I'm going to be honest: I've had a bad day. One of those days where everything goes wrong, and it all gets exponentially worse with each new frustrating event. One of those days where you eat popcorn and chocolate for dinner (and talk yourself out of having a second soda).
Yet I keep reminding myself over and over of two things. First: God is good, and no matter how bad things seem to be, He's on the other side making it all work out for the best. Second, these words I found on Pinterest a few days ago:
She rolled over,
buried half her face
in her pillow,
and smiled
slightly.
It was then,
the overwhelming
realization washed over me
that there is
so much more
to life
than simply
surviving it.
As things seem to be delving into chaos all around me, and I'm caught in the whirlwind of moving, starting school, trying to transfer, and applying for scholarships, I feel like I've just been trying to survive. As a result, I have missed a lot of the good in my life. Sure, today was difficult, but what about His blessings? Sunshine, chocolate, forgiveness for every stupid decision I make, and Netflix.
My resolution for the month of August (remember monthly resolutions?) is to remember that there is more to life than just survival. Even when things are hectic and difficult, God has given me so many blessings to get me through it all--and I should stop to enjoy them.
Note: I know no author to which the above words can be ascribed. I take no credit for them, and recognize the author to be "anonymous". If you happen to know who the author is, let me know!
8.12.2014
8.04.2014
Throwback Monday
Yeah, I went there. I just wanted to revisit one of my favorite posts, Deep Thoughts Before 7, from about a year ago. There's a section I still really love. Here it is.
In class we were reading Descartes, where he decides to eliminate everything he believes to be true until he can't anymore, and thus find the one thing he can be certain of, and he starts it off by saying, "I've come to the perfect point in my life where I can start the careful and methodical process of completely doubting everything I believe and disassembling my entire life and existence." It always made me laugh, imagining that there could ever be a time for that. But I think that's a bit like what I'm doing now. I don't know if we can pick that time for ourselves--it seems to be sort of thrust upon us.
I think one of the worst things about being awake so early is every ten minutes I feel like I should be eating something. Like it's almost 7 now, and I've eaten a bowl and half of cereal, but now it feels like I should make toast, or be eating doughnuts (which we don't have) or waffles. Maybe eggs. It's like my body is continually confused by the daylight around me and the way my day is progressing. Like my life. Ooh, deep thoughts to have before 7 am. They're like the thoughts you have at 3 in the morning, but you can actually put some stock in them, because it's light outside and you can see clearly.
Something else I've been considering lately is that I never finish my cup of coffee in the morning (or at 7 pm). I always intend to finish it, and get so close, but I drink it slowly, and then I either have no time to finish it, or it gets cold, and I dislike microwaved coffee, so half of my coffee goes down the drain. What does that say about me? Maybe I'm going too deep for this early in the morning. I read into things too much: my coffee-drinking habits probably don't say a lot about my mental state or personality. It's like the coffee-drinking habits are a statement on society, like modern art. You have to look really close to see the resemblance, and at that point you wonder if there was any point to it in the first place. Society is the way it is, whether you understand the statement about it or not.
Yeah, I'm definitely going too deep.
In class we were reading Descartes, where he decides to eliminate everything he believes to be true until he can't anymore, and thus find the one thing he can be certain of, and he starts it off by saying, "I've come to the perfect point in my life where I can start the careful and methodical process of completely doubting everything I believe and disassembling my entire life and existence." It always made me laugh, imagining that there could ever be a time for that. But I think that's a bit like what I'm doing now. I don't know if we can pick that time for ourselves--it seems to be sort of thrust upon us.
I think one of the worst things about being awake so early is every ten minutes I feel like I should be eating something. Like it's almost 7 now, and I've eaten a bowl and half of cereal, but now it feels like I should make toast, or be eating doughnuts (which we don't have) or waffles. Maybe eggs. It's like my body is continually confused by the daylight around me and the way my day is progressing. Like my life. Ooh, deep thoughts to have before 7 am. They're like the thoughts you have at 3 in the morning, but you can actually put some stock in them, because it's light outside and you can see clearly.
Something else I've been considering lately is that I never finish my cup of coffee in the morning (or at 7 pm). I always intend to finish it, and get so close, but I drink it slowly, and then I either have no time to finish it, or it gets cold, and I dislike microwaved coffee, so half of my coffee goes down the drain. What does that say about me? Maybe I'm going too deep for this early in the morning. I read into things too much: my coffee-drinking habits probably don't say a lot about my mental state or personality. It's like the coffee-drinking habits are a statement on society, like modern art. You have to look really close to see the resemblance, and at that point you wonder if there was any point to it in the first place. Society is the way it is, whether you understand the statement about it or not.
