In the air there’s a feeling of Christmas

It’s been a wonderful, busy, going-by-too-fast Christmas season so far in the Burns’ home.  As soon as Thanksgiving was over, we cut down our noble fir and decorated it before our youngest headed out on the highway back to Montana (this time with new studded snow tires – thank you Lord). 

How we missed having Amy, Ray, Lisa and Hadley home for Thanksgiving but it has made looking forward to a full house at Christmas even more sweet!  The photo above is Haddykins at a local Santa event in Enumclaw where her daddy is a firefighter and got to play Santa Claus in the town parade.  Doesn’t she look excited to be with Blitzen?  I wouldn’t be surprised if she buried her face in his neck (as she often does with her own reindeer-sized doggie).

The first weekend of December was a Jubilee weekend when Karen and Liane came down from Tacoma to stay with us.  We went to the Women of Faith event in Portland.  This was taken on the first night from our seats in outer space.

You can see that there were lots of empty seats so we got to move down a little closer on Saturday morning…

MUCH better. Except now we were seated next to three women wearing homemade tutus and carrying light-up wands who had to pass in front of us multiple times that day to use the bathroom, get snacks or just stretch their legs.  This is understandable but the fact that they had covered themselves with glitter made their passing unforgettable.  (They explained to Liane that the reason they wore tutus was to remain in a child-like, teachable state for the conference.)

We also celebrated Liane’s 29th birthday at an old favorite Italian restaurant- Giovanni’s.

I am a selfie-taking failure.

This last week I was up in Puyallup for our staff Christmas lunch at Joy’s cozy house – so fun for me to get to be with my co-workers face-to-face since I work out of my old bedroom home office.  Unfortunately I took no pictures of this!

Thursday I got to spend the day with Amy in Seattle – something I’ve been looking forward to so much!  We went Christmas shopping, then out to dinner with her boyfriend and then the two of us got to go to the Pacific NW Ballet’s Nutcracker performance. 

 

We especially loved the costumes and sets designed by Maurice Sendak (of ‘Where The Wild Things Are’ fame).  This is the last year the PNB will perform this ballet so it was fun to get to be there.  I love my firstborn girl so much and LOVED spending this day together!

Friday our good friends Frank and Janet had us for dinner and took us to the Oregon Symphony’s Gospel Christmas. 

 

Wow.  This was a night of worship.  Absolutely great voices singing very few familiar carols but incredibly God-exalting, hand-clapping worship songs.  Us white folks tried to clap on the off-beat as best we could.  It was awesome.

Saturday we got to serve at our church’s annual Christmas dinner at the Union Gospel Mission in downtown Portland.  It is humbling.  Difficult to face what is real life for so many in our cities.  I don’t want to forget them as I come home to my warm house with soft throws and scented candles. 

This is Christmas, isn’t it?  God came to us in our greatest need and biggest mess.  And He gives us opportunities every day to show ‘God With Us’ to those near us who are in great need and big messes.  Lord, keep me always ready to meet needs.  Deliver me from my self-absorbed state to give what I have received.