Are You Taking Time to Reflect During This Holiday Season?

This year I have come to fully realize how wonderfully our holidays and the end of the year line up.

Thanksgiving. Advent. Christmas. The New Year.

How much better can it get?!

November brings Thanksgiving, and although I feel many gloss over the treasure of this holiday, skipping from October to Christmas, Thanksgiving deserves its rightful place as one of the best holidays. It is a wonderful celebration of all that we have.

Focusing on thankfulness and being appreciative of what we have lays a foundation for festivity!

How can we not celebrate, when we remember - no matter how difficult life is - our many blessings!

Thanksgiving then rolls into the holiday of Christmas, with Advent as its holy introduction. To be honest, I haven't thought about advent in years. Our church doesn't really focus on advent, and until now, I hadn't embraced it in my own personal life much except for buying the occasional advent calendar, filled with some sort of treat as a window opens each day. 

However, this year I desired to teach something special to my middle school girls at church with the approach of Christmas, and recalled this beautiful season of Advent. 

Advent means "coming". And for those of us who celebrate the birth of Jesus this Christmas, we celebrate His coming - first as a baby, a divine human, thousands of years ago and in the future, as the triumphant Lord. 

During this month of December, the hustle and bustle of preparing for Christmas consumes many of us - cooking, cleaning, decorating, preparing, shopping, spending... At times, it may feel overwhelming.

Yet, the season of Advent interrupts all of the active clatter and reminds us to reflect and prepare with proper hearts and attitudes for the celebration of our Savior!

Advent causes us to pause each week and focus on the real reason for the season.

Advent encourages us to set aside worldly cares and remember that we have a Savior who came to earth for us and loves us so dearly.

Advent establishes us and gives us a fresh awareness of why we do what we do.

All that we do and say and spend and give during this season ought to be with joy and reverence,
with generosity and jubilee.

Advent is a precious time of preparation and joy!

Then Christmas will come. And the world will stop. For a moment. And remember Christ's birth.

Worshipful songs of the silent and holy night will ascend.
Cheerful cries of joy to the world shall fill the air.
Friends and family will gather to share special moments with one another, giving and receiving love.

And all of this ushers us into a brand new year where we can start afresh, with new power and purpose to live more meaningful lives.

If you think about it, it really is magical -- this amazing season of thankfulness, preparation,
celebration, and change! 

Are you taking time to think about it and reflect?

May you and your loved ones be blessed!