Comments on: When Christmas Tests Your Nerves

By: Jim Martin

Jim Martin — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 02:28:50 +0000

Jill, what a mess! As you already have noted, it will be interesting to see what God does with all of this. (I am always glad to read your comments. Thanks.)

By: Jim Martin

Jim Martin — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 02:27:12 +0000

Thank you Alan. There is so much that we can learn from just watching children. Dependence can certainly be learned from watching children relate to their parents.

By: Jill

Jill — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:50:26 +0000

Talk about stress at Christmas! Aucklanders are up in arms over a billboard lampooning the virgin Mary. It was intended to call in to question the meaning of Christmas. The vicar challenges the fundamentalist view and promotes a progressive view, but does so in a way that really puts down most church leaders.

Anyway, the billboard has now been stolen and talkback radio across a very secular country/culture is buzzing. We’ll see what God does with all of this stress!

http://conversationsatintersections.blogspot.com/2009/12/mary-joseph-defaced-literally.html

By: Alan Crookham

Alan Crookham — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:20:30 +0000

It is so important that we stay in that childlike carefree joy that God wants us to have. That is why the Bible says that we must become like little children to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Children don’t worry about money or groceries or anything like that, they just trust that when they are hungry their parents will have food for them. We should be the same way with God, we need to just relax and trust that He is a good parent who will give us what we need when we need it.

By: Jim Martin

Jim Martin — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 23:06:27 +0000

Jennifer, after reading your comment, I realized that I too have a marked history with Christmas. In fact, I could echo some of your thoughts in your opening sentence. How wonderful that your family did give you the memories of a simple but special Christmas morning.

I am happy for you regarding this particular Christmas and experiencing it with your son who is now old enough to know that something is very different about this season. He is blessed to have a mother who has such a good perspective on this.

By: Jim Martin

Jim Martin — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:48:08 +0000

Greg, sounds like you are in a really good time of life. Your children sound like they are low maintenance.
That is very interesting regarding funeral directors. Very interesting.

By: Jim Martin

Jim Martin — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:45:27 +0000

Clay, Barnes’ book really is good. I am grateful for his emphasis on the meaning and work involved in pastoral ministry. Have a Merry Christmas, Clay.

By: Greg England

Greg England — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:25:28 +0000

Haven’t read that book, but I heard America’s Doctor Mehmet Oz the other day say that no one is more hardwired to push our buttons than family! He was speaking of the stress of the holidays.

With our empty nest, the holidays are, in many ways, less stressful because most of the time it’s just Janice and myself. Our son is almost always at his in-law’s place and our daughter comes to visit, and often stays, but she is content to do whatever we are doing. Last Christmas we had to deal with two families that lost loved ones, so we really didn’t have a Christmas day.

It is interesting that the Christmas season is the busiest season for funeral directors.

By: Clay Knick

Clay Knick — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:42:52 +0000

Jim,

Isn’t Barnes’ book great? I loved it.

Thanks for the link to John Mark Hicks’ e-book on “The Shack.” I’m almost done with it. Very good. I loved his, “Yet Will I Trust Him.”

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:10:59 +0000

Christmas has such a marked history with me; growing up in the culture which didn’t support its celebration, with a mom who scrooged it for several years, to materially celebrating, to finally infusing it with the spiritual meaning it now has. But the best thing my family gave me was a sense that we slept in on Christmas, had a hot breakfast and then opened our stockings. There was a sense of anticipation about the whole matter, and yet a relishing of the time together. It was typically just the three of us and we LOVED that. That’s how Christmas has come to be again for me, small and simple, with the values of family and giving infused into the day. And with giving has to be receiving, because how do we give without having received? This is my first Christmas with a child old enough to know something is different about the house in this season, and it’s tempting to do all the gifts and everything “expected.” But we’re not. And I’m relishing the peace I feel more than a week before Christmas. I don’t want to keep up with the Jones. I just want my son to know his Lord through this holiday. I know it’s hard and will get harder as he ages, but I want him to know this peace so that even if he goes through Christmas seasons of chaos, he might remember this at some point and return to it.