Yeah, I'm definitely going too deep.
It's Good to Be Back
Hello again, fellow Internet-dwellers. It has been a while, hasn't it? This is my "first" post of 2014. I have a few drafts from this year that I have either not published or removed, because they were just bad, so this is the first post! It's all very exciting, isn't it?
Quick update on my life: I have graduated high school, leave for college in about three weeks, and my life has basically been taken up with scholarships, movies, work, and Teen Wolf. Yes, you read that correctly. In the last two weeks my mom, brother, honorary sister and I have binge-watched all 3.5 seasons of Teen Wolf. That's about 54 episodes, mind you. Impressive? Yes. Sad? Maybe. Now, before you judge me, I must inform you that it is a surprisingly good show. And this is coming from someone who (if you'll pardon my arrogance for two seconds) has good taste in TV shows.
The first season or two is very cheesy, and doesn't have the best writing or acting. Granted. Yet the show has evolved greatly, both in creativity and quality of writing, acting, and chemistry between the actors. It is just so much fun to watch, and Dylan O'Brien is a fabulously brilliant actor (keep an eye on that one; if his Twitter mentions are any indication, he's going to be a massive star one day). It doesn't hurt that everyone in the show is beautiful, either. So if you're looking for something to tide you over until Doctor Who (the 23rd!), I'd say give Teen Wolf a shot. It's free to watch on Amazon Prime Instant Video, and season 4 is currently airing.
Since it has been months since I've posted, I'll give you all a few more recommendations. Guardians of the Galaxy, in theaters, is brilliant. It's the funniest Marvel movie to date. Stuck In Love is one of my favorite movies of all time, and has a brilliant soundtrack. Masterpiece Mystery's Endeavour, which is a sort of spin-off of Inspector Lewis, and based on the Inspetor Morse novels by Colin Dexter, is well worth a watch, as well. It's like Sherlock, in that each episode is about an hour and a half long, but they're very smart, very entertaining, and oh-so-British. (Also, Sherlock Season 3. Can I get an "OHMYGOSH"?)
As far as music goes, I am loving The Fault in Our Stars soundtrack right now (also a brilliant movie). Alt-J and The Smiths are my new favorite artists. Alt-J is a sort of weird alternative electronic band (reminiscent of Sigur Ros, only not Icelandic) and The Smiths are like an emo 80s version of the Beatles.
My life mostly consists of dragging my feet on scholarships, waiting for the next episode of Teen Wolf, and looking forward to Doctor Who and school starting. My hope is to blog more frequently, and have more developed and structured content, since I have oh-so-many thoughts on oh-so-many things.
In the meantime, follow me on Twitter (@vamp1reslayr) for random thoughts and retweets from other, much cleverer, people. Toodles!
Quick update on my life: I have graduated high school, leave for college in about three weeks, and my life has basically been taken up with scholarships, movies, work, and Teen Wolf. Yes, you read that correctly. In the last two weeks my mom, brother, honorary sister and I have binge-watched all 3.5 seasons of Teen Wolf. That's about 54 episodes, mind you. Impressive? Yes. Sad? Maybe. Now, before you judge me, I must inform you that it is a surprisingly good show. And this is coming from someone who (if you'll pardon my arrogance for two seconds) has good taste in TV shows.
The first season or two is very cheesy, and doesn't have the best writing or acting. Granted. Yet the show has evolved greatly, both in creativity and quality of writing, acting, and chemistry between the actors. It is just so much fun to watch, and Dylan O'Brien is a fabulously brilliant actor (keep an eye on that one; if his Twitter mentions are any indication, he's going to be a massive star one day). It doesn't hurt that everyone in the show is beautiful, either. So if you're looking for something to tide you over until Doctor Who (the 23rd!), I'd say give Teen Wolf a shot. It's free to watch on Amazon Prime Instant Video, and season 4 is currently airing.
Since it has been months since I've posted, I'll give you all a few more recommendations. Guardians of the Galaxy, in theaters, is brilliant. It's the funniest Marvel movie to date. Stuck In Love is one of my favorite movies of all time, and has a brilliant soundtrack. Masterpiece Mystery's Endeavour, which is a sort of spin-off of Inspector Lewis, and based on the Inspetor Morse novels by Colin Dexter, is well worth a watch, as well. It's like Sherlock, in that each episode is about an hour and a half long, but they're very smart, very entertaining, and oh-so-British. (Also, Sherlock Season 3. Can I get an "OHMYGOSH"?)
