c]

¹⁵ So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. ¹⁷ Now when they had seen Him, they made widely^[d] known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. ¹⁸ And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. ¹⁹ But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.


http://letmewashyourfeet.blogspot.com/2012/09/terribly-interesting-ho-ho-no.html