Happy Advent

advent is probably my favorite time of the year. it's a time to prepare for Christmas and to sink into winter. the earth begins to get ready to hibernate, with a sense of expectation. for me, it's an expectation of Jesus and also, the expectation of our own little baby to come this summer. that's right, chris and i are going to have a baby! a friend of mine recently said that many times when scripture talks of waiting it refers to an active waiting. i am waiting and there's not much i can do to speed up the process but an expecting woman's wait is hardly idle. it's a waiting of preparation and anticipation. just like this advent season.

i also find a lot of meaning in the "sinking into winter". many of us go through mild (or otherwise) drepression during the winter and i am always ready to welcome in the spring time but the quiet, cold, dark winter holds so much depth and meaning. we try to use less electricity during the advent season in our house. we use oil lamps and candles when the sun goes down and it sometimes it really does feels like you're sinking...

i like this reading i found about advent:

"When the day dawns, let us all receive him. We go to the manger and worship. We give to him our gifts. We take his light to the poor. Until then, we are the poor, the weak, the blind, the lonely, the guilty and the desperate. We light candles because we who are in darkness are in need of a great light. We need a savior. So we wait amidst the ruins, we protect the lights we hold in hope. We sing to one who is coming. We look and wonder. We pray for his star to take us, once again, to the miracle."