One Week...

 

until Christmas Eve!  I'm excited, are you?

I am hoping my poor tree lasts until Christmas!  It is DRY....

You know, we have a tree every year because it is our family tradition.  I love to decorate it and have the lights add a special glow in the house, during these months when the sun sets early and the nights are cold and dark.  It adds to our sense of celebration!  And celebrate we do!  For us, we celebrate Jesus's birth.  

As Kyle says "We don't need the tree or lights to celebrate Jesus's birth" but we like them! We also like singing Christmas Carols and baking special cookies, we like buying gifts for each other.  It's fun.  For us we like to give gifts that will be special to the person to honor the Greatest gift.

We have friends who don't really celebrate in the way we do.  That's not a problem for them or us - we still really like each other.  They don't get upset when they come to our house and we have a tree, nor do we take offense that they don't have one.

We have two birthdays and an anniversary in our family during the week between Christmas Eve and January 2nd.  We really celebrate at this time of year!  For Christmas we do focus on Jesus -  as we do all year long - but we take this time set aside to celebrate His Advent - His coming.

We are so thankful for His coming.  It changed the world, by changing the hearts of those receive Him!

We should be shouting "Joy To The World!"  

Joy to the World , the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

 We are celebrating here, how about you?