Last Week of Advent

Hi guys!!

How are you?    Actually, I am not really using this question these days.  I was just telling a friend the other day that I want to think up new questions. Questions that I'm asking in all sincerity of learning more about whomever I am speaking to.  I hear this question all the time but its not really a question.  It's just a greeting. I always wonder WHY?  Why ask something if you don't really want to know. Drives me nuts.  Has for years.  So here's a couple new ones.  Answer them. I'm really asking and want to know. But I suppose the hard part is not in the asking.  It's in the answering.  So if I'm going to ask real questions, I've got be ready to take the time for real answers, right?

What's on your mind today?

What's your prayer today?

And for a more those less deep encounters . . . What's on your agenda today?

Anywho. . . to share a few moments of our days around here.

I've had this pin in my Advent folder on Pinterest for several years now. This year I was determined to actually carry it out.  I really wanted to share another voice in our culture, albeit a tiny, quiet one.  "Let's wait. Let's anticipate. Let's prepare."  

Let's not just jump into Fa, La, La the day after Thanksgiving.  The best things are anticipated, waited, and prepared for.  

So what was the pin?  An outdoor Advent wreath.  Advent colors: purple (symbolizing preparation and repentance) and rose (pink essentially,for Gaudete Sunday; a day of rejoicing: Christmas draws near).

I found the supplies (yahoo!) and as often happens, struggled to carry it into fruition.  Husband saves the day! Yipee!!  He put it together for me and mounted it to the mailbox. It turned out lovely.  The pics here are pretty frosty. It was a frosty morning when I took my pics. As you can see, it was the second week of Advent went I took the picture.  

Mace turned four last week. Crrrazy!  How did this happen?  Dunno. You turn around and four years have gone by.  The boys had a junior high fun night the evening of his birthday that we didn't want them to miss. So we had birthday cake, candles, balloons (because that's how they know its really their birthday, right? balloons), cards, and gift at lunchtime.  Doug came home for a bit and we celebrated.  Later when the boys were at their fun night we took the two youngest to the outlet mall with several dollars in quarters.  Mace loves those riding toys.  So Mace and Nutmeg climbed on rocks and rode mall toys for his celebration.  Great fun! Afterwards they shared a hot chocolate at Panera.  We drove back to the church looking at Christmas lights and listening to music. Simple entertainment.

Nutmeg dressed up for Mace's birthday. 

Since it was the middle of the day, we had pumpkin bread for cake with cream cheese frosting.  Everyone was cool with that. 

Nice, Mace, nice!

At Doug's work, they always have a drawing contest for the Christmas cards they send out to the public.  Our kids have never taken the time to enter the contest.  This year they did. Basil led the way with his determination.  He worked super hard on his card. Researching ideas. Looking for ways to draw various elements of his picture, etc. His hard work paid off. He won! Well, he won with another girl.  Our friend's daughter! How fun is that?!  They always have two winners. One for the outside of the card and one for the inside. The both received a gift card to our local toy store downtown.  Saturday was the day Basil wanted to use his card.  So the two boys browsed for quite a while at the toy store.  While they shopped, we took Mace and Nutmeg on a horse-drawn carriage ride around the town square.  We really  have such a great little town. 

Oh and I will take a picture sometime of Basil's drawing and share it with you.

The O Antiphons started Sunday!  The great antiphons are my favorite part of Advent. Usually for Advent I have big hopes to make it a quiet, learning season. I usually falter in that pursuits. It's tough to make Advent a quiet meaningful time being the mom. All the planning and carrying out of those plans takes a lot of time and mental involvement. It's so easy to lose focus and let my heart and mind get caught in a frenzied whirlwind.  But so often the prayers of the O Antiphons are an unexpected joy! They really call me to look backward. To look backward at the prophecies of the coming Christ. To see the present. See Jesus at work today and who is has been in the world and in my own life. But  the best part is the joy that comes with the expectancy the Antiphons call me (and us) to. The joy in the anticipation of the future. In a week we will celebrate the best birthday of all.  And even greater JOY is the anticipation that someday LOVE himself will gather us to himself.  I love them. It is so lovely and joyous to join in the refrain.

O Come . . . O Wisdom . . . . O Lord . . . O Root of Jesse . . . O Morning Star . . . O King of Nations . . O Emmanuel. .



Today's antiphon. . .

O Root of Jesse,
you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples;
kings stand silent in your presence;
the nations bow down in worship before you.
Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid.


And the Scripture references where the phrases are found. . . 


O Root of Jesse, (Isaiah 11:1)
You stand for the ensign of mankind (Isaiah 11:10); before You kings shall keep silence and to You all nations shall have recourse (Isaiah 52:15). * Come, save us, and do not delay (Habakkuk 2:3).