Plaid Mugs Don't Lie

Did you notice? It's the most wonderful time of year again!
Well, it is. I can prove it.
Look what jumped off the shelf  into my TJMaxx cart this week.

Plaid mugs don't lie.

Ahem. Seriously.
It’s not because of the snow. Though it is wonderful.
It’s not because of the red cup. Though it makes a dreary day cheery.
It’s not because of the music. Though it changes the whole mood of the season.
It’s not because of the pine trees. Though I may or may not be preoccupied with thoughts of how I will decorate ours this year.
It’s not because of the lights. Though there can never, ever be too many.
It’s not because of the food. Though I am obsessed with holiday food.
It’s not because of the presents. Don’t get me started.
It’s not because of the family gatherings/kids home from school. Though that one is close.

No. It’s about the very best thing about Christmas. The anticipation. The hope.

Advent. I’ve written many a post* about this important yet often under-acknowledged holiday over the years because I'm obsessed with it. Advent is what took my most favorite month of the year and sent my enjoyment of it over the top.

There’s so much to love about the sacredness of Advent. It’s so...so...daily and intentional.

It’s an every day focus on what matters most. The entrance of a Savior into our world. Recalling the details of His first arrival, that starry Bethlehem night. It’s so wonderful to read the eyewitness accounts in the Bible trying to imagine the details. It’s a special kind of worship. Assigning value by remembering and thanking God. It’s honoring to Him.

There's also a looking forward. A longing for the second and final Advent, when all the promises of the Bible are fulfilled at last. When the Savior arrives...again. Not as a baby though, rather a mighty warrior coming to collect His brothers and sisters and bring us to our Father. Oh that will be a day!

I’m looking forward to it and hope you are too. It’s the dream of all dreams. The hope of all hopes. As tragedy and evil increase, the more my anticipation intensifies. Better days are ahead, friends. This isn't as good as it's going to get. Not by far!

What if that hope became the focal point of our Christmas season?
That’s what Advent does.

May I gently suggest you make Advent a more prominent part of your December?

Let's start with the basics:

What Advent ISN'T:
It isn't finding a piece of candy every day hidden in a pocket or behind a fake door. That may be fun and tasty, but it’s not Advent.
It isn't attending a Christmas church service, though we should definitely do that.
It isn't baking Jesus a birthday cake, though he did create frosting for us to love.

Those can be good things, but there is so much more! It's about celebrating Christmas, Jesus-style, making Him the Main Event.

What Advent IS: Every day of December (sometimes starting on December 1st, other times starting the 4th Sunday before Christmas Day)...

It’s preparing room in our heart for Jesus to come fill and quite possibly rearrange what is revealed.
It’s taking time out of our day to focus our thoughts, our prayers, our heart desires on the two Advents.
It's making space in our day to be still, to read God's Word, to pray and listen.
It’s personal worship.
It’s confession of sins.
It's mending broken relationships as much as it is up to us.
It’s finding ways to reach out to the needy, the poor.
It’s being kind and generous to everyone we meet, including those closest to us.
It’s a choice not to arrive at December 25th irritable, worn out and full of regret, wishing we had found the secret to a meaningful Christmas.

How does that sound? Impossible? Nope. It's 100% within our grasp.

It's not even complicated - that's the beauty of it. This is not the time of year we want to take a break from our devotional life. If anything, it should become a greater priority because of all the distractions we know are going to compete for our precious time.

I like to think of it as inviting Jesus to show up in the midst of all the merry and make Himself known to me in a new way that will make me marvel even more at the wonder of Him.

Just find a quiet space, your Bible, light a candle if you like them (I recommend a wood wick and listen to the crackle) and maybe start a fire in your fireplace. No fireplace? No problem. Surely you have Netflix.

(And yes, that's a whimsy turkey...after all, it's Thanksgiving this week!)

As my love for all things Advent, anticipating Jesus’ arrival, intensifies, so does my library of Advent devotionals. These are books written with the expressed intent to help us redirect our minds for a portion of every day (beware - the sheer delight may spill over into more of your moments.) to consider why Christmas is a thing, how it can and should change us, and spark creative, meaningful traditions for our children and grandchildren that will continue for generations.

I have a few favorites and I threw in a moose because I live in the Adirondacks:

Let's take a closer look.....









Found a few more....

I told you I obsess.

When every day of December is focused on Advent, joy permeates every area of your life. The busyness of the season no longer controls your schedule. The hectic pace is not bossing you around. What’s important takes center stage and with fresh Christ-centered moments, the not-as-important frenzy falls away.  And isn’t a silent night and peace on earth what we are all looking for?

Want to join me? Time to start planning now so you’ll be ready when it starts.

Maybe you're thinking, "Girl, you're crazy! This is the nuttiest month of the year, the worst to try and carve out time to sit still!" True, but maybe ask yourself this, “How hungry am I for a Jesus-filled holiday season? Is this the year I take a more spiritual approach to the holidays?”

Whatever you do, don’t settle for an American Christmas alone. I love it all too, but at the end of the day, if it wasn't about Jesus, it didn't mean anything. How have we shown the world around us our Hope, what really matters at Christmas? 

Just like all those years ago, when our Savior first took on flesh and was born into a manger, He is coming for you. He wants to bring you good gifts. All because He loves you. So why not keep watch for Him? Anticipate something wonderful.

"So in these weeks of Advent we ask God to heighten our awareness of His presence, 

to open our eyes to what He is doing - in us and in the world. He may speak to us through the words of others, He may show Himself in the face of someone in need, He may care for us through the kindness of friends, He may move us when we gather for worship, He may stir us through art or music, or He may whisper inwardly by His Spirit. Stay alert."**

Ask the questions - then make a change.
Be like the mugs - anticipate the wonder.



P.S. If you have a different devotional recommendation, do not keep it to yourself, please post it in the comment section.


*feel free to sneak back through my November and December posts through the years for more thoughts on Advent.
**Living The Christian Year by Bobby Gross