How to Start Practicing Advent

I met a friend for coffee this evening and had the rare experience of riding in the car by myself and not desiring silence. So I turned on the radio. I had not realize how frazzled I was supposed to be about Christmas. I didn't realize I had to get a gift for everyone I know or ELSE!!!! I stopped and thought about it. I had not realized how not frazzled I was feeling until listening to the commercials.

We don't have cable, the shows my kids watch are on Netflix or Prime, so we just don't see many commercials. I mostly listen to music on my iPod so I don't hear many commercials there. I quit subscribing to magazines that make me dissatisfied with what I own. And I forgot; I forgot it's supposed to be crazy and stressful and cost lots of money.

Just don't. Don't allow someone else to determine your checklist. I may not get my Christmas cards out till after Christmas. Oh well. If someone get offended, I just won't send them one next year. I schedule a lot of our social gatherings during the 2 weeks of Christmas. The kids are out of school and more people are off of work. I don't decorate the whole house. Just a few fun key items you love. Our tree is 4 feet tall and is on a sofa table behind the couch. The baby can't knock it over and I don't yell at the kids to leave it alone. My children still think it's a wondrous thing.

I didn't grow up with advent, so attending a liturgical church has been a learning experience. But this right now is not Christmas. Christmas starts December 25th and goes on for 2 weeks. This, right now, this is Advent.

Advent is a season to remember. We remember that Christ came, but most of all, we remember He is coming again. He is coming back and has not left us. He has come and He is coming.

Every Sunday during Advent we light a candle on our Advent wreath during dinner. It's fun for the kids, but the adults need it more. The first candle reminds us that Christ is our Shepard. The second candle reminds us that Christ is our Savior (or Rescuer as we say around here).We get to eat by candlelight. We remember. We remember and wait. We remember that we are not forgotten, We wait for His return. 

As Andrew Peterson puts it so well in his lyrics of "The Reckoning;"

"And I know You hear the cries of every soul tonight

You see the teardrops as they roll tonight
Down the faces of the saints
Who grow weary and faint in Your fields

And the wicked roam the cities and the streets tonight
But when the God of love and thunder speaks tonight
Oh, I believe You will come
Your justice be done, but how long?"

Christmas is coming, but it's not here yet. We have all the time of Advent to prepare. Prepare for Christmas, prepare for Christ.

There are great resources online, but here is another blogger's thoughts.