The Greatest Gift to Give, You’ll Find, Is That of Love

Hey everybody!
We’re getting excited for Christmas over here. Next weekend I’m hosting a cookie-making party, there’s a big church service for which I’m singing some special music, and potluck on the 20th with all our friends in Christ. Michael even bought a poinsettia! Starbucks started playing holiday music before Thanksgiving, which was taboo as far as I’m concerned…but I did not have words with the manager. The rest of the city’s drink stands and hot-pot restaurants have put up a few funny-looking wreaths and sometimes misspelled wishes for a Merry Christmas, alongside the leftover decorations that were never taken down from last year. According to them, good decoration is good decoration. Don’t discriminate!
The weather was bone-chilling cold a few weeks ago but has taken a funny turn for the tropics recently, which is very confusing. Nobody knows what to wear! Yesterday I had on both short and long sleeves, shorts, long socks and boots, thinking I’d fool even the trickiest weather…and ended up hot at midday and cold at night. All that to say, it doesn’t exactly have the feeling of a white Christmas. But neither does Australia, my friend Hannah says…she remarked that it was disorienting as a child, hearing songs with subjects like snowmen, blazing fires and reindeer. I answered that those are only the commercialized songs and should be paid no attention. Christianity has no borders, and the older songs celebrating God’s baffling gift to man in the form of a helpless baby and our joy because of it hold true in any country, for any people.
Our new American roommate Phil replaced Darren, who moved out last week, but since Phil is going home for Christmas it will just be Ken, Michael, (Lottie) and I home for the holidays. Even with one roomie missing, I’m looking forward to a great couple weeks
Love to you all!
Emily