The Joy Goes On

Some of my thoughts about observing Christmas.
With so many people arguing or just making statements against Christmas and it's celebration, I am setting down my personal belief about the various common arguments and rebuttals. I'm not an authority by any means and I must insert that I'm becoming much more intuitive in my actions and reactions. However I've reached my conclusions honestly and if they are of any value to anyone, that's an added reward to the clarification of where I am standing currently on the issue.
First: December or September? There are arguments that would indicate Jesus came in September around Sukkot.  There are arguments that line it up with Passover. I have mostly discarded those within the limits of my study and research.  Those who align it with Sukkot have some good arguments.  But after looking through several opinions, articles and scriptures, I've settled on December.  But what about winter and shepherds on the hillside? Looking at weather norms, temps in that area are between 45 (lower end) and 65 upper end. I can accept that they would be in the fields grazing at that time, because hard winter comes later and they would wait as long as possible to begin supplying stored feed. These were shepherds -outdoor people- not office workers. The conditions they existed in year round would be considered harsh to our modern society.
What about Zechariah and Elizabeth?  Well that all depends on which thinking you follow. December was originally reached by using a valid logic, but it could be 4 months earlier by another schedule. In all honesty, when I get through with all the mind boggling disagreements on the date of Yeshua's  (Jesus') birth I have to use my own intuition to settle my mind. One thought occurred to me during my studies on this several years ago. It would be very like God to make sure they got the date right if they were going to celebrate the birth of his own beloved son. Also, God has smiled on the celebration in so many ways. 
Now you can argue all the paganism you want.  You can give me a pile of info to sort through – you might even find something I haven't yet read – but in the end, there is belief.  The two piles are pretty balanced. I choose the December pile.  Another intuitive question I felt more than thought: If Satan were to fight it, to detract, would he fight the actual date or a supposed date?
Third question: If God did not give us a date or hard evidence, does he want us to celebrate the event.  My feeling is that he gave us a lot of information and he made a big deal out of it when it happened. Another thought -again more intuitive than logic- is that for a month -when I was young it was about 2 weeks- people are changed by the birth of Christ.  Even people who aren't 'believers' are changed and the celebration makes a big impact regardless of how you see it.  He came!  That wasn't the end of it, but it was certainly the beginning.  Nothing else would have happened had he not come -at God's time. That fact by itself supports the celebration of his coming to my mind.
As for the greed, distraction, idolatry and other claims, that is the unregenerate nature of mankind.  Jesus (Yeshua) cleansed the temple of those who were marketing redemption but he celebrated passover.  So for me, I celebrate Christmas in December with a pure intention and joyful if somewhat frantic spirit.  The joy comes from the true Spirit; the frantic comes from me.
As an end note, I hope I celebrate the gift of God's son often throughout the year in various ways and seasons. The joy goes on.

Receiving to bless the giver.

  I bought a container rose on clearance. It had several buds and one blossom when I bought it. The blossom lasted about a week, but all the buds withered dropped off. The store was getting rid of it; there was a reason.

  I re-potted it decoratively. I fed it. I picked off any dying foliage and threw it away. I put it where the light would be good and watered it carefully avoiding over watering. It got healthy and started putting on new leaves. Then I noticed a bud. Now it has two.

  Two years ago, I had a tropical vine die. It had been so lovely and brought me such joy -especially during the drab of winter. But the plant put out new growth at the base. I've fed and watered it, trained it, built it a trellis, I've put so much into this vine for the past two years. I don't know if it will bloom this year or not, but I believe it will bloom again one day and I continue to care for it and watch for the first bud. I can be patient because I've seen it's potential.

  Tomorrow I will prepare a meal and serve it as festively as I can. We will laugh and play some and give thanks for the past year and its great blessings. God gives so freely to us. We can add nothing to him in a material sense and we can not make him greater with our gratitude and praise and yet. . .

   I've been studying as a result of my personal reading and the rabbits that jumped out of the Word and had to be chased down. What if all the showering of love and blessing is taken in and absorbed and appreciated so that I grow and love others as I am loved? And what if the blessing of the Spirit of God brings an abundance of the fruit of the Spirit so that I become effective in the lives of other people in the way God intends.

  Learning to receive from God so completely, so efficiently that nothing is lost or wasted but my receiving brings God joy more than it does me is an new thought that I've been chasing. What if I am satiated for the Glory of the giver. What if I can truly become centered by the gift of grace and empowered to care for and about others as I care for and about myself? I'm not sure what it will look like. I'm not sure I can leave this ego-centrism we've developed in our faith behind, but I hope so. I truly hope so. Perhaps I can bloom to bring God pure joy, to make him smile and laugh. Perhaps all my receiving can bless the giver of life and every good thing.