Comments

HEY, GIRLS! We love hearing from you, but feel limited in the ways we can help. For one thing, we’re not trained counselors. If you’re seeking counsel, we encourage you to talk to your pastor or a godly woman in your life as they’ll know more details and can provide you with ongoing accountability and help. Also, the following comments do not necessarily reflect the views of Revive Our Hearts. We reserve the right to remove comments which might be unhelpful, unsuitable, or inappropriate.

Emii
Re:
on Thursday, December 23, 2010 at 1:33 am
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At times it seems like the world is shovelling Christmas stuff down my throat -- Christmas carols every minute on the radio, supermarkets full of stockings and wrapping paper.

The fact that Jesus is like, my best friend and it's his birthday in a few days -- I think that's the part that gets me happy. I've never thought of that 'til now -- what do we do on our friends' birthday's? Give them something. So I'm gonna give my best friend something this Christmas; I'm going to listen and follow and believe and love and trust.
elli
christmas
on Thursday, December 23, 2010 at 1:37 am
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for me - this christmas is different then any other christmas' i know. for the first time i am choosing to see the love of God. i know that this might sound bad to most of you out there (in the way that i have to choose to see His love). but it is a big step for me.
AbbyS
Re:
on Thursday, December 23, 2010 at 1:41 am
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AMEN.
I can't tell you enough of how amazing this post is to read... because this is EXACTLY what I am experiencing right now.
Becky
Jesus has come for me and for you!
on Thursday, December 23, 2010 at 8:26 am
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Yes! I will worship Jesus this Christmas! He is so real and I am absolutely in love with Him! I don't know how I could live life without Christ!

Lord Jesus, thank you so much for coming to earth as a baby and dying for ME! I feel so unworthy and undeserving of your love and grace! Lord, I want to serve you with all of my life! Love, Becky
erinbrooke
Re:
on Thursday, December 23, 2010 at 9:23 am
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Erin,
Thank you so much for this! I've had a mixture of emotions this Christmas, but not all of them have been leading me to worship Jesus. Thanks for reminding me that no matter what my emotions say, He is still worthy! My emotions don't change His greatness. And my emotions can't always guide my actions!
Lorraine
a birthday celebration
on Thursday, December 23, 2010 at 10:05 am
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We have some incredible youth leaders and last night they did something that couldn't help but make you feel it!! They put a wooden manger in the middle of the floor and handed out 3x5 cards to write on . . . Then with soft music playing in the background (songs like crucified) asked us to pray and think about what we were going to give Jesus for His birthday. wow! it hit like a ton of bricks as we each pondered what do you give someome who has given you His all . . . there were many sniffles in the room as we realized in all the christmas planning and lists of gifts - we had forgotten the very one whose party it was anyway. There was a long silence as each one wrote on the card what they were giving to Jesus this year and then placed them in the manger. Praise God he's no longer a babe in the manger, but is our King and Lord and Savior and just wants more of us!
Shanni
Feelings
on Thursday, December 23, 2010 at 10:50 am
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I trust not my heart but my God.
Mags
Re:
on Thursday, December 23, 2010 at 1:20 pm
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AMEN! Thats exactly how I've been feeling! Thanks for the encouragement :)
Chloe
A Little Child's Faith
on Thursday, December 23, 2010 at 2:00 pm
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Wow....this just helped me realize something. (In case you haven't noticed, I realize things a lot on here.) Take a small child, no older then probably about eight years old, they will bond with God no matter what if their parents have showed them and introduced God's love to them. They always seem to be in the mood to go to church and if they're not they seem to be in the mood when they get there. I've concluded this from watching my little brothers in the previous years. They sing along and pray and by the end of the service they fill refreshed. We should follow their example by giving thanks to God and praising him this Christmas even if we aren't feeling thankful or whatever. I've found that most of the time when I pray I feel pretty refreshed so maybe if we give thanks even though we may not feel like it at the time we'll feel thankful after. In case I'm not making sense, I'll give another example, when parents tell us to clean our rooms we don't feel like it but after we're done we feel glad that it's clean, or at least I do. I'm hoping to get that same feeling from Jesus. Did I make sense? Someone please comment and tell me what you think of this post, please.
Fuzzy Socks
Wow...
on Thursday, December 23, 2010 at 2:34 pm
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I totally get this! I have severe recurring depression and severe recurring anxiety. There have been so many times that i have done things i shouldn't have because following God just didn't feel right. And this went on for about a year. It was unbelieveable how many awful things i did. My depression just got worse and worse because i didn't want to admit that following God was the right thing. I didn't feel His presence so I told myself that i would find satisfaction within the world.... But i didn't no matter how hard i tried... And it ended me up bad places...

Girls, don't do it. God is there. He's always there. Romans tells us that God will never leave us nor forsake us. Talk to me if you are doubting. I can totally help!!

