Praise the LORD; for the LORD is good: sing praises unto His name; for it is pleasant.

Psalms 135:3, KJV

Right after our Thanksgiving lunch, Dad would snap on the Hi-Fi and play Christmas music. It was a tradition for as long as I could remember, and for a child was exciting beyond belief, for this was the official beginning of the Christmas season!

Mom and Dad, in my estimation, did Christmas right. We would go out and get us a tree a few weeks from the big day - sometimes by going up into the Rocky Mountains and harvesting it ourselves. I say "we" but it was Dad who did all of the work and Mom who kept us out of the way. We kids would want to get the first one we came across, but that first one was never good enough so we would continue our trek upward until we came across the perfect tree. We nearly always froze to death, but we always came back with the best tree on the entire mountain. I know, because we had looked at each one at least two times. 

When we got home, we would pull out the lights from the tangled mess of last year, find the bulb or two that was out through a painstaking process that only those who have been through will understand, and then got out the glass ornaments (we kids always seeming to break at least one) and then Dad topped off the tree under Mom's careful direction with the perfect tree topper. If it was the right night, my brother and sister and I would get to watch the Grinch or Santa Clause is Coming to Town. These cartoon features were brand new at the time and were even better that the Saturday morning cartoons.

Twelve days before Christmas, Mom would break out the felt wall hanging that held twelve Brach's candies. Each day a different sibling got to eat the candy de jure as we counted down the days to Christmas. As the day approached, Mom and Dad would bundle us into the car, and we would drive around looking at the Christmas lights until we were car sick. I remember one time when we lived near Seattle when we rode the monorail into the shopping district and looked at the wonderful mechanical displays in the show windows. It was a wonderful time that was filled with excitement and adventure for we kids.  

Looking back, I realize just how much Mom and Dad loved us. It was evident every day of our lives, but we really felt it at Christmas. They truly wanted us to enjoy the season to the fullest, and they were spot on successful in their attempt to do so. Both Mom and Dad have passed in recent years, but I feel their love more than ever as the years go by.

It is this type of love that God has for us. We are not worthy of that love, but it is there all the same and He extends it for this reason: The Lord is good! And He loves us and wants us to have joy in life. He has created a world that is filled with beauty as evidence of that love. Our Father is good, and we are an incredibly blessed people. Furthermore, we should proclaim that goodness more often, for it is not only the right thing to do, but it truly is pleasant! Aren't we blessed!