Advent Is Over.

Today I sat for hours at my craft/dining table and worked feverishly on my advent calendar mittens again. Last year I made the mittens, this year I add the numbers. Pictures to come!

I used this time to consider advent. Fortunately for me, I devoted a LOT of my time to considering advent leading up to Christmas 2011. The learning that I did led to a year of growth in my heart, and I want to continue meditating on what this lead up to Christmas really means. I'm going to be re-sharing the information that I did last year, but I'll break it up so it's a lot more readable and a little less overwhelming.

And we begin:

As I said last year, Advent is over.

What is Advent?

“Advent” simply means coming as in Christ is coming, and for us now He has arrived. This is referring to His birth in history and in humanity. It meant the welcoming or the arrival of a special king and for us; it is our King of kings. This is what the Old Testament prophecies foretold concerning Jesus’ Incarnation, the Word made flesh for our hope and Atonement that brought us our deliverance. Advent represents our expectation, anticipation, and preparation for who Christ is and what He has done for us. He arrived into the world as a human being, being fully God and fully man. He came to identify as one of us, as the Son of Man, as a baby born in a manger. He came for us, He came for you and He comes into our lives and into our hearts. He is coming again in great power and glory to bring His Kingdom into fruition."

- Source

Advent is over, 

And it also begins.