Hooray, Christmastide has arrived. I hope you had a yummy and thankful Thanksgiving. As yesterday (for me, and for the traditional world) marked the beginning of the official Christmas season, I got to thinking about how Advent is a lot like Lent. Both seasons help prepare our hearts for Jesus. During lent, we usually sacrifice a luxury to prepare our hearts for the gravity of Jesus' death and resurrection. And during Advent, we prepare our hearts for the celebration of his birth. With that thought, I'm also reminded that celebration is indeed a spiritual discipline, just as fasting is. My spirit is tuned in to what the Lord might have me practice during this season of Advent in order to prepare well for this year's celebration.
I absolutely love this time of year. I'm even beginning to love that confusing couple of weeks in November when radio stations start playing Christmas music, but Thanksgiving has not yet passed and leaves are still colorful. It's a combination of all my seasonal favorites. This looong weekend, I've enjoyed sitting around with the family, eating Thanksgiving leftovers (mental note: I must share the "recipe" for the Pink Cloud Thanksgiving Leftover Sandwich), and buying and decorating our short, fat Christmas tree... my very first independent Christmas tree purchase!
On the Merriment schedule this year, I've got:
-The second annual Sleighbell Sisters' Soiree next Sunday
-A Christmas tree lighting at school
-A hula performance at our Christmas work banquet
-A Christmas choir performance at church
-The arrival of Marianna (from England!) and Jamie... back home for the holidays, finally!
-A very light load in lieu of final exams (Thank you, Lord!)
-More Amazon shopping... the way. to. go.
-Trying to sell the end of my products from last weekend's craft boutique
-...and some sort of Advent discipline.
From now 'til Christmas, I'd like to share lesser-known verses from Christmas hymns of old. Such good stuff!
Today, I've got verse three from Good Christian Men, Rejoice Agen:
Then hither throng with festal song;
Come, old or young, come saint, or sin-beladen:
Before him fall, in oxen-stall,
That blissful Babe of Mary, mother-maiden.
Enjoy this weekend!
1 comment:
I was thinking the exact same thing today as I explained our Advent activity to my girls. It IS about preparing our hearts for the coming of Jesus. Thoughtful meditations on why we need Him. It's so, so beautiful - the seasons of the church calendar and they how they keep us focused on Christ.
Good stuff!
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