Yes. It has happened. We decorated for Christmas. I believe I may have shared with you last year how we are starting some of our own traditions. One of those traditions is following American Thanksgiving. We had planned to go to Minot (why not?) for Black Friday in the US, but I was in class so that didn't work out. Besides, most of our friends backed out as well. The new tradition comes from an older one. In Faith's family, there was always fondue around Christmas, and since we're rarely home at Christmas, we needed to find an appropriate time and event to inaugurate with such a festive meal. Thus, our fondue preceeds the decking of our halls and decorating our tree. Before we could get anything on the tree, Judah (aka baby Godzilla) asked me if he could decorate it in his own unique way. The dinosaur mysteriously disappeared later that evening, presumably to terrorize some other unsuspecting tree.
This is a picture of our friend Brian in his "reverent" pose at Bethlehem LIVE. They asked me to act, which I would have loved to do and as many of you know would likely have done a far superior job to most in the production, but I refused on the basis of crazy. I mean, it was class all week with Thanksgiving followed by hockey practice on Thursday, our night of tradition on Friday (which we traded for Saturday because of said "crazy" and went to Bethlehem LIVE after consuming turkey leftovers), and Saturday when we decorated the whole house top to bottom with as many lights and garlands and whatnot we could find. And on the 8th day, we rested from all of our work and said it was good.
And it is just that - good. It's not like we bow to our tree in pagan worship, join in some obscure sun god festival, or celebrate the god Mammon in our consumerism. We actually celebrate Jesus' coming! This season is one of anticipation of our King's entrance, Emmanuel, God with us, Jesus the Christ, and we celebrate his birthday BIGTIME, whether or not we have the right day. Give me a month to celebrate his coming. Another to remember his death and resurrection. Rejoice even more at his ascension and then pentecost when his Spirit came to live IN his people. I love the fact that we have so much to celebrate as Christians. So let's have a party, people! He deserves it. Let's make great food for His sake (and ours), let's decorate and proclaim Him by doing so, let's be intentional about making a statement saying that this isn't just a holiday season; these are holy days, set apart for Jesus and the fact that he is a real, historical figure, fully God and fully man, who gave up heaven for a time and became vulnerable and humble as a baby born into all the filth and crazy that is humanity. We have times to mourn and times to wait in anticipation. Right now I still need confirmation on a supervisor for my final paper so I can graduate. The paper is supposed to be around 60 pages. Hopefully that all happens soon. And no, I have no real job prospects. Even that can't dampen my spirits. I understand that advent is still a time of waiting, so maybe we've jumped the gun - but we're done waiting. We live every day not knowing what comes next in our crazy life. The one thing I do know that comes next is Christ's day. When it is time to celebrate, we're going to celebrate! 
So - Faith and I decorate early. Don't hate us because our party lasts longer than yours. (Our tree will likely outlast yours too because in southern Saskabush we still consider chopping down a Christmas tree "tree-murder" - we've had the same fakey far longer than we ever anticipated, but now it would be an environmental travesty to chuck it). We're only going to be around here for about two weeks. With Faith and I headed to the Canadian Youth Workers' Convention tomorrow and the kids to Grandpa and Grandma Nation's in Calgary the day that their flight lands coming in from Hawaii and Micah's school ending on the 18th and not starting until the 6th of January it pays to be unemployed in Greenland. I mean, Saskatchewan. And I don't mean getting paid money for all of you lenders out there. What am I trying to say?We are party-prepared. Join the Jesus-party. Celebrate Him! You're in good company.
- Mark
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