Feeling Christmassy??

Today was the first time that Ive felt remotely Christmassy or festive even though Ive been eating mince pies for a few days now and I even wrapped up a few presents yesterday!  The boys have mentioned putting up the tree ( they usually start nagging me about that as soon as the advent calendars come out and I resist for as long as possible )  I have watched a couple of Christmas films, the turkey is in the freezer .... but none of that has made me feel in the slightest bit festive.  What did it for me today was having an afternoon of silly fun .

Rita was 75 years young today .  She is one of those indomitable pensioners who puts you to shame with her attitude and level of busyness.  She plays bridge, goes dancing, is a granny and great granny

and hugely involved in her family.  She knows everyone - you cant keep her down.  And today she decided to have a fundraising birthday party for a very good cause and gathered all her friends together for a Christmas singalong and high tea.  About 80 pensioners ( mostly) gathered in her daughters house and we spent the best part of an hour singing Carols and Christmas songs interspersed with Seasonal poems and banter.  All the guests had been issued with bells so there was a good amount of jingling to jingle bells and some standing up and sitting down for ' FIVE GOLD RINGS'.   Everyone joined in with gusto and it was such good fun!

There is something contagious about enjoyment.  Children know all about it - they will find the most mundane things funny and can be entertained for hours by things which adults have long since ceased to find amusing.   Laughter, they say, is the best medicine..... and we all know how good it is to really let go and have a good old belly laugh.  So why dont we do it more often?  There was something so refreshing today about seeing a room full of mostly elderly people letting go of their inhibitions and singing their hearts out and laughing and chatting and having a great time.  For the first time this year it made me feel festive and looking forward to Christmas.
If it cant be fun, then what's the point!

So my challenge for today, should you choose to accept it, is to have some fun.  And I mean proper fun.   I mean do something silly.  Laugh out loud.  Do something which makes you feel really good and then share that good feeling with the people round about you.
Cos it's contagious.

watch this.  I dare you!

http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=FFE2JMNU

A sense of humour is a God given gift and I have the feeling that its something we have to exercise or we lose it over time.  So I hope the clip above got you smiling and that you will continue to smile throughout the rest of today and in the lead up to Christmas.

Lord, today I ask for a gift of laughter.  I thank you that when Jesus came to earth He was found in pubs and clubs spending time with people, providing more wine at weddings and telling funny stories to his friends.  You are a God who knows how to have fun.  In this lead up to Christmas when everything can get a bit frantic and stressful please show us the light side.  May we bring smiles to those we meet today. Thank you for all the things that make us laugh. You have given us so many things to enjoy, but most of all let us enjoy You !  Amen