Light

 "Ask a woman who she is, and she'll tell you who she loves, who she serves, and what she does. The fact that we define ourselves by our roles is what keeps the world spinning. It's also what makes us untethered and afraid."

Sweet Daddy has the blessing of having to work yesterday and I hoped as he readied for work that Peanut would wake on the early side.

You see the first 15 minutes of the day are the absolute best. He misses this 5 days a week and I wanted him to get his two days!

She wakes with this unbridled enthusiasm for Christmas. There's an elf to find - what silly antics will Snowflake have done while she slumbered? There's an advent calendar door to open - what treasure for our winter ball will we find today? There's lights to plug in - a Christmas house to awaken. Finally, there are candles to light and bible verses to read.

She approaches each morning with such enthusiasm that it's catching.

She is actively waiting for Christmas.

I wanted Sweet Daddy to soak a little of that up before a long work day.

I started celebrating Advent with the big kids as part of our homeschool routine many years ago. It's interesting to me that advent is viewed as a denominational practice rather than a "big C" Church one.

Advent is part of the church calendar rhythm. It's merely the act of preparing your heart and mind for the arrival of the newborn king.

Much like any other church practice it can be as personal or as legalistic as YOU choose.

We all practice an advent daily as we wait for the second coming - an anticipation, a preparation. We live a life between advents.

I listened to several sermons last Sunday as it was the first day of Advent.

The Sunday of HOPE.

In one a dear friend challenged me to think "Are you waiting ACTIVELY?"

I think we often think the decorating, the shopping, the baking, the gatherings, the moving of the elf - that those are our active waiting.

I'd challenge us to think that those are our distractions.

The things we busy ourselves with to avoid doing the hard heart work that comes with Christmas.

A few years ago our family (let's face it - me because as the Queen magic maker I'm also the calendar keeper) embraced a Simple Christmas.

Oddly inspired by an episode of The Middle and not a religious practice, I began to approach every piece of Christmas and ask myself - Will this bring me closer to Jesus over the next 4 weeks or farther away?

You'd be surprised how many things fall into the farther away when you do the tough work of asking the question.

Even pre-pandemic, you won't find me dragging my people all over town to create memories.

You will find us gathered around my dining room table. You will find us lighting advent candles. You'll find open bibles. You'll find Charlie Brown Christmas Uno, gingerbread house kits, hot cocoa/popcorn and a huge box of Christmas movies.

You'll find a string of lights over each of my windows - to remind us all to look for the Light.

You'll find me saying no to good things in reverence of saying yes to better.

My people have a full schedule this time of year. It's midterms and basketball and the final driving lessons for one. It's finals and work and friends returning home for another. It's a busy time in the school for Sweet Daddy. There are many things that we can not say "No" to - but there are plenty we can.

Mama Warriors, in case you need someone to tell you -it's okay to CHOOSE to be still when you can.

In fact, it's more than okay.

It can be better. Holy.

Us Mamas tend to define ourselves by our relationships with others - mother, daughter, wife, friend.

I challenge you in this season to spend time defining yourself IN Jesus.

Prioritize that.

The rest will fall into place.

Making that choice will guide all your relationships to have the boundaries that are needed.

Making that choice will gift you a Christmas that will bear fruit instead of material gifts.

Making that choice will gift YOU light.

Published 2020