The feast of Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is coming just around the corner.  Colorful lights are being strung across the housetops, brightly lit pine trees are peeking through the windows, and boxes are piling up on your front porch.  Cookies are being frosted, and gingerbread houses are being precariously glued together.  Yes, Christmas is in the air.

These tasty little blackberry apple crumble bars are helping to bring in the holiday season at our house.  At the same time, they remind us of happy summer memories, wading through a cold mountain creek while loading our buckets with handfuls of juicy berries.  It’s those same mountains that are now covered in snow making us want to bundle up in woolen sweaters while sipping hot spiced cider, basking in the coziness of the season. 

Yes, Christmas is a wonderful time of year.  It’s a time to enjoy the winter before us and rest in the coziness of our warm little homes.  It’s a time to sip cider and munch on blackberry apple crumble bars by a crackling fire.  Most of all, it’s a time to remember Jesus, when He came to this earth, and what He’s done to make us clean, whiter than snow.