Today is December 3rd. In less than a month, Christmas will have come and gone and most of us will already be on our merry way to 2011. Most of us will have already taken down the twinkle lights, boxed up the ornaments, and put Mary, Joseph, Jesus, and the manger scene in their appropriately labeled tub or tote for next year. The month of December and Christmas Day itself will most likely be a blur of frenzied activity, wrapping paper scraps, and tinsel. And yet I sit here and ask this question: Is all the craziness and stress that seems to automatically come with “the most wonderful time of the year,” how Jesus wants us to remember and celebrate His birth?
Last Sunday was the 1st Sunday in the season of Advent. As a child I grew up in a church that celebrated the season of Advent. Some of us attend churches today that celebrate or recognize that we’ve entered this season. Others of us do not and that’s OK. The word Advent means “coming” or “arrival.” The season of Advent is the 4 weeks before Christmas. And whether we intentionally recognize Advent or not, each of us is, in our own way preparing for the “coming” or “arrival” of Christmas Day. And really, it’s not just a “day” that we are excitedly anticipating. It is a baby. It is God Himself who chose to step into our mess, and our darkness, and our sin, and who chose to become one of us just so that we would come to know Him!
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| We made an Advent wreath and are reading scripture devotionals at dinner on an "as regular as possible" basis! :) |
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| We are giving the present of "presence" by baking Christmas cookies together. We made another batch of cookies last night to give away to our kiddos' friends... pictures of those will follow. |
So, maybe the more important question now is; do our preparations point us and those around us towards Jesus, the ultimate gift? Or, does the way we prepare for our coming King look like the rest of the world’s frenzied grabbing at an accumulation of more stuff?
2 comments:
Great Post! We are trying to spend more time together and try and bless those around us this season. To slow down and remember why we celebrate in the first place. Blessings on your family! May your home continue to be filled with his presence.
Bree-
I don't know if you remember me or not. We met a long time ago. My name is Melodee. I'm a friend of John's from HS. I stumbled across your blog a while ago because of our mutual connection with the VanWinkles. I just have to tell you that I have really enjoyed reading your posts, especially during the Thanksgiving season. Your words have been challenging and encouraging to me. I find we are at a similar place in life with our families and spiritually. I look forward to reading your Advent posts.
Thank you for being a blessing to me!
May you and your family be greatly blessed this Christmas season!
-Melodee Miller
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