Christmas Countdown 2010 - Dec 3

Don't Miss Christmas

I couldn't help but notice a couple of things today in the normal course of events. Here they are:

* did some quick shopping during my lunch break, along with half of Iredell County. As I was strolling out the door, I caught a bit of the song that was playing in the background. "Christ, the Savior is born...Christ, the Savior is born". I stopped for a moment and just marveled at that truth. The gospel being sung and heard in your local store, and I wondered how many paid no attention to it at all. And how many times I have done the same.

* three words: Christmas in Davidson. Friends and festivities in a somewhat Bedford Falls-ish setting. Can't beat that. As we sat through a simple live nativity storytelling time done by one of the local churches, complete with an actual camel and donkeys, I was again struck by the simple yet amazing words that were read and sung. With kids intently looking to see if the baby was real or just a doll, and William asking me to go see the camel again, I noticed that the sound system being used in the parking lot was able to pick up much of the general hub-bub and background noise that the setting provided. And in the midst of it all, there again was the truth of a Savior come to save His people from their sins. Amazing.

So notice that the truth is around us. Don't miss Christmas.

Christmas Countdown 2010 - Dec 2

Decorating the Tree!

Random thoughts about how the Christmas tree gets decorated in these here parts...

1 - since our tree is usually a little Charlie Brown-ish, the picture at left is all that I will post. Needless to say, this year that particular ornament got put near the bottom of the tree.

2 - you know how sometimes when you are a kid, you say to yourself "I am never going to do that when I get older"? And then sometimes you don't but sometimes you do it anyway? Well, one thing that I WILL NEVER DO is put those little iddy biddy silver icicle thingies on a Christmas tree. Maybe it was the time spent painstakingly taking each strand out of storage and placing it equally around all portions of the tree as a child. Maybe it was my sense of laziness that accompanied that particular step in the Christmas prep process. But something years ago gave me the strong desire to NOT use that form of decorations. Proud to say that I have lived up to this one and always will. And let's not even go there regarding having to take them all off the tree and back in storage for another year!

3 - key factor in tree decorating is placement of the tree in relation to the window. Must see yuletide cheer in light form when coming home from work. Our children are well-trained on making sure the lights are on for this to happen.

4 - the 'under the tree' stockpile grows at a decent clip here with two December birthdays in the household.

5 - you kids have fun on your 'lets-go-cut-down-our-own-tree-and-haul-it-home' outing. Been there, done that (and it was fun). But we've resigned ourselves to just getting the box out of the storage area in the garage. Pre-lit, baby!

6 - what to put at the top of the tree? In the past, we've had angels, the cross, a bell one year I think... This year it's a mistletoe sprig.

7 - ah, the Christmas tree...a great opportunity to sing 'O Tannenbaum'...auf Deutsch nachturlich!