‘Tis the season…

This is a household brimming with Christmas delight – given an injection of excitement this week when Santa visited the boys’ school by helicopter*.

We open the season by putting up the advent calendars for the boys, made & stocked each year by a wonderful Fairy Godmother. On the last evening in November, the Christmas Trunk is opened** and the slow release of Christmas gets underway!

The morning of 1st December is eagerly anticipated.  There’s much joy at the bulging pockets on the calendars, and a quick assessment of which days will yield a chocolate prize!

Luke’s a crafty soul, and starts Advent by decorating his little Christmas tree straight away, and then makes his festive mark anywhere that isn’t expressly forbidden… Apparently*** he got up at 5am during the first week of December to work on his enormously long paper chain ready for when the real tree arrived that weekend.  He’s commited to the creative cause, that’s for sure!

The Knitivity is out now too, though this year even that has been slightly overshadowed by seeing a real live donkey at the Nativity play in the square.

At Christmas, we talk about Jesus bringing light into a lost, dark world.  So our city council are definitely on message!  We’ve made a point of popping in to town to enjoy the Light Festival.  All the more fun because it means a late bedtime of course!

Every year I drive the family to distraction listening to**** ‘Mary did you know‘ a LOT.  This is the version I love – listen to the lyrics!  It’s only recently*****  I really began to consider how the juxtaposition of the pain of birth and the wonder of new life are enough to make a new mum cry, without the added emotional challenge of having the son of God in your arms and wondering what lies around the corner for him!

As we head towards the Christmas holidays, we’re all conscious of the pressure/need to spend time with friends and family, making and building relationships.  As you do this, think of those across our community who are lonely and struggling this season.

God urges us to show love in practical ways.  We’ve made a donation to a local homeless charity in lieu of the cost of cards (and, more importantly, postage!) this year.  We hope you’ll accept this online Christmas greeting instead of festive wishes by post.

Merry Christmas all, from beautiful Killultagh.  As the sun sets on 2019, we send love for all that 2020 may hold.

* I bet you were expecting me to say he came by tractor/horse & cart/cow.
** and a bottle of wine…
*** thankfully, I was in England at the time
**** and singing along in the car, at top volume, with the windows down… an icy wind never did any harm!?
***** well, mostly today, after the brilliant sermon by Danielle, the Curate at Lisburn Cathedral, which you might find here (and if you do, I urge you to listen to her)