Advent Gladness for the Heart

Advent is my favorite time of the year. It is a season in which I learn
more about Jesus and reflect on Him in relation to my life. Even though
Jesus has been central to my life for more than thirty years, only since
1990 have I come to appreciate the riches and treasures of the Advent
season.

Our word advent is derived from the Latin word adventus, which means
arrival. Living here in St Andrews, Scotland, I was surprised to learn
that Advent begins on the Sunday closest to St Andrew's Day, Novem-
ber 30. This year Advent began on Sunday, December 3, and continues
for the following three Sundays, concluding at sundown on the fourth
Sunday of Advent, December 24. Then, technically, Christmas Eve be-
gins. But in other years, Advent ends at midnight between the 23rd
and 24th, and Christmas Eve is all of the 24th.

Advent helps us to prepare and wait for the arrival of Christmas, when
we celebrate that Jesus was born as a baby in Bethlehem almost 2000
years ago. God dwelt among us, and the world has never been the same.
Christians in ancient times not only saw Advent as a season that pre-
pares us for Christmas Day, but also as the beginning of a new year of
the Christian Church. The Christian year follows the life of Jesus. The
first Sunday of Advent is the Church's New Year, and the most impor-
tant day of the year is Easter Sunday, when God's People celebrate
Christ's victorious raising from the dead by God. I have much more
to share with you about Advent, but that will come in the days to
come.

I also share with you-and I do so in a whisper- that I have been writing
on my dissertation the past several days. Today I did 500 words, which
was my goal per day before the surgery. I am excited about that! But I
want to keep it quiet. That's why I'm telling you in a whisper. Don't share
it with just anyone.

May you be richly blessed in this Advent season.