TexaCan Loc: Homeward Bound!

Balmer, So much of the time, all I can add to many of the posts and threads are Amen! My knowledge is not comparable to my fellow sister and brothers! Know that every time you say Amen, that I am silently saying it with you!
I know how much you love and miss your wife! It's so evident in your loving words when you speak of her! You more than deserve a compliment for your kindness that you show for everyone!

Boo_Boo Loc: Jellystone

Sorry for this. But, I had to make two corrections.... the Julian calendar was used before the Gregorian and we lost only 10 days that go around.


It is true that Pagan did bring branches of trees into the home in hopes the wood fairies would keep evil spirits away. However, Christians borrowed the idea of the tree, not the fairies. Back a thousand years, saints were held in high esteem and the 24th of December was considered Adam and Eve's day. The Eastern Europeans would build a tree, and decorate it. The Paradise Tree represented the Garden of Eden. After it was paraded through town, children and those who could not read would gather at it's base so they could watch plays, Bible stories. If you travel to Riga, the capital of Latvia, there is a plaque which is engraved with "The First New Year's Tree in Riga in 1510", in eight languages.

As far as historical facts, which there are many to support Jesus as a real individual, the closest anyone can figure, he was born sometime around around the middle to end of the modern day calendar of January to March. The two clues... the cattle were near Bethlehem (winter grazing grounds) and the birth of lambs. Births of animals, by G*d's design, are born so when they are weaned there is ample food. Ensuring His promise that the animals of the field and bird of the sky do not worry over simple things like finding food. Remember that when the Gregorian Calendar was adopted, the world lost 10 days. They went to bed the night before and it was 4th October 1582 was 15th October 1582. So, that year the celebration of the Birth was moved back to December and this caused a problem. There was a Pagan holiday that was celebrated by lunar months that constituted with the feast. People had celebrated the winter solstice before the birth of Jesus... it was Pagan, but the majority of the world was Pagan.... only a handful of people were mono-theologists.... So to preserve, and keep happy the Pagan who spent a week eating and drinking, the Pope at the time merged both feasts. That is why there are some traditional overlap.

bahmer

I don't show it enough and i do get upset every now and again especially over certain individuals on OPP. I try not to show it but I do lose it from time to time and have to ask the Lord to forgive me. I really don't know if it is any good talking with some here on this site as it appears taht they are set in there ways and no amount of reasoning is going to change that. They have been brainwashed from their youth and they are to afraid to even look at evidence for what ever fear their priests, bishops, cardinals and popes and others have browbeat into them when they were small and innocent. Now they are locked into a false religion whether they like it or not they are to afraid to question anything. They are to afraid to disbelieve in the tooth fairy, santa claus and the easter bunny for fear of going to hell.

Rose42

Interesting. I have some homework to do - looking things up I mean.

Fascinating thing about God's design. From the simplest to the most complex lifeforms it all fits together. The complexities are mind boggling. Climate, the food chain, when animals are born, cyclic plant life...all of it. For those who question the existence of God how could they not use the same skepticism with the big bang theory?

Boo_Boo Loc: Jellystone

Can we move past the anger? I think that we all can especially when we consider that EVERYTHING and everyone serves the purpose of G*d. Try this on for size... when a person stands up and says there is no G*d, you are faced with a decision... a choice. G*d built this into His creations... they could follow His laws and live the way He instructs or go their own way. When your faith is challenged, it is the will of the Father, His way of making you reflect on why you believe and are steadfast. So... why do you get upset at those people who are providing you an opportunity to learn more and defend why you came to make the choice to believe? You should celebrate these people and calmly lay out your views... in the end it makes you stronger, they (those you find dishonest and workers of ill) give you the opportunity to examine yourself.... the will of G*d, not their will or yours, but the Creator who says to teach, to follow, to love, show kindness even to those who wrong you.... your opportunity to shine!

And by the way, there was a real Santa Clause.

bahmer

Thank you Pennylynn I guess that I will now wait by the fireplace on Christmas eve t osee the real Santa Claus even though he has been dead a couple of years now.

