And then it was Christmas! A Journey toward Christmas

My mother was an avid writer. She wrote in her own personal journals. She wrote countless letters. She had her own blog. She wrote for the local newspaper in Homosassa, Florida. She wrote the Vacation Bible School literature for her church in Greensboro, NC. And she wrote several devotional guides for Advent and Lent. (I'm sure this list probably just scratches the surface!)

When I uncovered her Advent Devotional Guides about a month ago, I decided to "publish" the oldest one in my blog for the 4 weeks leading up to Christmas. Many people who knew her will be able to hear her voice as they read these entries. And although I think it might be therapeutic for us to experience the perspective of this one whom we loved so dearly, she would insist that we focus on the subject at hand: the coming of the Savior.

And Then It Was Christmas! A Journey Toward Christmas was written in 2006. During this time Mother was the primary caregiver for my dear, sweet father who was declining in health and suffering from dementia. They lived in Homosassa, Florida with their cocker spaniel, Cisco. Theirs was a beautiful home -- quiet, homey, lovely. My family visited them regularly at Christmas and during spring break. It was a great place to go to escape the cold and to enjoy the sun room. Mother loved it there. I envision her sitting there with her Bible, her coffee, and her dog, looking out at the beautiful yard and contemplating Scripture. (She used to do that in my own sun room not too long ago so it's an easy picture for me to see.)

Today's post features the introduction to Mother's Christmas journal from 2006. With the exception of the Sunday entries about the Advent Candles, each day of my blog until Christmas will be Mother's words. I pray that this season of Advent -- of preparation -- will be rich and meaningful as we look with anticipation to the coming of the King of Kings!

An introduction to this Christmas journal

Every morning I get up very early -- somewhere between 5:30 ad 6:30 -- get myself a cup of coffee, my Bible, my journal, and a pen, and I settle down for about two hours of reading, thinking, praying, and writing. Only God, the dog, and I are up! It's so quiet, and I love this time!

In late September or early October, during this morning time, I began thinking about Christmas. I meandered through the Bible looking at verses in the Old Testament that promised the Messiah would come and in the New Testament that told of His arrival. Sometimes the verses were familiar; sometimes they were a little obscure, not the ones that we usually hear and associate with Christmas. I read and thought and wrote notes to myself about what I was reading. The result: a journal with a Christmas theme.

Then I had an idea. I wondered if others would benefit by my meanderings as they, too, prepare for Christmas. So I put my verses and thoughts together, not necessarily in the order that I had read them. I'd like to share my Christmas journal, to invite you to journey with me in my preparation for Christmas. It's written in the first person because I was writing what I thought -- just for me -- and changing the "I" to "we" was a monumental task. My thoughts are probably not very profound, but the Scripture surely is! I really enjoyed this spiritual journey. God had a plan for Jesus to come long, long before He got here -- a wonderful plan to redeem a people for Himself. How generous is His grace that we -- even I -- can enjoy being one of those redeemed! How incredibly patient God was, waiting until exactly the right time in history.

I hope this little gift will be an encouragement to you as we prepare for the celebration of the birthday of our Lord.

Have a joyful trip to the birthday!

Patience (Nave)