As far as music goes, I am loving The Fault in Our Stars soundtrack right now (also a brilliant movie). Alt-J and The Smiths are my new favorite artists. Alt-J is a sort of weird alternative electronic band (reminiscent of Sigur Ros, only not Icelandic) and The Smiths are like an emo 80s version of the Beatles.
My life mostly consists of dragging my feet on scholarships, waiting for the next episode of Teen Wolf, and looking forward to Doctor Who and school starting. My hope is to blog more frequently, and have more developed and structured content, since I have oh-so-many thoughts on oh-so-many things.
In the meantime, follow me on Twitter (@vamp1reslayr) for random thoughts and retweets from other, much cleverer, people. Toodles!
12.31.2013
2014
2014: The year when I turn 18, graduate high school, earn my Associate's Degree, and begin working on my Bachelor's Degree. Theoretically, it should be a fantastic year.
And it's strange, because I don't know if it's like this every year (I became more socially aware this year...that is, I joined Twitter), but everyone claims that 2014 will be the best year yet. My favorite comment is by musical artist BriBry, who tweeted that "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke was voted the best song of 2013, which is proof that 2014 will be better. Which I appreciate, because I despise "Blurred Lines."
But at any rate, I am pretty happy that 2013 is over. There were some good moments, but I am so done with this year. And I'm ready to start my life, even if that means a lot more responsibility and difficult choices...it feels like I'm on the brink of the rest of my life, and adulthood, and that's exciting, even if it's a little bit scary. Terrifying, really.
So with that in mind, I lay forth my resolutions. No, I am not doing resolutions for the entire year. This year, I decided to try something different: resolutions by month. That way, it's easier to tackle a few things at a time, and that the goals/resolutions can evolve and progress with me, throughout the year. My resolutions for the month of January are as follows:
1. Take better care of myself
-Floss and brush so consistently I put my dentist to shame
-Eat regularly, and eat less junk food
2. Achieve my forensics goals
-Work on my time management during my speeches
-Perfect my humor
-Focus less on the less round, and more on the upcoming one
3. GET STUFF DONE
-FAFSA complete
-Scholarship or two a week? Ideally?
-Write 5,000 words in my book. (You didn't see that, and I'm not talking about it)
-Finish Christmas presents for friends (Yes, I'm a failure at presents)
So those are my three for the month of January. Hopefully, I will remember to do this at the beginning/end of every month.
Happy new year!
EDIT: If I do have a resolution for this year, it would have to be to stop and enjoy everything going on. There's going to be a lot going on this year, but I don't want to get caught up in the stress and craziness and all of the things, and totally miss out on one of the best times of my life.
And it's strange, because I don't know if it's like this every year (I became more socially aware this year...that is, I joined Twitter), but everyone claims that 2014 will be the best year yet. My favorite comment is by musical artist BriBry, who tweeted that "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke was voted the best song of 2013, which is proof that 2014 will be better. Which I appreciate, because I despise "Blurred Lines."
But at any rate, I am pretty happy that 2013 is over. There were some good moments, but I am so done with this year. And I'm ready to start my life, even if that means a lot more responsibility and difficult choices...it feels like I'm on the brink of the rest of my life, and adulthood, and that's exciting, even if it's a little bit scary. Terrifying, really.
So with that in mind, I lay forth my resolutions. No, I am not doing resolutions for the entire year. This year, I decided to try something different: resolutions by month. That way, it's easier to tackle a few things at a time, and that the goals/resolutions can evolve and progress with me, throughout the year. My resolutions for the month of January are as follows:
1. Take better care of myself
-Floss and brush so consistently I put my dentist to shame
-Eat regularly, and eat less junk food
2. Achieve my forensics goals
-Work on my time management during my speeches
-Perfect my humor
-Focus less on the less round, and more on the upcoming one
3. GET STUFF DONE
-FAFSA complete
-Scholarship or two a week? Ideally?
-Write 5,000 words in my book. (You didn't see that, and I'm not talking about it)
-Finish Christmas presents for friends (Yes, I'm a failure at presents)
So those are my three for the month of January. Hopefully, I will remember to do this at the beginning/end of every month.
Happy new year!
EDIT: If I do have a resolution for this year, it would have to be to stop and enjoy everything going on. There's going to be a lot going on this year, but I don't want to get caught up in the stress and craziness and all of the things, and totally miss out on one of the best times of my life.
