My Christmas entertainment has been all over the map in the last two days, and maybe that’s a good thing.

A week or so ago, Diane and I trolled the internet to find some Christmas music offerings that we could take the family to, and on Thursday night we went with friends to see a performance of Handel’s Messiah at Maranatha Bible Baptist college in Watertown. Wow. I thought it was terrific. We were in the front, and at the end, Diane and I decided to give them a standing ovation. We assumed we would lead the way, but we were…wrong. Awkward. Oh, well, we thought it was worth it. I always love to take in some form of a Christmas concert in December, and we have particularly delighted in traveling to Chi-town for Moody’s Candlelight Carols concert, though the price including transportation keeps us from making the trip every year.

Then last night we watched a movie that has become a Holiday tradition for us – Elf. I checked it out on Rotten Tomatoes and it got 84% approval rating. Such a figure makes me want to have a conversation with the 16% who didn’t like it. I love it because it’s got a lot of “moments” in it that tug my heart or make me laugh out loud, including the World’s greatest cup of coffee scene, the delight Buddy has in discovering another Elf, who in reality is just a very offended short person, and the “Baby it’s Cold outside” shower scene.

Anyway, these evenings are moving me, slowly but surely, into that Christmas spirit state of the heart. Tonight’s Children’s Christmas play at the church (5:30 p.m.) will hopefully do the same.