Dreaming of a White Christmas

One of my Christmas gifts this year came a little early. Late yesterday afternoon as we were preparing for Christmas Eve dinner and church later, a perfect "snow globe" snow started falling just before dusk. It snowed on into the night and left a perfect white world which lasted through Christmas morning. It has melted away now, but has made for a perfect Christmas day, since I truly have been "dreaming of a white Christmas" - especially since we haven't seen snow all month! Sometimes, God gives us gifts we don't even ask Him for. He just knows. Just as we delight to give our children the things they delight in, He takes joy in lavishing love on us. Merry Christmas!

O Christmas Tree...

Last night, we decorated our Christmas tree, and I think Isaac and Joel managed to have fun in spite of my resolve to have a "pretty" tree, and Peter's valiant efforts to protect all ornaments from being broken by tiny hands. It's fun to make traditions, and important to make traditions, but I can't help wondering what our traditions will look like in the coming years. Will there be Christmas trees in Brazil? Will my kids grow up thinking that it "just doesn't feel like Christmas" when there's snow on the ground and it's not 90 degrees? It's bittersweet for me to think of leaving life here behind to some extent, but also the opportunity to make new traditions. And maybe a new setting will give our family new ways to celebrate and emphasize the most important Tradition of all - to center Christmas not around trees and caroling and cookies, but around Christ. Much to think about this Christmas season.