SOME FAVORITE PHOTOS OF THE SEASON

My daughter as "The Spirit of Winter"

Beautiful Trees 

The AEP & Family

"These Are A Few of My Favorite Things"

From our house to yours - I hope you are having a merry Christmas-time wherever you may be!

Here are a few things (in no particular order) that make my Christmas bright:

SOME FAVORITE MUSIC 

Vince Guaraldi's "Charlie Brown Christmas" - I've spent many late nights listening to this while working on a big Christmas show that I used to produce.

Donna Summer's "Christmas Spirit" - I was not so much of fan of Donna's earlier disco stuff, but on this project - the woman can SANG!  She "tears it up" - in a worshipful, holiday sort of way!

Enya's "And Winter Came" - A new family favorite this year from the lady who sings/plays all 500 tracks on a song by herself.  This is alot like her other albums, but lends a nice backdrop for home activities.

PANETTONE!

This Italian fruit-bread is great toasted with a good cup of joe.

My wife usually gets one of these for me early each December.

To me it says "Christmas Time is here".

DECORATING

I love decking out our house, our church,  my wife's school - wherever -  for Christmas.  God seems to have given me a knack for it, and it's part of how I say "Happy Birthday" to Jesus.

YANKEE CANDLES

Man!  I think they have about 20 new scents for this year!  My kids and I like to waste time smelling and critiquing the scents at the Yankee Store.  This year, we're using "Mandarin-Cranberry" at our house.

SNOW! (See photo)

We get about 2 decent snows here in Tennessee each year, so we get really excited about snow - especially around Christmas!

MY KIDS! (See photo)

Sweetest children in the world - my kids!  (I know you'll beg to differ, but it's true!)  Seeing Christmas through their eyes brings out the kid in me.  It's wonderful to be able to pass down our faith and traditions to our kids at Christmas.

CHRISTMAS MUSICALS

I have a love/hate relationship with them.  I been involved with them my whole life in some way.  They are wonderful, but if you're in one, it can kill you - time & energy-wise.  I used to produce the "Christmas @ the Ryman" Show for my old employer, but thanks to the accountants who guard the bottom line, those days are gone.  I hope that you are able to celebrate through a moving Christmas Musical this year.

JESUS CAME.

The Bible says Jesus came "In the fullness of time".  I wish I really knew what that meant. I have pondered that for a long time.  For me - I  know that Jesus meets me at the time of my need, "just as I am" as the old song says.

Mind boggling - The KING of the universe choosing to come to us through a simple young girl - in a smelly stable.  So confounding, yet, so approachable to everyone.  Jesus came as the ultimate gift from God to us.

WITH ALL THESE THINGS AND THROUGH ALL THESE THINGS WE CELEBRATE!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!