The days of Christmas are now with us!

It’s not the promotional sales, parades or the parties that mark the beginning of the season … it is possibility to engage in the preparation of the Advent.

Advent began last Sunday on December 1st and will continue until Christmas Eve, December 24th. We have the opportunity to use these days to prepare and remember the real meaning of Christmas.

Churches have prepared an Advent wreath and a candle will be lit each of the four Sundays of the Advent … the Prophets’ Candle, symbolizing hope; the Bethlehem Candle, symbolizing faith; the Shepherds’ Candle, symbolizing joy; the Angel’s Candle, symbolizing peace.

I look forward to these Sundays of the Advent and so cherish what they create in my heart.

Also, Advent devotionals have been written in the hope that they will provide meaningful reflection and the potential to redeem from the Advent all that is to be ours.

My Advent devotional of choice this year is, “The Good News Of Hope” which features devotionals written by Evangel University alumni, who represent the fully blended reality of Evangel today.

You can download this for yourself here“>here.

All of this is intended to bring one profound result …
Advent Awakens The Heart

We all know that the days of Christmas are dominated by everything but the right thing!

The level of activity that we engage in is almost incomprehensible.

While we will be doing very good things, the fact remains that the pace will be intense. In the crush of all of this constant activity, the inspiration and intimacy that should define these days of Christmas will be lost to us.

In simple terms, here is what the season is all about …
Advent Awakens The Heart

In his article, “This Advent Will Change You”, David Mathis says this, “This Advent will change you. You will not be the same afterward. You will be the better for it, or the worse. Every Advent matters. Will you be closer to Christ come December 25 or further away? Will you be softer to Him or more callous? Will more fog lie between your eyes and His face, or will you see Him with greater clarity and savor Him with greater fervor? Will you know and enjoy Jesus more?’

This is so powerfully spoken … and the truth that it reveals must certainly confront all of us in a very convincing kind of way.

I know what I long for and where I want my heart to be focused.

I want this Advent to be a time of preparation … the kind of preparation that softens my heart, allows me to see Him and to savor the beauty of His presence.

I realize that for this to happen, it will require the best of my efforts and devotion … and that is exactly what I intend to offer up to Him.

Advent Awakens The Heart

My prayer is that all of this will be yours as well.

– Terry –