The Christmas Jollies

Unless your name is "Scrooge" or "Angry cashier at Walmart," you're probably excited about Christmas. Most people are. I'm especially excited about Christmas this year for a couple reasons.

1. It's our first Southern Christmas.

There will be no green chile ornaments given this year and no biscochitos to snack on. I'm ok with that. Instead, I got Jenn an ornament that commemorates our first (of many) Southern Christmases together and we'll be snacking on...well, I don't know, but it won't be biscochitos.

2. There will still be some Southwest flavor (or "flava" if you will).

Although it is our first Southern Christmas, we know our roots: the Southwest. Although I don't get into wearing turquoise and we've never owned a nativity set made of adobe (not the software program), I do enjoy some of what New Mexico had to offer. One of which is the luminarias (NOT "luminaries"). Candles, seated in sand, placed in a brown paper bag (not a milk jug - the Southern way), lighting up the night are a beautiful sight. We're bringing a little of that Southwest flavor to the South tonight. As you drive up to Awaken, you'll see the luminarias on the sidewalk by our sign as well as lining the walkway by the church. Hopefully you won't like them so much that you'll want to move to the Southwest. If you like them that much, hang with us - there will be more occasions to bring them out!

3. It's Awaken's first-ever Christmas Eve service.

Firsts only happen once - your first dead Christmas tree, your first frostbite, the first time you burned your curtains because you got a little too candle happy - you know all those grand memories. Today, many memories will be made as we celebrate Christmas as a church body for the first time together. Most of us had never met this time last year, and now, we will bring our families and friends together and celebrate together for the first time. Love it. Oh, and we'll be jamming on our brand new sound system for the first time as well, compliments of Mile High Calvary. Our one ghetto speaker served us well for 3 months, but I'd be lying if I said I was sad to see it go.

We hope you, your friends, and your family will join us tonight for a very special family-style Christmas Eve service. It goes from 6:00-7:00pm tonight at the church. It will be a very interactive, fun, festive service, so make sure to be there.

Oh, and rumor has it, the pastor might actually pull out a nice button-up shirt for the occasion. What?! I guess you'll have to come to see for yourself.