Signs of Christmas

Signs of Christmas are all around:

Christmas Music… Christmas songs are played on the radio. I’ve sung and played carols at least once every day for the last week…

Yesterday it was our Accessible Carol Service. Many groups, including Topcats Charity, Pathways Care Farm, Lowestoft Signing Choir, and a number of accessible singing groups came together at St Mark’s Church.

Christmas Shows… There’s constant reminders of Christmas TV shows; pantomimes are being advertised; schools are preparing their Christmas concerts.

At our Seagull Theatre our ‘early years’ panto has already enjoyed three performances to school children; ‘Dame Cherie’ has prepared her popular Christmas cabaret; youngsters are in their final rehearsals for ‘Annie’.

Christmas Illnesses… Many have colds and sickness bugs. Folks are negotiating hospital appointments around their Christmas arrangements.

There’s always alcohol related ‘illness’… Last night’s news brought the story of a raccoon that broke into a Virginia liquor store, ransacking shelves, consuming excessive amounts of alcohol, and eventually passing out in the store’s bathroom.

Christmas Decorations… The gents at Men’s Shed have been making decorations. Orders have been placed by families and friends!

The annual Christmas lights display in Christmas Lane, Lowestoft has received it’s usual well-deserved publicity. Many local folks have already visited, taking pictures, praising the displays created by each household.

Christmas Charities… We’re encouraged us to think beyond ourselves through many worthwhile Christmas charity appeals.

Christmas Lane is supporting ‘Angels and Rainbows’, the Lowestoft-based group, created and run by local mums, supporting families that, like them, have suffered through pregnancy and baby loss.

Christmas Restoration… Christmas Lane reported: ‘Last night one of the collecting buckets was taken… the post we put out travelled far and wide… within a couple of hours the bucket – and its contents – had been returned.

It reminded us that forgiveness has a place, especially in this Christmas time. People sometimes make the wrong choices, but they can also make them right again…’

It’s a good lesson for all of us.