Today is the first Sunday of Advent!
I love Advent. I love counting down to the day of our Savior’s birth and thinking over that period of time about Mary and what she must have felt. I love the story of Mary going to visit Elizabeth and how John the Baptist, still in utero, jumped with joy to be near the Christ. I love to think of Joseph and how hard it must have been for him to accept God’s use of his betrothed in this way – and what he must have thought of the prospect of becoming the earthly father of the Messiah. And I love the anticipation that’s in the air and the expression of that in the Advent carols like Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus and O Come O Come Emmanuel.
Does your church celebrate Advent? Is there a particular aspect you enjoy the most?
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Last Week
On Monday, Heather Gray talked about her novel Nowhere for Christmas
On Tuesday, Merrillee Whren shared her Thoughts on November 22nd
On Wednesday, Sally Bradley talked about Loving Fiction
On Thursday, we were closed for Thanksgiving
On Friday, Debra Lynn Collins talked about Saying Goodbye to Thanksgiving and Hello to Christmas
On Saturday, Jolene Navarro talked about A Texas Hill Country Thanksgiving
Next Week
Monday: JoAnn Durgin
Tuesday: Autumn MacArthur
Wednesday: Ginger Solomon
Thursday: Staci Stallings
Friday: Deb Kastner
Saturday: Narelle Atkins
New Releases
November 2016
The Ranger’s Texas Proposal (Lone Star Cowboy League: Boys Ranch) by Jessica Keller
Operation Back-to-School (Operation Romance book 4) by Elizabeth Maddrey
Other Than a Halo (Christmas in Montana 2) by Valerie Comer
An Informal Date (Informal Romance 4) by Heather Gray
Mistletoe Daddy (Cowboy Country 5) by Deb Kastner
Least Expected (Love in Store Novella) by Autumn Macarthur
Melbourne Memories (Heart of Australia) by Marion Ueckermann
December 2016
It Was You (King’s Cove Collection) by Jessica Keller
An Aspen Creek Christmas (Aspen Creek Crossroads) by Roxanne Rustand
Apple Orchard Bride (Goose Harbor 5) by Jessica Keller
The Nanny’s Texas Christmas (Lone Star Cowboy League: Boys Ranch) by Lee Tobin McClain
Pursuit (Lewis Legacy 8) by JoAnn Durgin
A Hero for Heather (Seven Suitors for Seven Sisters 3) by Marion Ueckermann
A Husband for Holly (Seven Suitors for Seven Sisters 4) by Marion Ueckermann
Elizabeth Maddrey is a semi-reformed computer geek and homeschooling mother of two who lives in the suburbs of Washington D.C. When she isn’t writing, Elizabeth is a voracious consumer of books. She loves to write about Christians who struggle through their lives, dealing with sin and receiving God’s grace on their way to their own romantic happily ever after.
The anticipation of our Saviour’s birth is beautiful, we are teaching our boys that Christmas is really Jesus’ birthday:) I love listening to Handel’s “Messiah” and celebrating the life of Jesus, beginning with His birth. Mary’s trust, Joseph’s willingness to accept Mary… there is always something to take away that makes me wonder anew! Enjoy your week:)
That’s exactly the focus we are trying to have with our boys. It can be a challenge when we’re surrounded by the gimme gimme gimme in the culture, but I pray that the things we do at home will speak louder than the voices in the world.
Have a great week :) and thanks for being such a faithful commenter.
Blessings on Advent, Elizabeth. So fitting you are reminding inspy romance readers about the story of Mary and Elizabeth.
Being of German heritage, celebrating Advent is not only celebrated at church, but is celebrated nightly at dinner as a family. Yesterday, I put out our Advent wreaths. I have three of them – one made from pine, one that is a hand carved wooden one with angels, and a ceramic one. When my sons married, their first Christmas as a couple, they received an advent wreath. The boys and now the grandchildren have several advent calendars: a felt one with figures that hangs on the wall, but the kids love their individual chocolate ones. We also have an Advent Candle. It had numbers down the side and usually burns @ 20 minutes before the next number. When my boys were young, we read a Christmas story every night after dinner. I had four different books with wonderful stories that made children aware of how not only Americans and Germans, but other nationalities prepare and celebrate Christmas. In our family, Advent prepares our family for Christ’s birth during this busy commercialized time of year. We have HOPE because God is faithful and will keep the promised made to us. Our HOPE comes from God.
I love this Renate! My grandmother was a German Mennonite (she grew up speaking German in the home though they lived in America.) And so I grew up with advent wreaths and calendars as well – we do ours every night here as well. I have several devotionals and books that we read as we count down to Christmas. My favorite (and the boys’) is a set of tiny books, each one with a piece of the story of Jesus coming – beginning with the prophecies in Isaiah.) When my eldest was reading well enough, he took over reading them for us. It warms my heart.
I agree with Elizabeth. I loved Renate’s comment, too.
I’ve never celebrated Advent, nor been a part of a church that does. Don’t know how it’s celebrated really! But I do anticipate the Christmas season where we celebrate not only the birth of Jesus but also the reason He was born. A time of reflection of God’s love towards us :-)