Do You See a Tree in This House?

¹³ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.-Philippians 4:13

A month or two ago I told Cecelia that when it was Christmas time we would make Christmas cookies together.  The day after Halloween, Cecelia (with a memory like a steel trap) said it was time to make Christmas cookies.  I told her it wasn't Christmas time yet and she said yes it was.  We argued back and forth (don't you love arguing with a 3-year-old?) and then I playfully admonished her by asking, "Do you see a tree in this house?"


Well, she thought that was the funniest thing ever and picked right up on it.  For the next few weeks, whenever I asked her to do something she didn't want to do, she would use it:


Me:  It's time for your nap
Cecelia:  Do you see a tree in this house?


Me:  Don't play with your food, finish eating.
Cecelia:  Do you see a tree in this house?


And so it became a "thing" with us.  She would ask me for a cookie before supper and I would counter with, "Do you see a tree in this house?"  Or she would ask to watch "The Grinch" for the 3rd time in a row and I would say, "Do you see a tree in this house?"  We had a lot of laughs with that phrase over the past few weeks.


Well, this weekend, Cecelia helped put up our Christmas tree.  After a while it dawned on her and she said, "Kaymee!  We have a tree in this house!  Now we can do everything!"


We put up a Christmas tree every year to celebrate the birth of Christ and St. Paul tells us in Philippians that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.  So yes, Cecelia... We DO have a tree in this house... and it DOES mean we can do everything!


Thank you God for sending Jesus to strengthen and empower us as we live our lives for you.  Amen.


Joys:  Surprise visitors at worship today; Cecelia's excitement about going to the airport to see Opah off; Advent