Merry Christmas!

The stockings are emptied; the gifts are open. What remains is more important: time with loved ones.

Perhaps the greatest gift the Lord gave us in 2015 is a new home in a new town. From the first day we visited Strasburg, Colorado, we have seen the beauty of its land and its people. That beauty is what inspired, and continues to inspire, Strasburg Rocks!

We are slowly unearthing all that Strasburg and the surrounding area has to offer; it is like unwrapping magnificent gifts year-round. One of the more recent discoveries was the annual Christmas celebration downtown. We were remiss then in not photographing the beautiful decorations along Strasburg’s main thoroughfare, but hopefully have made it up with a video of driving through the town late Christmas Eve (or early this Christmas morning, depending on your perspective):

Now, we stated that the greatest gift God blessed us with in 2015 was a home (not just a house) in Strasburg…but, of course, it pales in comparison to the greatest gift ever bestowed; one that was for all who will accept it. The 50th anniversary of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” makes it apropos to remember that sacrifice from above with the same words that Linus used when Charles Shultz bucked precedent and included these verses in a Christmas special:

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them:and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not:for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
    Glory to God in the highest,
    and on earth peace,
    good will toward men (Luke, 2:8-14, King James Version).

Including those words about Jesus shocked the CBS executives back in 1965, and Jesus…the kindest man who ever lived…continues to upset myriads today. Although we love you regardless of your faith (or lack thereof), we pray that you be led, as the shepherds were, to the One who came to earth two thousand years ago so that you could spend an eternity with Him in happiness.

Merry Christmas to you and yours from Strasburg Rocks! and Traditores!

P.S. Two bonus videos. First, Linus sharing Luke 2:8-14:

Second, a video of a band playing “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” in front of The Pizza Shop back from December 5th’s Christmas celebration:

Well, now back to that family I mentioned in the second sentence of this article. 🙂

P.P.S. Please forgive the lack of quality with the photos. Only so much you can do with an iPhone. 🙂

(Cross posted on Traditores.)