Amazing Grace

This year it has been a little harder to get into the Christmas spirit. It probably has a great deal to do with my minimal holiday decor. After five years of owning a gift store, I gave myself a big old break on the usually insane pace of December and barely got a wreath on the door. I can blame it on the little guy and girlie too. While I am busy handling this little crisis...

or making sure this doesn't go disastrous...
I haven't been too motivated to deck the halls. In all fairness we did whip together a Charlie Brown tree from Home Depot. We did hang stockings. We baked a few holiday treats. We drove around and admired other people's lights. I drank some wine (hey that's holidayish isn't it?).

So few days ago in a last ditch effort to dig up some merry making, I splurged on tickets to see the Soweto Gospel Choir. The concert was a beautiful mix of traditional African music and gospel. The harmonies were both melodic and mesmerizing. Near the close of the concert, the group sang Amazing Grace. It was phenomenal. By the end of the song, tears were streaming down my cheeks. And there it was, the Christmas spirit. The grace of God that can't be found in the mounds of wrapping paper and piles of cookies, but can only be felt in the heart. Amazing.