beautiful disaster

I've been Christmas shopping. The 'spirit' of Christmas is thick in the air. Red and green decorations, shimmering balls and other things, Christmas carols playing in the shopping centres, slowly permeating your consciousness.

The spirit of Christmas, according to the world, is giving.

Not that that's wrong. Just that don't you think it plays right into their hands? The spirit of Christmas is giving. So I must give. Therefore I will scour the whole of orchard road for the perfect gift for that loved one and while I'm doing that, why don't i take advantage of those incredible offers from all the shops and buy more things?

All right. Those people who are riding high on the wave of Christmas and don't want their yuletide fervour to be disrupted, stop reading here.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think the spirit of Christmas is giving and having a fuzzy feeling. It's thanksgiving. Christmas came about because of the birth of Jesus Christ, whose life purpose was not to teach others or to heal people (even though He did). He was born so He could give His life away in exchange for ours. That's sort of morbid, but it's the way it is. He became the one perfect sacrifice for all the sins that we have committed due to our inborn wickedness. Therefore, in our joy and gratitude for this gift, we give thanks.

Christmas is our way of commemorating Jesus' birthday. All the gifts we give should, rightfully, be given to Jesus. All honour should be showered upon Him.

Despite saying all this, Jac still scours the shops for Christmas present just because she has to. :) sigh. Hypocrisy, you yell. I found myself hating myself (is that grammatically correct?) for dragging my lazy butt out there to look for presents, just because "I have to". Cos i knew who were giving me presents and it wouldn't be nice if i didn't give them presents back. And I think I was just in a bad mood on that day.

I guess what i'm saying is that giving presents is not bad, but to me, it's not the essence of Christmas.

Oh, and I found an interesting site about this.

(p.s. i'm sorry if everything that comes out of my mouth seems to be full of doom and gloom)

jac was here with you 12/18/2003 09:08:00 pm

My Destiny
Psalm 46 (NASB)
God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change
And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea;
Though its waters roar and foam,
Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride.

There is river whose streams make glad the city of God,
The holy dwelling places of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered;
He raised His voice, the earth melted.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold.

Come, behold the works of the Lord,
Who has wrought desolations in the earth.
He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariots with fire.
"Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold.