Week 1 ~ Hope
by Addie Pascal
I never knew much about Advent growing up, beyond those little countdown calendars with the bad chocolate and jolly cartoon Santas and elves. Of course, I never had one, because my parents would have considered it a sin to eat bad chocolate. #spoiled.
To me, Christmas was about decorations and cookies and music, and most importantly, presents. But as I’ve gotten older and as my kids have gotten older, I’ve found myself really searching for what it means to be more intentional when it comes to not only celebrating Christmas, but preparing for Christmas.
And I’ve fallen head-over-heels in love with Advent.
Advent literally means “coming” in Latin, and it’s all about waiting. Such a novel idea in the “get it now” culture that we live in today, isn’t it? During Advent, we meditate on the celebration of the birth of Jesus and why it matters. But more than that; we also use this time to anticipate with great expectation the return of Christ.