Before I move on to Christmas, you should know, I do have the rest of my "thankfulness" in my journal. I just haven't put it here yet.
Anyhow, M and I began going through Desiring God's Advent devotional, Good News of Great Joy, and yesterday's devo was about preparation. As I did already know, (but enjoy being affirmed in my understanding), Advent is to Christmas what Lent is the Easter. Preparation. We have a need for a Savior. Without Jesus, we would not be able to fulfill our purpose, or have complete joy... because we would be apart from God. But Jesus did come. This is what we celebrate. However, we celebrate this with the knowledge of the eventual suffering and death, and resurrection of Christ, Jesus.
So how do you prepare for Christmas? What room needs to be made in your heart? How do you bring yourself to understand or feel the need for a Savior?
For me, I always begin by praying. When I pray, I always remember that my prayers go through Jesus... because he is the Mediator between me and God (Hebrews 12:24, 1 Tim. 2:5). And I remember then, that without Jesus, I have no God. Because of Jesus, I have been given forgiveness for my sinfulness. I have mercy for my falling short, and I have grace to get back up again and keep going in life. This is my hope. This brings be joy. I feel the love. I then remember that I am still flawed. I remember my struggles, anxieties and the insecurities that surface regardless of how much I try to suppress them. Then I remember that I am known by God. That despite these things, I am loved by God, who fully knows me. Not only am I loved by God, but God seeks to make me better. Holy. More like him. Because of Jesus, I am never left in the same place of struggle and insecurity. I am always being lifted up. For this, I will make room. I will prepare. I will exalt the Lord and sing for the joy at the works of the Lord's hands (blast from the past: Shout To The Lord)!
It is my prayer that this Advent and this Christmas that Jesus would shine a light into our darkness. That as we prepare, we would find him shining through the holes that are created in our lives by loss, pain, stress, anxiety, living without, and so many things.
Speaking of light in darkness, on a less important note, this is where the imagery of Christmas comes in for me!
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| I can play the sounds of the season the this piano that a friend so kindly gave us! |
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| Matt and I volunteered at our church and worked pretty feverishly to help give over 230 boxes to children around the world through Samaritan's Purse, Operation Christmas Child! |
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| Time for Christmas Cards! If you don't get one, it's because I only ordered 50. We're still thinking of you and love you! |
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| Thanksgiving Nuggets game with the husband's side of the family! |
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| Time for a tree! My sweet, strong, and patient husband spent about an hour in sub-freezing temperatures with no real jacket to pick out a Christmas tree :). |
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| My first attempt at peppermint bark was a MAJOR success. So delicious! |
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| We bought a hutch a while ago, and finally got it! Merry Christmas! |
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| Our tree! And an impossible puzzle that I wanted to do for the holidays. I am crazy for thinking we could do this before Christmas :) |
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| Front porch beauty. |
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| A day's work, a beautiful home. An awesome husband. Light in the dark. Christmas time. That's what this looks like to me. |
Please keep our troops and their families in your prayers this holiday season!
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