Your First Christmas

My Own Eyes · #1 11-21-2008, 02:08 PM

Will all the talk of Christmas trees, and music (and to some the paganess of it all!), I thought it would be fun to share your memories of your first Christmas.

Not the first one in your life, but the first one after you were saved. I was in my early 20's, and I started going to church sometimes in the summer/fall.

O Holy Night, had always been my favorite Christmas song. I remember that year when I was sorting through all the Christmas decorations and getting ready to put up the tree. I had put on some Christmas music, and O Holy Night came on. I remember singing along as I always had in the past, and suddenly tears just started to fall down my cheeks.

I had listened to that song hundreds of times in my life, but that was the first time that I ever truly heard it. That first Christmas was amazing, as suddenly everything had new meaning.

Sarah · #2 11-21-2008, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by My Own Eyes

Will all the talk of Christmas trees, and music (and to some the paganess of it all!), I thought it would be fun to share your memories of your first Christmas.

Not the first one in your life, but the first one after you were saved. I was in my early 20's, and I started going to church sometimes in the summer/fall.

O Holy Night, had always been my favorite Christmas song. I remember that year when I was sorting through all the Christmas decorations and getting ready to put up the tree. I had put on some Christmas music, and O Holy Night came on. I remember singing along as I always had in the past, and suddenly tears just started to fall down my cheeks.

I had listened to that song hundreds of times in my life, but that was the first time that I ever truly heard it. That first Christmas was amazing, as suddenly everything had new meaning.

You know, MOE, EVERYTHING seemed different when I frist received the Holy Ghost. For a long time, I felt nothing but love for people. Even 'ugly' people were beautiful. LOL

We/I need to get back to that 'first love', before the cares of life started chipping away at us.

You've made me think about that first love this afternoon............

My Own Eyes · #3 11-21-2008, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarah

You know, MOE, EVERYTHING seemed different when I frist received the Holy Ghost. For a long time, I felt nothing but love for people. Even 'ugly' people were beautiful. LOL

We/I need to get back to that 'first love', before the cares of life started chipping away at us.

You've made me think about that first love this afternoon............

I think in many ways it's so fresh in my mind this year. Things were so ugly and twisted and distorted for so long, that not only did I not love God (or anything having to do with Him), but I couldn't even remember what had attracted me to Him in the first place.

Sherri · #4 11-21-2008, 04:42 PM

You know, sometimes when you just grow up in church, you don't even hardly remember the exact time you got saved. You just kind of loved God from as early as you could talk or understand. That has kind of bothered me at times; no powerful conversion experience. LOL! I guess I should be thankful, but there have been times when someone asks, "Do you remember the night you got saved?" and honestly I don't. Very weird.

I have repented hundreds of times, at least, been baptized and received the Holy Ghost. (Those last two things I do specifically remember!!). But the night I came to Jesus??.........it's just like I was always there.

Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt the train of your thread.

HappyTown · #5 11-21-2008, 06:47 PM

My Own Eyes

I was 18 when I joined the UPC, so it was no more x-mas!!!! If fact it was kinda crazy, we were taught x-mas was a sinful thing, yet the elders would take up love offering each year for the pastor and his family buy them x-mass gifts. This went on the eight years we were there. I still remember my own kids asking when they were little why the pastor younger daughter got a new bike for x-mass, wasn't it sinful!

During our eight years there we help buy a pool, boat, trip to Hawaii, truck , living room set, home add on, all for x-mass....

LaVonne · #6 11-21-2008, 06:52 PM

I was 21 when I joined a UPC church and I really don't have many fond memories of the Christmases we had during the 17 years we were in the UPC. Every single Christmas we had a drama that took months to prepare for and everyone was expected to participate in some way and we'd put on at least 2 productions of it. Then the money factor, we always felt pressured to give a big offering for Christmas for Christ and then for the pastors...there was never much left for the kids.

Sorry, I don't mean to dampen the spirit of this thread. Mich...I think it's great that you had such a positive experience for your first Christian Christmas.

holinesswoman · #7 11-21-2008, 06:58 PM

I was always a holinesswoman. My first memories of the holiday you argue of here are a bit faint.
I do recall that we was so poor, there was almost no food to eat.

Papa took his old rifle and the few bullets he had left and went off in to the woods.

He came home with a big smile and four squireels. I remember as just a little girl watching my Papa's strong hands as he skiinned them squrriels.

Momma done the best she could to make a meal of them squirels the 8 of us.

We ate everything but the tails. I remeber me and my one brother fightin over who got to eat the delicasy. The brains. The brains was very tasty and we could not let nothing be wasted that year.

There were no presents that year and not becuase we was so poor. Mamma and Pappa always taught us right and we did celebrate over the pagan holiday. But we did enjoy them squirrels.

HappyTown · #8 11-21-2008, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by holinesswoman

I was always a holinesswoman. My first memories of the holiday you argue of here are a bit faint.
I do recall that we was so poor, there was almost no food to eat.

Papa took his old rifle and the few bullets he had left and went off in to the woods.

He came home with a big smile and four squireels. I remember as just a little girl watching my Papa's strong hands as he skiinned them squrriels.

Momma done the best she could to make a meal of them squirels the 8 of us.

We ate everything but the tails. I remeber me and my one brother fightin over who got to eat the delicasy. The brains. The brains was very tasty and we could not let nothing be wasted that year.

There were no presents that year and not becuase we was so poor. Mamma and Pappa always taught us right and we did celebrate over the pagan holiday. But we did enjoy them squirrels.

Did you stuff em with acorn's

holinesswoman · #9 11-21-2008, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HappyTown

Did you stuff em with acorn's

No, but thank the good Lord, we did have a Walnut tree in hte yard that gave us some good Walnuts to eat. mamma used to bake them up in her bread dough too.

Say, I just noticed some yellow and red thingys along side where I am typing.

One is face with a tongue sticking out. What are they for?