Beech Tree News Network

Another busy and fun December weekend is in our midst.  Saturday the 10th is the Quality Christmas parade. Perhaps “Cousin Eddie” will make a repeat appearance.  The month of December is full of meetings of friends and family.  Sunday I will be playing another Christmas song on my acoustic guitar. I’ve picked another of my favorites, Alan Jackson’s “The Angels Cried”.  
Christmas gifts have arrived via UPS.  Exciting times for sure! I’m still a bit of a kid when it comes to Christmas.  However, I am well aware that the celebration of the birth of Jesus is what Christmas is all about. I think that’s why I enjoy playing guitar at church. The enjoyment I receive has nothing to do with me; rather it comes from knowing I’m playing for Jesus.  I remember getting tremendously nervous in the past when I’ve played. I think it was because I chose to play on Christmas Eve.  I enjoy playing on Sunday mornings much more.  It’s less stress, so I’m not as nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs, as I was when playing on the 24th.
Getting to see friends you most likely don’t see on a daily basis is another favorite. Let’s face it: our schedules often get in the way of seeing those we care about.  That’s another reason Christmas holds a special place in my heart, because my friends have a special place in my heart. To be honest, I couldn’t have gotten through this year without them.  And since friends are a gift from above, it all goes back to Jesus: the reason we celebrate in the first place.
The older we get, the more we appreciate people we’ve perhaps taken for granted in our youth.  Even now we sometimes need a reminder, or are given one anyway, of how precious the people are with whom we surround ourselves.  So you see this Christmas season means far more to me than gifts under the tree.  

Hello, my name is Andy Sullivan. I received my bachelor’s degree in business from Mid-Continent University in May 2009. I began writing for Beech Tree News in July 2009.  I enjoy playing guitar, the occasional Wii game, writing, and listening to music. I write a sports blog that can be found at http://andy-sportshorts.blogspot.com   If you have a comment, feel free to leave it in the space below.