Boo_Boo Loc: Jellystone

Saint Nicholas was executed on December 6 around the year 343. But his spirit of love has lived on. And is a person truly dead who is remembered by just one person? For example, your wife has passed.... she sleeps until awaken by G*d..... in your heart, you still love her...so, is she dead to you? Her body is gone, but I bet there are times when you can hear her laugh... and you can close your eyes and see her smile, smell her perfume.... and how many days pass without you remembering her hand in your's? So, Saint Nicholas is physically dead... but, his passions and stories live on. Belief takes the innocence of a child.... miracles are born from belief. Our rational mind will never accept that there is a heaven or hell, but our belief says there is..... recall this, "Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of G*d. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of G*d as a little child shall in no wise enter therein."

bahmer

You are so good at turning things around and placing them back in the lap of the one that has protested I can envision your Papa doing that to you so that you could see more clearly the things that he was teaching you. You would be in his study and possibly complaining about something and his mind would recall something that you said and presto he would turn it around and place it in your lap to deal with and teach you a lesson not soon forgotten either.

Boo_Boo Loc: Jellystone

Indeed, Poppa turned almost everything inside out. He would listen to my complaint and then he would patiently change the scenario and have me examine my own pain or hurt feelings from a new, and often my opponent's, perspective. When we do this, we often find that we can find compassion for someone else even when we do not like what they do or say. We can understand that often their anger is not about you, but rather about something in their own personal life or circumstances. You were simply convenient at the time they are working through their own demons.

bahmer

As I have told you before and you know it as well your papa was a very brilliant man in life's many facets. He had a unique way of looking at life's problems and finding answers where none were though of before a very smart and brilliant man all in one. You very very lucky to have him for your father and even more lucky in some ways as being an only child that way you had his undivided love and patience.

Boo_Boo Loc: Jellystone

I have some real funny bloopers from some of those lessons..... when they backfired. You see, I was his only child but there was usually other kids or families that lived with us while they got back on their feet. Some of those kids did not see my Poppa as the reason the sun came up each morning. Needless to say, they were less receptive to his teachings. I used to wonder what happened to some of those kids....

Boo_Boo Loc: Jellystone

Rose,

You sent me back to the basics and with your permission, I need to add to my response to the date of birth of Jesus. It is highly unlikely that Jesus was born in December or January.
After looking at the temperatures in Bethlehem for December from the early 1900s to today, this time of the year is very wet and for the most part cold. The New Testament gives us few clues. However, the Bible writer Ezra shows that Chislev was indeed a month known for cold and rainy weather. After stating that a crowd had gathered in Jerusalem “in the ninth month [Chislev], on the 20th day of the month,” Ezra reports that people were “shivering . . . because of the heavy rain.” The congregated people themselves said: “It is the rainy season. It is not possible to stand outside.” (Ezra 10:9, 13; Jeremiah 36:22). Flocks would be brought down from the mountains, but shepherds would not be staying all night with them. The stables would be used for their protection at night, not kept in grazing fields.

The Bible reports that shepherds were in the fields tending their flocks on the night of Jesus’ birth. Luke shows that at that time, shepherds were “living out of doors and keeping watch in the night over their flocks” near Bethlehem. (Luke 2:8-12) Notice that the shepherds were actually living out of doors, not just strolling outside during the day.

With this in mind, he may have been born in the late fall or early spring. I am sorry, I can not give you a better response. Perhaps you found more when you did your research.... if so, please share it with us.

bahmer

That is what my studies have come up with as well because of the shepherds being in the fields protecting their flocks and keeping watch over them it had to be a warm season for them to be out of doors like that. So any time between early spring to late fall would work even the summer months I suppose.

Rose42

That's what I found too - there's nothing wrong with your response. I didn't find more than that and I do admit I didn't spend that much time looking either. Just enough to satisfy my curiousity.

Boo_Boo Loc: Jellystone

I often forget that I am in the Northern hemisphere and do not adapt for countries that are closer to the equator or even the Southern hemisphere. And sometimes I over compensate. Old age I guess. I lived in Greece for a time and also spent considerable time near Egypt... the winters are very short, about 6 weeks where it is very cold. But, I do not think the cold is the major issue... it would be the rain. My husband loved to camp out.... and the most miserable trips were during the rainy periods, you just can not get and stay comfortable. And considering we used modem equipment. But, shepherds had animal skins as tents.... imagine a night rolled up in your "skirt" for lack of a better word, made of wool, linen, or animal skins after it became wet... trying to get 40 winks as the wind rips at your shelter. So, agreed.... I would say that this would not be the time they would be sleeping under the stars.