Today is the 1st Sunday of Advent. A time for us to mark a new beginning. The preparation of our hearts for God’s greatest gift to us – His Son. It is our chance to embrace the hope of all that is coming.
Today I share past Advent traditions and the lessons God shared with me the last few years. On this 1st Sunday of Advent, there is beauty in looking forward while learning from the past. Two years ago, I wrote about story – our story and God’s and the grace that comes when the two are joined.
I wrote:
Advent is a time to dive into how God’s story and ours intersects and becomes the story of grace.
I dug into God’s word and wrote about beginnings and endings. What it looked like to pause in the chaos and to remember that God’s story is our story.
I continue to sift through the busyness of the season searching for the elusive peace I know is there. God’s peace is always present and just needs an invitation from us.
This Advent season is a time for growth once again. It will look different than the last few years because quiet stillness is the call God is laying on my heart.
Now more than ever, I am priming my heart. God is calling me to a deep heart work to make space for Him. I want to be ready for Jesus every day and not just during Advent.
[Tweet “When our hearts are primed for God to enter, we are better able to accept the gift of grace.”]
Join me on this 1st Sunday of Advent for a time of reflection. Click on the video below. Share in the comments how you celebrated Advent growing up or if this is new to you.
Thank you for being here! Blessings!
I want to share that the introductory music in the video was created by my son, Nick Geisen.
Blessing to you too, Mary, this first week of Advent as you continue to open space for His work during this season! Lovely words in your video. Thank you!
Hi Mary! My church tradition also has a large Advent wreath, and different families would light the candle. I was always so jealous of those people, wishing that I could do it too!
Your point about carrying the understanding of Advent into the whole week is such a good one. I just love this season, and taking time to be with Jesus is a great way to really savor his presence.
I am loving your videos! Good for you for doing them. You have such a lovely voice and a great calming presence too.
Blessings,
Ceil
Yes! I don’t want Advent to stop when Monday rolls around. I love the lighting of the candles and what each candle symbolizes, but for me, God wanted me to dig into really knowing the stories. I love Advent and this year I want to honor God by being still with Him.
Thank you for your kind words about the video. It is a learning experience.
My family didn’t focus on celebrating Advent per se when I was a child. We celebrated and focused on Christ coming as a Savior, of course, but I just didn’t really know what it all entailed until my adulthood. And I still feel a bit behind so many people, like you, Mary, who have followed those traditions throughout the years. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us and encouraging us to honor the Lord’s birth with these rich and important traditions, my friend!
I don’t think you should feel behind when it comes to Advent.Taking time to slow down, prepare and open yourself to what it means to have Jesus in our lives can be done all year long. I know for me God has used the time of Advent to teach me more the last few years than I ever knew growing up. I pray you find the rhythm of Advent in your own life as you dig into the stories and key characters leading up to Christmas.
Looking forward to watching your video later. And joining you in prayer for heart work during this season.
May we all be open to the heart work that God wants to do in us. I hope you were able to watch the video. I had a lot of blog issues over the weekend and into Monday.