it's beginning to look a lot like christmas

...even with the 70 degree California weather!

John and I finally took out our tree for our mini-house! Our idea of decorating for the holidays means we bust out our Charlie Brown tree and hang the ONE ornament. Our house is really way too small to have anything else up or hanging. Plus, I just like to keep it simple; which always is a plus when it's clean up time!

So now our home is ready for Christmas ... I'm sippin' on hot chocolate, Brian McKnight Christmas music is playing, and I'm warming up in front of our "fireplace" AKA our space heater. I love it! This is the way the Parks do it!

In the movie, Charlie Brown Christmas, lil Linus reminds depressed Charlie Brown about the real meaning of Christmas! Taken from the gospel of Luke, he recites these verses:

⁸ Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. ¹⁰ Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. ¹¹ For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ¹⁴ “ Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

Amen, Linus! Amen.