12.29.2013
Register for free on @CollegeXpress and I can win some money!
Register for free on @CollegeXpress and I can win some money! #scholarships #college
College Xpress is helpful for finding scholarships! I get an entry to win $500 in scholarships for every person who registers through my link. Help me out?
College Xpress is helpful for finding scholarships! I get an entry to win $500 in scholarships for every person who registers through my link. Help me out?
12.19.2013
Lessons from a Long Semester
I have finished the semester. I actually finished my semester ten days ago, but I've been ridiculously busy doing a lot of nothing since then.
But I thought I would blog about what I've learned over the course of this semester, since I've learned a lot. Maybe some of them will help you if you ever have a 17-credit semester while maintaining a part-time job.
First: Staying up super late becomes a habit very quickly.
I had thought that when I didn't have to stay up super late every night to do homework, I would go to bed at 9:30 or 10 every night, and be responsible, and get super rested, etc. Nope. Actually, I've been staying up about as late as I used to, just sleeping in longer in the mornings. It's strange if I'm in bed before 11, and not altogether unusual for it to be after midnight before I turn out the lights. All this to say, maintaining healthy sleeping habits as much as possible is a good idea, because it becomes a very difficult habit to break, and one which I'm sure will end up costing me next semester, when I can't sleep til 10 or 11 in the morning every day.
Second: Make lists.
Sometimes lists can stress people out, but lists are a good way to make sure you don't forget anything. If you have a list down of everything you need to do (even little things like emailing your forensics coach) is a good idea. Even better? Write down how much time each thing will take. It's easy to become overwhelmed when there are twenty things on your list, but when ten of those things take two minutes each, it's easier to handle.
Third: Pick TV shows and movies you've already seen.
Now this applies to only certain people. It was my favorite part of this semester, actually. I watched a lot of TV and movies this semester. I either watched them when I was upstairs with my family, with my laptop in front of me, or let it play background on my laptop while I wrote papers. If you are like me, and can't work with complete silence, then play things in the background! Don't listen to scientists with their crap about multi-tasking! Multi-task if it helps you think. Chances are, you'll stop paying attention to your movie or music, allowing you to focus on your paper, but the very existence of the background sound will help keep your brain quiet. Watching things you've already seen helps you focus better, because you already know what happens. Also, it can help if you watch certain things while you do certain subjects, like for studying, because you'll relate the two. As an example, I did really well during my economics class because I binge-watched Veronica Mars while I did my homework, so I permanently associated the two, helping me remember better.
Fourth: Plan at least one day a month on which to go do something fun.
Take the day off of work, ignore your homework, and go to lunch, go to a movie, hang out with friends. Get out of the house, and let yourself breathe for a little while. I only planned one of these, and I really should have done more. But I loved that day, because it felt so good to just let yourself be irresponsible for once, and not let yourself feel guilty about it. Bonus points if you make a rule with your friends to not talk about school.
Fifth: Listen to your friends and family.
Half of them have really good advice. The other half are in it with you. Listen to their advice. If they say you're making a mountain out of a molehill, you probably are (list-making helps with that). If they say you need a break, take a break. The best advice they'll give you is to sleep--that one is the one you need to listen to most of all, because sleep deprivation isn't good for anyone. The people who are in it with you are probably more likely to be okay with listening to the list of all the things you have to do, and they might be in the same situation you are. They have probably also figured out tricks for dealing with their own craziness. If nothing else, you can threaten each other if you don't finish your homework.
Sixth (and finally): Go to people who know.
We all know one person who is awesome. We like to think of them as perfect human beings. They're the ones who took eight classes, had a job, and competed in four different sports, all at once. And somehow didn't lose their minds. Ask their advice. That was the best thing I did this entire semester. I asked my friend Maddi (love you friend), and she had some really good advice which really helped me (hint: TV shows and list-making with time estimates--sound familiar?). If nothing else, they can encourage you that the world will not end, and you will feel SO GOOD when the semester is over.
So this semester is finally over, and I have maintained my weighted 4.0 GPA, and am happily looking forward to my 13-credit semester (I'm taking French 2, Geology, Jazz Dance, and Ethics--dare I say, best semester ever?) and spending lots of time on forensics. I made it through this semester, and ultimately the greatest thing I learned is not to doubt God. My sanity is intact because of Him, and His faithfulness. So I'd say, if you ever feel overwhelmed, don't discount the awesome ability of God to get you through whatever you're going through. Praise the Lord it's all over!!!
