I think it’s fair to say most pet owners ask themselves the following important question: “Is my dog a Christian?”
So Saturday afternoon, walking around to grab a few photos of decorations, you can imagine how happy I was to see Max’s reaction to the Nativity. Sheep? “Vaguely interesting.” Shepherds? “Enticing smell, but not so much.” Wise guys? “Do they have snacks in those gift boxes?” Angels? “I’ve seen more action around the bird feeder.” The baby Jesus? “Now you’re talking! The Baby Jesus is My favorite thing!”
Seriously, though, Max is the first pet we’ve had at Maul-Hall who did not take liberties, kidnap wise men, and cause mayhem with the decorations. No chewed up camels; no savaged sheep lying on their backs under the tree (that was the cat); no random shepherds found behind the furniture missing a leg or an arm; no angels flying around in circles because now they have only one wing…
I have fielded quite a lot of requests to see how the house is shaping up for Christmas 2020, and so today – on the 3rd Sunday in Advent – here is a sneak-peak at some of what Rebekah has been up to around the Maul-Hall.
The ascendency of the spirit of love:
Rebekah didn’t exactly say the following, but she certainly implied it during one of her “Morning coffee-time” video devotions, and the idea bears repeating.
This – right here and right now – is exactly the time that we need to be intentional about applying a little extra festivity to our celebrations. 2020 or not; COVID-19 or otherwise; a world in turmoil or a world at peace; regardless of the cynical spirit of politics and the shameless attacks on democracy, we will – we absolutely must – go all out in acknowledging the birth of the Prince of Peace and the ascendency of the spirit of love.
There it is, one of those phrases worth repeating. “The ascendency of the spirit of love.”
This imperative is not in spite of this difficult year, it’s because it’s been such a difficult year.
Come, Lord Jesus; come Holy Spirit; come God Almighty; come spirit of love. – DEREK
Looks like you must have accumulated lovely memories from all over the place in amongst all these decorations.
God bless the memories,
That’s one of the best parts of decorating – remembering the people and the situations they came from.
We have one tradition you will enjoy – it’s the ugly (hideous, really) ornament we give to our friends Tim and Kelly every year. After around 15 years they now have a small tree dedicated to the collection!