I see Advent unfolding,
like a beautifully wrapped Christmas present;
the anticipation of the surprise inside,
while savoring the beauty and the effort made to create such a delightful package.
Advent unfolds like the searching for,
and the gift of offering an enormous,
blue spruce tree,
lovingly parted with from land in distant Connecticut, carefully timbered,
driven over miles of highway and city streets
to be erected with the starlight of LEDs,
for a single moment of illumination;
all to bring thrills and jubilance to those homegrown
or from lands far away.
Christmas crafts and an entrepreneurial spirit erupt
in unexpected places,
like Times Square and the local senior center,
nudging us to think of someone else
and what we might share
in gratitude for our connection.
Reminders and pleadings to remember
to take care of someone else and to give, please.
Holiday decorations, personal and grand,
sprout from nimble fingers
with thoughtful designs to bring light and sparkle
to long, dark days,
providing sustenance and motivation
to press on until days of darkness
recede into sunlight.
Advent, a time of awakening
from the induced slumber wrought by daily chores
and work loads
and “to do” lists,
to see and hear and experience,
once again,
the opportunity and the grace
that a birth and rebirth can instill in a life.

Advent
A time of travel, a time of flow, a time of movement
From a season of release to a season of retreat and respite.
A time when vibrant orange, yellow, ocher, cinnamon becomes a time of evergreen, scarlet, silver and white.
A season of gratitude to a season of hope..
The seeds of renewal planted, 
yet waiting for their birth. 
The sprouts and shoots only a glimmer in the imagination 
born of and borne by faith. 

Waiting 
Wading
Aren’t they kind of the same?
They sound the same, unless you’re particular. 
Are you really completely still when you’re waiting 
Or, like when you wade,
Don’t you move slowly, 
Feeling for your footing,
Grounding yourself, 
Bracing yourself, 
In preparation for,
Not only the arrival at your destination, 
But simply for the next step in that direction, 
Be it going to
Or returning from.
Each footfall 
Requires slow and deliberate 
thought, planning, movement. 
Waiting is consistently and persistently, 
And ever so gently, 
wading into the mix. 

I love that the “joy” candle is pink. 

As each candle of Advent is lit with a flame…
what are they to you?
Love
Hope 
Joy
Peace
Light of the World 
Think on these things.
We long for them, and yet, we know them. 

Susan Ceely Philips