Practical Advent is a daily blog series I’m doing throughout Advent this year. Join me on my blog each day for practical faith tips.

Practical Advent, Day 2

Since childhood, I’ve observed Advent each year. It’s been a wonderful way to build my faith and increase my anticipation of Christmas for all the right reasons. I highly encourage you to observe Advent as well, because it can help you be more intentional in this busy season.

In this Practical Advent blog series, I’ll have the same post format to give you about 10-15 minutes of practical tips for loving God, loving others, and loving yourself during the Advent season.

Praise

Each day of Practical Advent, I’ll share one of my favorite songs to listen to during Advent. Take a moment to praise God while you listen.

Here’s a new favorite – a duet between Brandon Heath and Francesca Battistelli called Long Expected.

Ponder

Every day of Practical Advent, I’ll share a quote or idea from an Advent book in my collection for you to ponder, along with my thoughts and a few reflection questions.

Today’s quote is from a very good, new Advent book I read this year called Unhappy Holidays.

“Part of the intensity of pain during the holidays is our reckoning with the reality that we only ever truly have the present moment. In our efforts to avoid or numb our discomfort, some of us look to the future. We plan and prepare, we anticipate and dream. Others of us fixate on the past, either with rose-colored glasses and such nostalgia that the present could never live up to what was, or with regret, longing, and a sigh of ‘if only.’ These mindsets keep us from where we can actually have an impact: the present moment. Perhaps when Jesus speaks of not worrying about tomorrow (Matthew 6:25-34), it is more than a command or promise of future provision- but instead an invitation to be attentive to what is, as it is.”

This quote speaks right to my current struggle in this imperfect Advent season, when I’m still in a liminal space that doesn’t feel right, good, or fair. Yet the present moment is the only place I can afford to be, and I’m meditating on Matthew 6:25-34 in this season to follow Jesus’ desires for me. I like her perspective on the scripture and her gentle affirmations in this book.

Reflection questions:

1. What is your temptation this Advent – to focus more on the past or the future, and why?
2. How does the author’s thoughts about Matthew 6:25-34 invite you to see the present of Advent in a different way?

Pray

On each post during Practical Advent, I’ll write an original prayer or share one I’ve written in seasons past.

Here’s one I wrote a few years ago – A Prayer of Christmas Surrender.

Pour In

What I’m doing differently this season to pour into myself is starting the day with stretching. From time to time, plantar fasciitis flares up, and I wake with soreness in my feet and legs. I’ve found that a simple hamstring stretch helps loosen my tendons as soon as I get out of bed. This little roller also helps me work out the knots in my feet. If I do this every morning, I feel better throughout the day. Also, scientific studies prove that if you use a roller on your feet before bed, you’ll get better sleep. This is the one I use.

Pour Out

Is your church hosting a special event this year? Invite someone you know to attend that event with you. My church is seeker-focused and offers several opportunities to invite an unchurched person, such as food packing for Feed My Starving Children, a live nativity for children and families, and a service on grief called The Longest Night. People can feel intimidated by attending a church service, but these types of events can ease the transition. Think of someone you can invite to an event like that today.

Just for Fun

Here I’ll share something that’s making me smile this season, and I hope it does the same for you.

Last night I made the first Christmas cookies of the season – I limit myself to one serving per day. These are my great-grandma’s molasses crinkles.

See all new posts in this series on THIS PAGE.

Find all my additional resources for Advent on THIS PAGE.

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