Hunting the Live Christmas Tree

I usually love to get the Christmas tree up right after Thanksgiving - it means we get to enjoy it longer! This year, we waited until our two college girls got home after finals before going to cut our tree. Because Amy wasn't with us, it just didn't feel quite right. One day, I hope she lives close enough to get in on these family traditions again. (Are you reading this, Peanut?)

I love a real, live Oregon noble fir! I heard about a tree farm not too far from our house (thanks Katy!) that sells only nobles and every tree is $25! So we braved the cold temps (it was 24 degrees - yikes) and tromped through the tree farm, hunting for the perfect Christmas tree.

Well, I'm sure you'd like to see how our tree looked once we got it in the stand, in the house and all decorated, right?

I L-O-V-E Christmas. The music. The lights. The time together. This year I'm wanting so much to L-O-V-E the One who loves me. I've been reading 1 John in the mornings.

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!

And that is what we are! 1 John 3:1

Do I really grasp how much God loves me? Christmas is His lavish demonstration of love. God - because He couldn't bear the thought of me having to suffer the consequences of my own selfish pride - came to earth in human skin, was born in blood and pain, all the time destined to die in the same way.

For me.

He came in ultimate, real, lived-out love.

Chosen love.

Chosen to be His child.

Adopted into His family.

Heir to all that He has.

It's fantastic, over-the-top, unconditional LOVE.

Those are the 'wonders of His love' I'm singing about this year!