Friday Night Get-Down

We had our Christmas Tree Decorating party last night. One of my most favorite gatherings during the Christmas season. My wife made Snicker Doodles and her recipe for KILLER HOT CHOCOLATE.
It is always so funny to watch the men when they first come into the chapel and see the Christmas tree. It isn't decorated so they kind of stand off not knowing what to do.

We had a table set up with all the goodies on it.
Brenda Lee was playing through the sound system Jingle Bells Rock, so as cookies are being eaten and hot chocolate is going down smooth, one by one the men come forward picking up strands of lights and ornaments. Pretty soon the room is abuzz with the sound of laughter and singing. I might add that our singing will never win us a recording contract. What we lacked in talent was made up in gusto and passion.

It has been years for some of these men since they actually decorated a Christmas tree. It has been years since Christmas had meant anything. For most, Christmas was just another day. Another day to work at their addiction trying to figure out where they were going to get enough money to buy what they needed to get high on.  But last night, for that brief moment in time, those dark memories disappeared and there was laughter. I had several come up to me after we finished and said, "I didn't know I could have a good time without getting drunk!"

Once the tree was lit (to the sounds of oooohs and ahhhhhs) we sang Silent Night. There in the glow of the lights from the tree, the Spirit of God came into that room. Faces once hard and dark kind of melted into tenderness as we simply sang and stood in the presence of God.

Thank you Father, for your wonderful love for us.
May we truly understand the celebration of Christmas.
Merry Christmas from the Bynum's!