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Thankful…For Confession

Perhaps it is the time of year, but I keep bumping into the realization that gratitude is a powerful avenue for grace and goodness in our lives. Which means that I have also become acutely aware of my heart’s lack of it. I have come to see that my perspective on most things is directly correlated to my gratitude in that area. For example, when my thoughts regarding someone I love seem to be overly critical, I realize that it is tied to a disproportionate focus on the qualities this person lacks or mistakes he or she has made. Once I start to consider the many wonderful qualities of that person or ways that person blesses me, my critique softens and my perspective widens.

Living without enough gratitude essentially means that we are constantly focused on what we, or others, lack. It breeds discontentment and sets us up for strive. As with the formation of all spiritual disciplines, I need to make deeper gratitude a habit in order to become a more thankful person. I have heard of people keeping gratitude journals, and I thought I would try it. It’s nothing elaborate, but I simply daily write a couple of lines about someone or something I am thankful to God (the source of all good) for in my life. In keeping with this mindset, I thought I would spend the month of November blogging about some big things we have to be thankful for in our lives.

thankful-for-confession

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I Want to Be One of Them!

By Sampo Torgo at en.wikipedia [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons

By Sampo Torgo at en.wikipedia [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons

It’s the Feast of All Saints tomorrow — one of my favorite solemnities! As it approaches each year, my thoughts go to a mental image of all the saints around the throne of God, and I always feel a bit overwhelmed with emotion.  The other day I happened to be listening to Sara Groves’ song “When the Saints Go Marching In,” and the lyrics evoked that familiar, stirring response in me. I thought I would share a few of the lines. Groves’ is talking about what she sees in her mind when she thinks about “all who’ve gone before and lived a faithful life:” Continue reading →

Advent Prep and a {Free} Gift!

By SolLuna (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

By SolLuna (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Advent is only six weeks away! If you are like me, you’re thinking, “I’ve got plenty of time.” But about this point in the year all that time starts filling up fast. Best to make our preparations now and know that we are ready to start a peaceful and reflective Advent when it arrives. I thought I would share my checklist for Advent prep with all of you, and have you sign-up for a free Advent gift (see below):

  • Buy candles — I have waited too long in the past, and many stores will sell out of Advent candles. The past couple of years I have bought the beeswax kits to make our own (super quick and easy) from Toadily Handmade Beeswax Candles. They have a variety of different sets you could purchase, and right now they are offering free shipping. We usually roll the beeswax sheets into candles with the kids over Thanksgiving weekend, and they are so excited to help get ready for Advent.
  • Create (or update) Advent playlist — Don’t go into Advent without music for the season. It is so important. I usually have it playing at home throughout the day when we are just hanging out, and the music and lyrics help keep us fixed on preparing our hearts for Christ’s arrival at Christmas. It can be time-consuming to search for the best music, but I have a surprise — I’m going to share my playlist with you! I’m in the process of creating a new playlist on Spotify, and when I get it done (in the next couple of weeks) I will email it out. So if you want it, please sign-up, and I will send it your way! I will also include some great titles that aren’t available on Spotify that you can purchase elsewhere.
  • Have a personal devotion plan — Ask the Holy Spirit to show you his plan for your Advent. Select a devotional plan or determine how you will set this season apart in your prayer life. I have signed-up for Bishop Robert Barron’s Advent reflections in the past. The Magnificat has an Advent booklet as well. There are lots of printed or digital options out there.
  • Have a family plan — How will your family celebrate Advent together on a daily and weekly basis. Perhaps you will light Advent candles each night at the dinner table and sing “O Come Emmanuel.” Or perhaps you will recite the “O Antiphons” December 17 – December 23. Decide what will be meaningful and beautiful to your family and what will bring all of you closer to Christ and ready to celebrate his birth. Remember, it is always a good time to start a new tradition!
  • Prepare some version of a Jesse Tree — the Jesse Tree tradition really highlights the whole meaning behind Advent. It traces the people and events in salvation history, and it reminds us of the long waiting that led up to Christ’s birth. Ann Voskamp’s book, Unwrapping the Greatest Gift, is a beautiful resource for families, and I plan to use it as my children get older. I currently use The Reason for the Season Jesse Tree ornaments with the Jesus Storybook Bible with my preschool-aged children.

It doesn’t take too much prep to have a beautiful and reflective Advent. It’s not about decorations and buying things. It’s about creating an atmosphere in your heart and home that is reflective of waiting on the Lord and anticipates Christ’s coming in our lives.