The ski season has officially begun here in southern Spain. Rooms are filling up in the hotels of the Sierra Nevada, and last night's TV news showed lines of people queuing in the snow for the chairlifts that take them up to the ski slopes. Two hours further south, the sunshine in Malaga can sometimes give the impression of a different season, but we can see the snow on the mountains, and the chill in the air is a clear confirmation that winter has arrived. It's windy, it's cold, and it's often rainy. It's time for a new background picture on this blog!
For some weeks, they've been putting up the Christmas decorations here in Alhaurin de la Torre (and the life-size nativity stable in the pedestrian shopping street) but tonight is when the lights will be lit for the first time. Yesterday, I walked past the town hall, and I saw a crew of men working to put up the enormous Christmas tree that looks so pretty in all the night-time photos.
In the cold light of day, however, you can see that there's no tree there at all. It's just a construction made from a metal frame and covered with strings of sparkling lights. But when darkness falls and the lights go on, our iconic Christmas tree looks magical - like something from a movie or from New York's Central Park! Yes, appearances can be deceptive, and things are not always what they seem. In my Bible this morning, I was reading about how Jesus challenged the religious people of his day - because they "looked good" on the outside, but their lives were just a sham and God could see that their hearts didn't really belong to Him. It's much more important to love and obey God in the small things, than to have a life that looks impressive on the outside but is as hollow as our Alhaurin Christmas tree on the inside.
Finally, speaking of Christmas trees that are not what they seem, I thought I'd pass on this fun idea for your Christmas table. All you need is an apple, a carrot, some cocktail sticks or tooth picks, and a selection of delicious fruit, such as grapes, strawberries, kiwi and melon. It not only makes a charming table decoration, but also a delicious healthy dessert after a substantial Christmas dinner. (Remember you can click to enlarge this or any of the photos.) ¡Felices Fiestas!