"On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me - 11 pipers piping ... "

Not only is today the 11th day of Christmas, it is also our granddaughter's birthday - double cause for celebration! As we drove to have dinner tonight, we passed by a home that has an awesome tree they light every year as Christmas approaches. It is one of the highlights of my daily commute during December. Tonight, I noticed the tree was no longer lit. A sign that Christmas is coming to a close.

Even the Christian radio stations have gone back to regular music - they did extend the Christmas playlists beyond December 25th this year, but not through the entire 12 days of Christmas. Have you begun to remove the signs of Christmas from your homes?

Here on the eleventh day of Christmas, I think of faithfulness. It is not easy to maintain a Christmas spirit for 12 days as the world moves on to other things. Jesus selected 12 to be his closest friends, yet only 11 would remain faithful. Is the party fading before it even is fully realized?

Merry Christmas to all!

The First Noel - listen and enjoy!