There has been a beautiful Christmas tree that came from deep in the woods...It was so large that it towered and filled a corner of the worship space.  Standing under it, I felt like a small child again - at age four, staring upward - remembering how it felt to be lifted up by my Dad high over his head...Jesus wants us to come to Him like small children, and that's precisely how I felt in the wonder of it all...

     The tree was so huge that it had to be sturdily roped with bungee cords in order to keep the tree in the stand.  I think some people thought it was one of the most beautiful trees ever placed there in their worship space...  On Wednesday at chapel with the four and five year old students, I had been preparing for the singing when suddenly I was drawn to look into the innermost branches of the tree, and there it was.

     A small birds nest, which had been carefully constructed, was hidden from first view, but as I pulled it outward for the amazed children, I remembered something about a traditional view of finding nests in Holy Days trees.  One of the teachers verified the understanding that when one finds a nest in a tree, the household is blessed...  I trust that this will be the case for our Household of Faith.  The teacher then related how blessed she had been the year her family found a nest in their tree...The children excitedly examined the nest, mud and tangled twigs, that reflected for us - the Lord's wonder in that very moment!