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	<title>Merry Christmas - CHRISTIAN REP</title>
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		<title>Christmas Thoughts</title>
		<link>https://christianrep.com/blog/2011/12/21/christmas-thoughts/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Mike Messerli]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 22 Dec 2011 02:18:10 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Archived]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mike]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Buying Gifts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chickens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christmas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christmas Thoughts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christmas Visit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Consumerism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cows]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Living Room]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Merry Christmas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Monologue]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Open Gifts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Relationship With God]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[walk with God]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wonderful Christmas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wrong Time]]></category>
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					<description><![CDATA[<p>This year, to be honest, my hearts not into Christmas. I&#8217;m not excited about it. In fact I&#8217;m feeling rather a Scrooge about the whole thing. I could easily go into a monologue about consumerism and how crazy it is to spend money for gifts while we lose sight of the real meaning of the &#8230; </p>
<p class="link-more"><a href="https://christianrep.com/blog/2011/12/21/christmas-thoughts/" class="more-link">Read more<span class="screen-reader-text"> "Christmas Thoughts"</span></a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://christianrep.com/blog/2011/12/21/christmas-thoughts/">Christmas Thoughts</a> first appeared on <a href="https://christianrep.com/blog">CHRISTIAN REP</a>.</p>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This year, to be honest, my hearts not into Christmas. I&#8217;m not excited about it. In fact I&#8217;m feeling rather a Scrooge about the whole thing. I could easily go into a monologue about consumerism and how crazy it is to spend money for gifts while we lose sight of the real meaning of the season, but that whole discussion has been done to death.<a href="http://christianrep.com/blog/2011/12/21/christmas-thoughts/scrooge/" rel="attachment wp-att-7671"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-7671" title="scrooge" src="http://christianrep.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/scrooge.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="320" srcset="https://christianrep.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/scrooge.jpg 250w, https://christianrep.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/scrooge-234x300.jpg 234w, https://christianrep.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/scrooge-156x200.jpg 156w, https://christianrep.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/scrooge-62x80.jpg 62w" sizes="(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px" /></a></p>
<p>This year I&#8217;m simply trying to focus on my walk with God in a busy time when God is so easily forgotten. Honestly I think my relationship with God, whatever that means, has suffered a bit in recent weeks. I could blame a number of things, but at the core of it all is me. I&#8217;m the problem. I&#8217;m not sure why, but I know it&#8217;s one of the normal cycles of a walk with God. It&#8217;s just the wrong time of the year for one of these down times to happen&#8230;..</p>
<p>Anyway, with Christmas only a few days away, I survey my living room covered with toys and grandkids playing, having fun, enjoying the day and we have yet to open gifts! They don&#8217;t need another thing and yet more will come in just a few days. Why do we do this? Will we answer for this crazy excess? I wonder. Yes, Scrooge is at work and I&#8217;m him. Sorry, I&#8217;m working on it, but for now I am just not into this season of the year.</p>
<p>Christmas is supposed to be a time to remember what God has given. Do we ever do that? Do we realize what he has done? Do we talk about it with our kids? This year we will give our grandkids chickens&#8230;.chickens that will show up in India for a family in need. I would like to make it even more, maybe goats or cows next year&#8230;&#8230;I would love to make our Christmas about those who have nothing. Now that would be a wonderful Christmas!</p>
<p>As I read the Facebook posts I see wives writing about cooking, decorating, buying gifts, tired, frazzled and worn out. Why are we doing this? Yes, Scrooge is alive and well, but in part I&#8217;m tired of this gluttonous consumerism in a country that has too much already. Ok, I&#8217;m done. I feel better already. Merry Christmas!</p>
<p>Visit Mike at <a href="http://mikemesserli.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Finishing Well</a>&#8230;.bring chickens.</p><p>The post <a href="https://christianrep.com/blog/2011/12/21/christmas-thoughts/">Christmas Thoughts</a> first appeared on <a href="https://christianrep.com/blog">CHRISTIAN REP</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
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