Advent is coming

"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." - Isaiah 9:2 & 6, ESV

When I was a kid, Christmas was THE event of the year! I remember the gargantuan Sears Wishbook hitting our mailbox, usually around Halloween, and I'd scour the pages for all the toys I wanted: a new GI Joe, new Matchbox cars, or the latest board game that my brothers and I would play on Christmas Day, and then never again. I loved when my mom would put up the modest decorations, and I would eagerly awaited the arrival of our real Christmas tree, placed in the center of the big living room picture window. Even as an adult, the excitement never really diminished, although my gift choices changed: CD's, clothes, and photography accessories became my gifts of choice. Fast-forward to the early 2000's, when my kids were little, and the magic shifted to watching their excitement of the day. Christmas was a day to be celebrated. Then it was back to work, and the live tree was placed at the curb before the next trash day.

I still get excited, but now it's an excitement for the coming of Advent. And this year, for some reason, I am VERY excited about the coming of advent. Perhaps that's fed by the anticipation of the decorating that I'll do around the house the weekend of Thanksgiving, which is when we observe the First Sunday of Advent. Maybe it's because this year, which has been a challenging year for my wife and I, has made me think of the things in life which are really important. Perhaps it is an eagerness to take the time during Advent to enhance and deepen my relationship with God. Or it could be the simple thought of doing my morning devotions by the fire, with the colors of the season splashed all over the house.

Advent is a time of preparation, a time of hope, peace, joy and love. It reflects our soul's call for the coming of one who is to be called Immanuel - God with us.

O come, O come, Immanuel,

and ransom captive Israel

that mourns in lonely exile here

until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel

shall come to you, O Israel.

Follow John's Advent journey here on his blog, johnscoffeehouse.blogspot.com, or on Facebook, johnscoffeehouse.