Ready and Waiting.

The holiday music has started, the Christmas trees have started going up, and the neighborhoods are starting to light up the streets. The only thing is, I don't feel ready to celebrate Christmas. Don't get me wrong, I'm very excited that the season is already here, it just has a way of sneaking up on me.

We went to pick up our Christmas tree yesterday, and we realized that we didn't have our stand anywhere. So instead of being already set up in our living room, it's waiting on the back porch. It's just a little thing, but it felt like it was more representative than just a missing tree stand. You might remember how we moved into this house, just about a year ago, and our life has seemed like a whirlwind since. With my hubby in grad school, and then, running my business, not to mention normal family life, it's wild to see time slip through your hands. I feel myself being passed from one season to the next without much thoughtful participation on my part. Without fully entering the season with celebration.

Call this a confession, or maybe it's more of a proclamation, but either way, what I want more than anything this holiday season, is to be fully present. Present to my family, my friends...present to the mystery and miracle of what my God did for me. For us. All of us.

Love has come down, and I for one, don't want to miss what that means this season. May we celebrate what the season is truly about this year, and resist the temptation to be swept away with pretty decorations and busy shopping.

This week, my hope is to write a few posts that will help you enter this season with rest and renewal, being able to celebrate His coming in a new way. O, Come, let us adore.