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From: lizzies
Date: Mon Dec  6 14:49:11 EST 2010
Subject: Preparation

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Suki: Sickness (12/30/10)

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Suki: Sickness (12/30/10)

Thanks for the list of Advent Readings, Sue. Today I read a devotional by Loretta Ross-Gotta in an Advent readings book. The title was "To Be Virgin" and at first it didn't grab me. As I quieted my mind and heart and continued to read, I found that it asked many of the questions I've been asking myself as I wrestle with this season of celebrating the coming of Christ.
This season of "busy-ness", hurrying to get the gifts made or bought, decorating the house, running out for holiday supplies, getting the Christmas cards out, remembering to pause to celebrate the "reason for the season" all leads to anxiety for me. Will my kids understand that Christmas is about more than the presents? How can I help them connect the story of Bethlehem with what they see around us in the culture?
The devotional author asked, "What if we didn't decorate the tree or do the Christmas traditions this year, but instead came together as a community and someone announced "Christ was born. God is here"?' We wouldn't need the tree strung with lights. We wouldn't have to deny that painful dissonance between the promise and hope of Christmas and a world wracked with sin and evil."
So I'm left with the stillness. My head is telling me to "hang on to the traditions" and get those cards out and go get a few more decorations and get out there and string some lights on the house because it looks festive. . .
But my heart is crying out for quiet. The author's question at the end was "What if instead of doing something, we were to be something special? Be a womb. Be a dwelling for God. Be surprised." Can I live without some of the "dear old traditions"? Can I adopt some new ones that will bring quietness to my heart and home instead?
What do you and your family do to "rest" during December? What traditions do you have for finding God?
I finished by reading John 1. I'm praying that I will see the glory of the One and Only who came from the Father full of grace and truth. That His truth will shed some more Light this year on what I see all around me and what I truly long for inside. For more quietness. For being okay to just "be" still.

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From: Suki
Date: Wed Dec 29 19:42:09 EST 2010
Subject: Sickness

I really enjoyed these little advent readings this year. They were generally short or narrative-ish, so the kids could engage with them. We would turn out all the lights and light a candle or oil lamp to read the advent Scripture together, then sing a Christmas hymn and pray before bed. This only happened a few times, actually -- whenever we had the time and energy at the end of the day. But the kids would talk about the ideas in following days, so it seemed to have an impact. I am now thinking about ways to incorporate this kind of Scripture reading into our family life throughout 2011.
My other fail-safe way of becoming still during advent is to fall sick. This happened reliably last week and continues into this week, leaving first Eric and now myself canceling events and lying around in jammies. This may or may not lead to spiritual awakenings (sometimes it does!), but it definitely leads to rest.

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