Stay Awake!

Today is the first Sunday of Advent. We had a beautiful baptism service for Camila (pictures to be posted soon) and a great reminder about the meaning of the season of Advent. All of the Scriptures we read reminded us to watch for the Lord's coming and prepare our hearts for Him. "Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. (Matt. 24:42)"

I love the season of Advent and its focus on preparing our heart's for the coming of the Lord. It is such a powerful reminder for me about what REALLY matters during this often very hectic season. As Elena said to me today, if we had lived in Bible times we would not have known the day when Jesus was coming as a little baby, either. So, during Advent we count down to the celebration of His first coming, while at the same time remembering He will surely come again. And may the amazing truth of His first coming, inspire in me the same sense of eager anticipation and hope for His return.

In an effort to enter anew into this season of preparation, the kids and I made a new Advent calendar (another picture to be posted later). We combined some ideas from a Jesse Tree and our own personal Advent traditions and followed instructions from this book. The psalmist says, Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Ps. 90:12). This is my prayer as we enter into Advent.

If you are interested in starting Advent traditions in your family, I highly recommend it. And don't wait until next year. What better time than the present to be inspired. You can always start in the middle and do more next time. Anyway, if you are looking for practical ideas or just Advent inspiration, don't forget to go to this Anglican Advent Traditions Carnival (Really just a group of Christian moms, mostly, trying to live their faith in practical ways this seasons). Hope you enjoy the visit. And if you have Advent traditions already, I'd love to hear what you do, too.