Christmas is coming!

Wee....Christmas is only a week away! Time really flies. I'm beginning to feel the Christmassy magic as we remember the day of Christ's birth.

This year we're having a big Christmas celebration event at church on Christmas Eve. Am really excited about that.

Also, I'd finally got down to baking my fruit cake (as Christmas gifts - oops, forgot to mention that when giving them out). Was a bit heavy-handed on the alcohol though. My mum & bro tried them & I gave some to my colleagues, as well as 1 to a friend I met tonight. I myself ate 2 this morning, which was a bad idea on an empty stomach (felt slightly "high" thereafter, not seriously lah). The effect of the alcohol only comes at the end, so be careful if you're not used to it. You might want to heat it up in the oven 1st to dissipate more of the alcohol, although I think the baking process should have done what it could already.
On the whole, it was successful as my 1st attempt of a liqueur fruit cake. It might need more flour though. I baked a "non-spiked" one a couple of years back, which was not too bad too. Actually, fruit cakes are 1 of the easiest cakes to make. I might bake more again for friend(s) I meet next week if I have time, but I'll have to steep some more fruit in wine first.

Well, let me end with this story our pastor shared on Sunday (a condensed version):
A woman was rushing around buying Christmas gifts and all the "neccessary items to prepare for Christmas. There were queues among queues and it was a very tiring day as she walked & waited around with her heels and bags of shopping. 
At the end of the day, she was so exhausted as she waited for the elevator to come. to her dismay, it was full! She gave a (rather loud) groan. As if the people in the elevator heard her, they "tucked" themselves tighter together a little to let her in.
When she got herself in, with all her bulky baggages, she gave a complaint that whoever started this Christmas thing should be arrested and shot for creating all these trouble. Some of the people in the lift agreed. Then a voice said, "Don't worry, they've already crucified him."
Suddenly, there was silence.

Many have forgotten the true meaning and purpose of Christmas. It's not about the festivities. In fact, on the night Christ was born, it was a pretty quiet night (that's why the song "Silent Night"). Many times, people get super busy with the preparations, forgetting the meaning and spirit of it all.