BTW, I got my first acceptance letter!
But I thought I would blog about what I've learned over the course of this semester, since I've learned a lot. Maybe some of them will help you if you ever have a 17-credit semester while maintaining a part-time job.
First: Staying up super late becomes a habit very quickly.
I had thought that when I didn't have to stay up super late every night to do homework, I would go to bed at 9:30 or 10 every night, and be responsible, and get super rested, etc. Nope. Actually, I've been staying up about as late as I used to, just sleeping in longer in the mornings. It's strange if I'm in bed before 11, and not altogether unusual for it to be after midnight before I turn out the lights. All this to say, maintaining healthy sleeping habits as much as possible is a good idea, because it becomes a very difficult habit to break, and one which I'm sure will end up costing me next semester, when I can't sleep til 10 or 11 in the morning every day.
Second: Make lists.
Sometimes lists can stress people out, but lists are a good way to make sure you don't forget anything. If you have a list down of everything you need to do (even little things like emailing your forensics coach) is a good idea. Even better? Write down how much time each thing will take. It's easy to become overwhelmed when there are twenty things on your list, but when ten of those things take two minutes each, it's easier to handle.
Third: Pick TV shows and movies you've already seen.
Now this applies to only certain people. It was my favorite part of this semester, actually. I watched a lot of TV and movies this semester. I either watched them when I was upstairs with my family, with my laptop in front of me, or let it play background on my laptop while I wrote papers. If you are like me, and can't work with complete silence, then play things in the background! Don't listen to scientists with their crap about multi-tasking! Multi-task if it helps you think. Chances are, you'll stop paying attention to your movie or music, allowing you to focus on your paper, but the very existence of the background sound will help keep your brain quiet. Watching things you've already seen helps you focus better, because you already know what happens. Also, it can help if you watch certain things while you do certain subjects, like for studying, because you'll relate the two. As an example, I did really well during my economics class because I binge-watched Veronica Mars while I did my homework, so I permanently associated the two, helping me remember better.
Fourth: Plan at least one day a month on which to go do something fun.
Take the day off of work, ignore your homework, and go to lunch, go to a movie, hang out with friends. Get out of the house, and let yourself breathe for a little while. I only planned one of these, and I really should have done more. But I loved that day, because it felt so good to just let yourself be irresponsible for once, and not let yourself feel guilty about it. Bonus points if you make a rule with your friends to not talk about school.
Fifth: Listen to your friends and family.
Half of them have really good advice. The other half are in it with you. Listen to their advice. If they say you're making a mountain out of a molehill, you probably are (list-making helps with that). If they say you need a break, take a break. The best advice they'll give you is to sleep--that one is the one you need to listen to most of all, because sleep deprivation isn't good for anyone. The people who are in it with you are probably more likely to be okay with listening to the list of all the things you have to do, and they might be in the same situation you are. They have probably also figured out tricks for dealing with their own craziness. If nothing else, you can threaten each other if you don't finish your homework.
Sixth (and finally): Go to people who know.
We all know one person who is awesome. We like to think of them as perfect human beings. They're the ones who took eight classes, had a job, and competed in four different sports, all at once. And somehow didn't lose their minds. Ask their advice. That was the best thing I did this entire semester. I asked my friend Maddi (love you friend), and she had some really good advice which really helped me (hint: TV shows and list-making with time estimates--sound familiar?). If nothing else, they can encourage you that the world will not end, and you will feel SO GOOD when the semester is over.
So this semester is finally over, and I have maintained my weighted 4.0 GPA, and am happily looking forward to my 13-credit semester (I'm taking French 2, Geology, Jazz Dance, and Ethics--dare I say, best semester ever?) and spending lots of time on forensics. I made it through this semester, and ultimately the greatest thing I learned is not to doubt God. My sanity is intact because of Him, and His faithfulness. So I'd say, if you ever feel overwhelmed, don't discount the awesome ability of God to get you through whatever you're going through. Praise the Lord it's all over!!!
BTW, I got my first acceptance letter!
Christmas Clarification
I was looking through the IMDb page for A Charlie Brown Christmas when I stumbled upon the reviews for the special. I was interested how people would take it, since there is a part of the special when Linus quotes the book of Luke from the Bible, and says that the birth of Christ is what Christmas is all about.
