Christmas trees

Merry Christmas from Vilnius, Lithuania! I imagine most of the people who might read this are still sleeping, visions of sugar plums dancing in your heads. The gifts here were opened last night according to Susanne's German tradition. The kids were up early this morning to enjoy the American tradition of stocking gifts.
Two of these four trees are huge ones set up in main parts of the city of Vilnius. One is in a rebuilt middle ages castle fortress in a nearby town called Trakai that is a peninsula nearly surrounded by lakes. The last is the tree here in the house. We wish we could pray for peace throughout the world on this Christmas day but there are people who don't have peace in their hearts and we all have our freedom to choose how we will act and react. God will force no man. Thus, there will not be peace. I look forward to the government of the world being in the hands of One for whom the angels announced long ago, "Tidings of great joy, peace on the earth and good will toward all men". Today would not be too soon.