I love you all!
Love sister in Christ!
Fuzzy Socks
also...
on Thursday, December 23, 2010 at 2:36 pm
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Erin, i wanted to know if countrygirl is on... if you know. i miss her!
P.S. this is marissa :)
Claire
Merry Christmas
on Thursday, December 23, 2010 at 3:25 pm
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Merry Christmas girls -hugs- and all glory to the one who IS worth it!
PureTillMarriage
Marissa
on Thursday, December 23, 2010 at 4:15 pm
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You are a bright girl God has given you the gifts of smarts.Thanks for the post it really helped bye Luv U in Christ.
Veronica
Thank you!
on Thursday, December 23, 2010 at 8:59 pm
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Oh my dear, THANK YOU SO MUCH Erin for this. I've seen others responding in the same way I feel, also. I can not express how perfect this is for me. I've been "not feeling it" this whole Christmas season, and I really felt something must be wrong with me spiritually. I was getting really depressed because I felt close to God, but not to Christmas. This is really encouraging... there isn't anything wrong with me after all!
Jessica
Fra Giovanni
on Friday, December 24, 2010 at 10:59 am
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This is one of my favorite quotes:

"I salute you! There is nothing I can give you which you have not; but there is much that, while I cannot give, you can take.
No heaven can come to us unless our hearts find rest in it today. Take heaven.
No peace lies in the future which is not hidden in this present instant. Take peace.
The Gloom of the world is but a shadow; behind it, yet within our reach is joy. Take Joy!
And so, at this Christmas time, I greet you, with the prayer that for you, now and forever, the day breaks and the shadows flee away." ~Fra Giovanni 1513
Julianna
Amen
on Friday, December 24, 2010 at 11:17 am
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I can definatly relate!
But this has inspired me, given me a new outlook on Christmas from a faith perspective.
Thank you!
Heather
Re:
on Friday, December 24, 2010 at 12:42 pm
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Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!!!!!! =) <3333 Love for all my girls!
monica
Re:
on Friday, December 24, 2010 at 1:13 pm
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Am I the only one who doesnt celebrate christmas? I wish I know for sure if it was wrong or not at least
Hisdaughter
re
on Friday, December 24, 2010 at 5:54 pm
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This is exactly what i needed to read! You have no idea how perfect this was! thanks so much. the Lord always seems to put in my path exactly what i need. AMEN!!!!!
Anita
Re:
on Saturday, December 25, 2010 at 8:13 pm
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Wow thank you :)
I've been struggling with this... thanks
bballgirl#20
Re:
on Saturday, December 25, 2010 at 10:24 pm
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Merry Christmas! Thank you so much for this its important that we all remember the true reason for the season! Please pray for my dad whos struggling with becoming a Christian. he was raised as a jehovah witness and has come a long way but still has a way to go, Im hoping that from the Christmas season and church services he will invite Jesus into his life.
Heather
Monica
on Sunday, December 26, 2010 at 2:07 pm
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@Monica: Why don't you celebrate Christmas? Are you a Jehovah's Witness? I don't think it's wrong to celebrate Christmas, at all. Some people think it's wrong to celebrate Christmas b/c Jesus wasn't even born in December, but I don't think it's that big a deal. It's like being born in January but having your birthday party in July b/c you want to have a pool party. Another reason why some people think it's wrong to celebrate Christmas is because most of our traditions were taken from the pagan celebration of the winter solstice and other pagan tradition (decorating trees, stockings, red christmas hats, santa clause, wreaths, etc). Now, I know where these traditions originated, but to me it's just tradition. When I decorate my tree, it's not because I'm celebrating a pagan God, it's just a tradition nowdays. The presents that once represented human sacrifice now represents the spirit of giving (something that Jesus would commend).

Tradition is very, very important. I took a psychology class in my senior year of high school, and something I learned was that families who keep tradition are more closely-knit than families who don't keep regular ritual. The members of those families who didn't keep tradition were more aloof and closed off toward one another. This is just another reason that celebrating Christmas is important!
Yammi
monica
on Sunday, December 26, 2010 at 6:59 pm
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my family did not celebrate christmas for two years. we did not (and still don't) like all of the pagan and commercial themes. i really don't know if celebrating it is "right" or "wrong". if your family feels convicted not to celebrate then i think you are doing the right thing!
ChristianDaughter
Christmas spirit
on Monday, December 27, 2010 at 4:55 pm
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Thank you so much for this!!! I have gone through this for the past few years until this year. My 101-year-old great grandma moved down to my state in the past month or so. To see the sparkle in her eye as she celebrated Christmas and talked about the Christmas story made me realize re-think Christmas
monica
to |Yammi and Heather
on Monday, December 27, 2010 at 11:11 pm
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to Heather:
Hey, no I'm not Jehovah's witness! lol
I dont have a problem with it being on the wrong time or the pagan part either. Yeah, I dont think it matters what time of the year you celebrate it and the pagan thing, well, so many things come from pagan celebrations I dont think we're expected to keep track of it all!!!
For me, it's just that, God never commanded it and it's says that God's way are not our ways, so he's not like us. I dont think we can worship him in a way that seems good to us. I think since we cant imagine how he thinks and wants us to worship him, the safest thing is to worship him according to way he commands us in the Bible. I think if he wanted us to celebrate his birthday at a certain day in a year (of course we are supposed to celebrate it every day) then he would have told us. Especially since Christmas has become such a stressful and unhappy time for many people ( I know alot of people still have a good time, but there's still so much family split ups and stress and loneliness). But I could be wrong, that's just what I'm thinking. That's why I feel that it's the safest to not celebrate it.

To Yammi:
cool! so there is other people like me!! lol
Yeah, the commercial thing has def got out of hand for a lot of people!
Elisabeth
thanks Erin!
on Tuesday, January 4, 2011 at 2:04 pm
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I am just skimming through some old posts and I love this simple reminder that Jesus is worthy! It's so easy to rely on emotions in relationships, but sometimes making a decision of the will is even more powerful than emotion. This was such a sweet reminder of how we can respond to Jesus even when we aren't "feeling it."
Kara
Wasn't feeling it
on Monday, January 10, 2011 at 12:09 am
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Christmas has always been very hard for me. But this year it was extremely difficult for me because it was my first Christmas in a new state with no relatives and none of my friends to spend it with. I was very lonely and had no laughter or joy that I usually have. I hated it. I didn't understand why I couldn't get into the mood. I still don't understand why and am very confused about it.