Man oh man, Christmas is right around the corner. I mean, really, it's right at the front door step. And my confession is that I've already run out of holiday steam. Brett and I had "A Very Stine Christmas" a few weeks ago when I was feeling extra-holiday-high-on-Christmas-Ecstasy, which consisted of decorating the tree, egg nog, Christmas music, and Brett stringing a very short string of popcorn until he got bored and stopped. He did it because I asked him to, which made me beam at him with star-crossed wonder and Santa pride...My Sweet Sweet Sweety Pie Yummy Cakes stringing popcorn for me!So we decorated, high on Jingle Bells; then, semi-mournfully, we took it all down so we could move, and now I've lost all motivation to decorate our tree OR hang up our stockings for the SECOND time. Please. My Caring Friends. DON'T BE ALARMED. I've made all the arrangements necessary for lack of Christmas spirit. I've surrendered my stocking to coal and confessed to those closest to me, that I am scrooged. And at any point in the middle of the night, I'm expecting the Polar Express to show up at my front door, ready to whisk me off to teach me a lesson about the importance of being Christmasy. And really, as long as Tom Hanks is there, I'm in.

Amidst all this Christmasness and moving, I've really enjoyed reading through our churches ADVENT book. I'll confess that I'm that girl who needs a good reminder what Christmas is about. Because every year World Market Christmas advertisements bombard  my inbox. Every year Martha Stewart magazines trick me into thinking it's all about making advent calendars look chique... instead of paying attention to advent itself. And every year I JUST WANT TO EAT A CANDY CANE!! Do you understand how easily I want to give into it all? Merchandise does a really good job at stealing my affections for Savior Celebrations and precious time with my family.

BUT, I love that advent beckons, "Come, let's celebrate 'a baby born to save the souls of man.'"

I'd love to share with you the joy that has been set in my heart because of the beauty of advent:

"The 'great light' promised by the prophet Isaiah had come into the world. The embodiment of hope, love, light and life wrapped Himself in the frailty of human skin. He came, God in the flesh, full of pity, compassion and power to rescue those lost in darkness and carry them into the kingdom of everlasting light. He came just as He said He would- to do what we never could....

The beautiful thing about light is that it shines to not only expose potential pitfalls and danger but to also reveal what is lovely...Jesus came to rescue us from the black night of sin and to open closed eyes so that we might see, behold and delight in His beauty."  -Seasons, The Village Church (2012)