We've Got Charlie Brown Beat.(but arguably not by much)

Last week's cutting down of the evergreen tree outside our gate coincided nicely with the beginning of our Christmas celebrations with Micah and Grace. And so, taking advantage of the downed timber, Andrea slipped out of our gate on the morning a neighbor man had been appointed to chop it up and haul it away. She offered to help take one branch off of his hands, he amiably agreed and she dragged in a medium-sized branch, which Micah and I later manicured to create our 2013 Christmas tree (or, as it has been more appropriately titled, the "Christmas branch"). But I have to admit, it doesn't look half bad propped in the corner of our room, many thanks for Lumi's newly acquired Christmas lights and ornaments (which she bought off of a colleague who left Ethiopia last summer). Oh, and the masterpiece is topped off with a string of green and purple lights sent to us by grandma and grandpa just a few weeks ago. Don't look too closely or you might notice that the bulbs are spooky spiders, likely not designed to adorn a Christmas tree! Despite all its faults, I'd say our Halloween-infested two-dimensional Christmas "tree" has got Charlie Brown's limp little twig beat, but you can be the judge.

The tree (or branch) really adds to the Christmas "spirit" we are trying to build as we (mostly Andrea) are leading Micah (and somewhat Grace) through a daily advent activity. More on that in a later blog…

I do have to admit, however, there is something really nice about having a Christmas tree shining brightly in the corner of an otherwise darkened room. I suppose I could launch into a mini-sermon about it being a symbol of hope amidst despair, of truth among lies, or of vibrant life in a world overcome by death, but even more than that, I appreciate the twinkling lights, dancing off the evergreen branch in the corner of my living room for how they stir up in me the unconscious memories of special times together with family, enjoying holiday traditions as together we remembered and celebrated the Word taking on flesh!