Hi Christen1 and thanks for your openness and honesty.

I also don't take offense at the different beliefs of others and I won't try to "force" anyone to accept mine. I am always happy to answer questions. You asked what I think about Christmas.

Well, this is a question I have been asked a lot in the past few years and so my business partner and I have done some in-depth studies about it. This is what we found. I'll try and keep this short.

One of the major themes of the Bible involve the existence of "gods"—lessor gods—fallen "sons of God"—that Yahweh has given the "nations" over to. But Israel, He has reserved for Himself.

"<A Psalm of Asaph.> God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.

—Psalms 82:1

A great study source for this information is found in the work of Michael Heiser. Do a Google search and look for "Return of the Nephilim". The video used to be available on YouTube.com but it seems not to be currently available. There are many names and some information about these fallen angels or "gods" in the Bible, and how they will attempt to influence mankind.

"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;"

—1 Timothy 4:1

Many of the ceremonies of Celtic people and other belief systems are repugnant to the teachings of Christ and are directly connected with anti-Christian doctrines. Some of these practices have made it into Christian traditions, including Christmas and Easter.

First, without going into too much detail (perhaps we will later if you want to), the act of bringing a tree (usually an evergreen tree) into a house and decorating it with gold and silver and putting presents under it are Celtic traditions based on very anti-Christian beliefs. The Bible addresses these practices here:

"For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not."

—Jeremiah 10:3-4

Beware that most translations are dead wrong on these verses so stick with the Old King James. These newer translations are horrible. See the awesome research of Gale Riplinger.

It's amazing to learn that even in Jeremiah's day, people were practicing the same things as we do on Christmas and God addresses it here.

[color:"brown"]Also, the word na-cha-sh (naw-`khawsh) from which we get the modern day common names Nicole and Nicholas is actually the name used of the Devil in the garden in Genesis (See Strong's 5175). Amazingly, the Christmas mascot is a character who's name in English (Santa) is an anagram for Satan and who's priestly name is St. Nicholas. This character—dressed in red—enters your house at night by descending into the fire and rewards our good works by participating with us in an unchristian ceremony.[/color]

Easter has a similar story using a fertility symbol as a mascot (a rabbit) and a named derived from the god Ishtar, the Goddess of fertility.

In fact, there are so many symbols in modern life that have very "interesting" origins that books have been written on the subject.

You also mentioned about Christmas being something that so many people look forward to each year. This may certainly be true, but I also know that it is the leading time of the year for depression and suicide. I also would say that almost all of the people I know dread the rush and stress associated with Christmas. We also now know that Christmas is not the time of Christ's birth. I personally believe that focusing on 1 or 2 "Christian" events each years gives people a reason—or excuse—to go to Church during these times to ease their conscience enough to prevent them from being compelled to attend the rest of the year.

The Bible says that the time of the end will contain such deceptions that even the "elect" would be deceived if it were possible, and according to the study we've done, this deception saturates our beliefs, television, textbooks, and even many churches. The prophecy is accurate and we're living in those times that were foretold.

Now, let me just throw in these disclaimers because I don't want to sound in any way that I'm condemning you and I certainly don't want to make you feel bad. I just want to be accurate about what I've found through our study so you and/or onlookers have the opportunity to check this information out for themselves and make up their own minds. I'm sorry to hear how hard it is for you. I spent most of my life in a depression that left me thinking about suicide almost daily (from teen to 35). Only a couple of people in my life know that. Now I speak about it openly because it's gone and I know mercury was the culprit and I want people to be free of this horrible burden.

I know God is everywhere and will never leave us or forsake us. There is nothing that He cannot handle and there is no one who knows us as well as He does. He's interested in every aspect of our lives and is responsive to our prayers if we diligently seek Him. My source of courage and passion revolves around my relationship with Him.

I hope this helps you understand my position and I hope you understand that I know that we are all at different places in our lives. I agree with what you said about loving each other for without love, we are doing nothing more than making a lot of noise:

"If I speak in the tongues of humans and angels but have no love, I have become a reverberating gong or a clashing cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can understand all secrets and every form of knowledge, and if I have absolute faith so as to move mountains but have no love, I am nothing. Even if I give away all that I have and surrender my body so that I may boast but have no love, I get nothing out of it. Love is always patient, Love is always kind, Love is never envious Or vaunted up with pride. Nor is she conceited, And never is she rude, Never does she think of self Or ever get annoyed. She never is resentful, Is never glad with sin, But always glad to side with truth, Whene'er the truth should win. She bears up under everything, Believes the best in all, There is no limit to her hope, And never will she fall. Love never fails. Now if there are prophecies, they will be done away with. If there are tongues, they will cease. If there is knowledge, it will be done away with. For what we know is incomplete and what we prophesy is incomplete. But when what is complete comes, then what is incomplete will be done away with. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, and reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up my childish ways. Now we see only a blurred reflection in a mirror, but then we will see face to face. Now what I know is incomplete, but then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. Right now three things remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."

—1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Cheers!