‘Tis the season for shopping, hitting the stores and malls with a list that rivals Santa himself. Do any of us remember a simpler time for the holidays? As children we didn’t realize all the preparation and work that the adults around us participated in so that it seemed like magic. This past Thursday evening my husband and I attended the 58th Annual Singing Christmas Tree at a nearby middle school. Two of my children participated in the choir there for this great traditional event. Now, my 11-year-old grandson is in that program. We were charmed and impressed with the performance and the abilities that these children showed through out the event. They performed 13 pieces of music that ranged from “Christmas Time is Here” – remember “Charlie Brown’s Christmas” – to some traditional songs. Some were little known with difficult chords and harmony but the children sounded literally like an angel’s choir. One of the 8th grade boys did an amazing job singing “O Holy Night.”

The songs and the clarity of the young voices struck at the heart of the Christmas season. The audience was invited to sing a verse of several well known and loved Christmas carols ending with the classic “Silent Night.” The concert was a loving gift to those who attended. Coming home afterwards my heart felt full and I thought about the birth of Jesus over 2,000 years ago. A simple setting and God’s love for all of mankind all wrapped up in a tiny baby. What an amazing gift to us all!

Merry Christmas to all of you and a blessed New Year.