Advent Begins

All the radio stations are playing Christmas music, there are new lights shining every night, and it is feeling and looking more and more like Christmas! We also look at the calendar and shake our heads at how another year could have rolled around so quickly.





Advent has always been a difficult season to get my arms around. A season of preparation, preparing our hearts and lives for the gift that is coming. So sometimes that feels like I need to clean the clutter (of heart and house), so that the focus can be on the right things. Sometimes that feels like the need to slow way down and savor every snowflake that falls and every star that shines, so that I can simply BE in the presence of God and creation. Sometimes that feels like decorating and baking and making gifts for those who are dear, so that all that is festive and extravagant and "simply" beautiful can flow through my heart to others. And sometimes that feels like I don't need to do anything differently, I hope to live expecting God to do wonderous things all the time - anytime...

Advent is also about waiting and hoping. Waiting on a light to change is never very timely...it usually comes when we don't need it and when we need to stop and catch the purse that just fell all we get are green lights....but there is a jumpy-ness when waiting on the light...so it is with Advent...

So as the weeks go by I know Advent will bring many blessings. I'm dipping my big toe in the water and am in the savor place right now. But also living in hope for the things God will do.


Many blessings of Advent!


(Photo by Ben Bell of London, who looks for the ancient story in contemporary images.)