Drawing Near at Advent

"We are a people of promise. For centuries, God prepared people for the coming of his Son, our only hope for life. At Christmas we celebrate the fulfillment of the promises God made —that he would give a way to draw near to him." ~John Piper

Today we welcomed in the first of the Advent season. On the Christian calendar, Advent is the season leading up to Christmas. It begins four Sundays before December 25th and is a time of waiting, praying and preparing for the celebratory birth of Christ. 

Though I've surely heard of advent since childhood, this year I plan to honor it with more intentionality. My prayer is that this December will not be yet another busy holiday month full of parties, food and consuming, but that it will instead be a time of waiting, watching and praying. A time of remembrance and longing for the coming King. A time for self-forgetfulness and goodwill to my fellow man (and woman). A time of peace. And most of all, a time of worship. Oh how very much my life needs Advent.