The month of December can be truly exhausting, but it doesn’t have to be this way.

Dear Friends,

“And the Word became flesh and lived among us.” (John 1:14)

This is one of those years that the Advent Calendar works perfectly as a countdown to Christmas. The first day of Advent is December 1. For many of us, we look at it as the period of time to check off the days to Christmas. For most of us, we are relieved when it is over so that we can get back to our normal routines. The month of December can be truly exhausting, but it doesn’t have to be this way.

What if we enter this season with a different approach? Kate Moorehead, the dean of St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral in Jacksonville, Florida, wrote the book “I Witness – Living Inside the Stories of Advent & Christmas”.  Moorehead suggests that if we are to draw closer to God, we must enter the story of salvation as a child, with our hearts and minds wide open. We must be willing to enter the story and live within it.

We all know the story of Jesus’ birth, but have we ever placed ourselves within the scripture to experience it? St. Ignatius of Loyola developed the spiritual practices of meditation and prayer that involve using the imagination to deepen one’s relationship with God. In her book, Moorehead uses this practice to draw us into the stories of Advent and Christmas.

My goal this year is to read this daily devotional and to experience the familiar story in a new way. My hope is to not count down the days for it to be over, but rather to embrace each day as a way to draw nearer to the One who loves us so much, he came to live with us. I invite you to join me on this journey.

Blessings,
Gini+