Most of the reviews were positive, saying that the Christmas special was part of Christmas, and was so important, and a tradition for their family, etc. At the very bottom, were six or seven negative reviews, which said basically the same thing: Charlie Brown Christmas promotes Christian propaganda by falsely claiming that Christmas is about the birth of Christ, which is entirely false.
Um, no. Let me explain.
Yes, before the birth of Christ, there were celebrations during the period we typically think of as the "Christmas season"--the problem is, they weren't Christmas. They were the Saturnalia, or other Greek, Norse, and Roman rituals which involved idol worship, blatant sexuality, and general drunkenness and debauchery. We do get lots of traditions from these celebrations--Yule logs, Christmas trees, and kissing under the mistletoe, to name a few. They were not, however, Christmas.
Christmas didn't come until many years later. It was originally created as a religious feast by the Catholic Church to celebrate the birth of Christ. Hence the name: Christmas=Christ's mass. Here's where many people tend to get confused. Though Christ was probably born in what we now call March or April, the Church chose to celebrate his birth in December--specifically, the last day of Saturnalia, on the 25th. Why? Because they hoped to shift the general populace's focus from general debauchery and sin to Christ and His coming. By choosing a day which the general populace was familiar with already for something the Church believed was negative, they hoped to change the focus to a positive one.
Basically, yes, there are winter celebrations which historically have occurred during the month of December, but no--these were not Christmas. Christmas as a holiday--the reason we celebrate it the way we do (and not with naked singing in the streets and mass orgies)--is because of the Catholic Church trying to change the focus to God. Whether you acknowledge that bit of history or not (and an increasing number of people choose not to) it's still not valid to claim that the true meaning of Christmas, and the reason behind it, isn't a religious one. I will never claim that Christmas can only be celebrated by Christians, but I disagree strongly with those who try to claim that Christians have made Christmas into another opportunity to push Christian propaganda.
However you feel about Christmas and the existence of Christ, I do wish you the very best Christmas season, and hope to continue blogging in the new year--hopefully more frequently.
By the way, my sources include (beyond my own knowledge) the History Channel website, and CNN. Googling the history of Christmas should give you some good, legitimate sites to increase your understanding, if you're interested in learning more about this holiday. If you find anything which contradicts what I have said, please let me know! I'm always open to learning more.
Merry Christmas!
Most of the reviews were positive, saying that the Christmas special was part of Christmas, and was so important, and a tradition for their family, etc. At the very bottom, were six or seven negative reviews, which said basically the same thing: Charlie Brown Christmas promotes Christian propaganda by falsely claiming that Christmas is about the birth of Christ, which is entirely false.
Um, no. Let me explain.
Yes, before the birth of Christ, there were celebrations during the period we typically think of as the "Christmas season"--the problem is, they weren't Christmas. They were the Saturnalia, or other Greek, Norse, and Roman rituals which involved idol worship, blatant sexuality, and general drunkenness and debauchery. We do get lots of traditions from these celebrations--Yule logs, Christmas trees, and kissing under the mistletoe, to name a few. They were not, however, Christmas.
Christmas didn't come until many years later. It was originally created as a religious feast by the Catholic Church to celebrate the birth of Christ. Hence the name: Christmas=Christ's mass. Here's where many people tend to get confused. Though Christ was probably born in what we now call March or April, the Church chose to celebrate his birth in December--specifically, the last day of Saturnalia, on the 25th. Why? Because they hoped to shift the general populace's focus from general debauchery and sin to Christ and His coming. By choosing a day which the general populace was familiar with already for something the Church believed was negative, they hoped to change the focus to a positive one.
Basically, yes, there are winter celebrations which historically have occurred during the month of December, but no--these were not Christmas. Christmas as a holiday--the reason we celebrate it the way we do (and not with naked singing in the streets and mass orgies)--is because of the Catholic Church trying to change the focus to God. Whether you acknowledge that bit of history or not (and an increasing number of people choose not to) it's still not valid to claim that the true meaning of Christmas, and the reason behind it, isn't a religious one. I will never claim that Christmas can only be celebrated by Christians, but I disagree strongly with those who try to claim that Christians have made Christmas into another opportunity to push Christian propaganda.
However you feel about Christmas and the existence of Christ, I do wish you the very best Christmas season, and hope to continue blogging in the new year--hopefully more frequently.
By the way, my sources include (beyond my own knowledge) the History Channel website, and CNN. Googling the history of Christmas should give you some good, legitimate sites to increase your understanding, if you're interested in learning more about this holiday. If you find anything which contradicts what I have said, please let me know! I'm always open to learning more.
Merry Christmas!
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