ADVENTure Day 1

Over the next twenty-five days, I want to make this season of Advent an adventure for you and for me.  Each day, I’ll provide a little reflection, an activity of some type to help us make this season more ADVENTurous, and a question for us all to ponder together in the comments.  I hope you’ll jump in and go on this ADVENTure with me.  It should be fun, and I hope it will help us prepare for this holiday season like never before.  So here goes, ADVENTure Day 1!

Today marks the beginning of Advent.

Many Christians use this time to prepare for Christmas.  Maybe you are opening the first door on your Advent calendar this morning.

Many churches around the world are lighting the first candle in their Advent wreath today.  They will be talking about hope.

Before the first Christmas, the people of Israel were hoping and expecting the arrival of Messiah.  If I understand it correctly, they expected the Messiah to arrive as a mighty warrior perhaps riding on a white horse.  They expected the Messiah to instantly take over the government and to rule with authority and power.  They hoped it would happen soon.

Many of us have hopes and expectations for this season.  We hope it will snow.  We hope to get that special present from a special someone.  We hope we have a chance to catch our breath during the busyness of this holiday season.

I think hope is healthy.  It keeps us looking forward instead of dwelling in the past.  Hope pushes us to dream bigger.  Hope teaches us to expect the unexpected.

On this first day of ADVENTure, let’s take time to hope!

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  Jeremiah 29:11

ADVENTure Activity:  Take time today as a family (or as an individual) to make a list of all your hopes and expectations for this holiday season.  Remember the rule of brainstorming – no idea is a dumb idea.  Write everything down that comes to mind.  We’ll revisit this list tomorrow.

ADVENTure Question:  How did you celebrate Advent as a child?  Did you celebrate Advent?  Share one thing from you list of hopes and expectations.

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Thank You – #30

Thank You No. 30

Today, I’m thankful for advent.

Our family kicks off our celebration of advent today.  We’ll be taking our kids into Philadelphia today for dinner and a Christmas show at the Walnut Street Theater.  This is a fun way to get our hearts and brains in gear this holiday season.  Each day from now until Christmas, our family will be doing something to celebrate advent.

Why are you thankful today?

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Thank You – #29

Thank You No. 29

Today, I’m thankful for God’s provision.

Did you think I was going to say shopping?  I’m not a big fan of shopping, but I am so thankful for God’s provision in my life.  I appreciate the material things, but I also appreciate the intangible things that God as provided in my life.

Why are you thankful today?

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Ice Breaker – Thanksgiving Feast

If you’re reading this, I’m guessing you survived your turkey coma.  I hope you had a great day of Thanksgiving yesterday.  Did you have a Thanksgiving feast?  Most of us (at least in America) chowed down on turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and other assorted culinary delights.  Before you forget, this week’s Stretched Ice Breaker is inspired by the Thanksgiving feast.

Question:  What is your favorite food from your Thanksgiving feast?

My Answer:  Stuffing. Some people call it dressing.  It goes great with mashed potatoes, gravy, and turkey.  And stuffing is usually made a little different by each person.  More recently, I discovered there are many different varieties of stuffing.  For example, last Christmas, I made a corn bread, chorizo, and corn stuffing.  It was absolutely delicious.

Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response! (As always, feel free to share links.) And keep STRETCHING!

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My Thanksgiving Handprint 2013

Here’s my 2013 Thanksgiving handprint.

Published via Pressgram

Thank You – #28

Thank You No. 28

Today, I’m thankful for family and food.

I’ll be enjoying both today as we celebrate Thanksgiving at Leanne’s folks.

Why are you thankful today?

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Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

May today provide an opportunity to spend time with family, to eat some great food, and to reflect on our blessings.

How are you celebrating Thanksgiving today?

Thank You – #27

Thank You No. 27

Today, I’m thankful for cars (and modern transportation).

It’s amazing that I can travel 300 miles in 5 hours from one side of Pennsylvania to the other.  We are so blessed to have cars which allow us to travel long distances in relatively short periods of time for work and for pleasure.  I can be in Guatemala City in 5 hours via air travel.  And I can visit my folks in Texas in 4-6 hours depending on the number of stops at airports.

Why are you thankful today?

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Thank You – #26

Thank You No. 26

Today, I’m thankful for vacation.

I’m taking the next few days off to celebrate Thanksgiving and to be with family.  As I wrote about a couple of weeks ago (Pause), it’s important to take a break from time to time.  I’m looking forward to a break.

Why are you thankful today?

Don’t forget to sign up for the weekly Stretched newsletter.  Check out this post to find out how to sign up.

The Expectation That Comes With Darkness, Silence, and Uncertainty

The Expectation That Comes With Darkness, Silence, and Uncertainty

Yesterday, I posted 5 Ways To Handle Darkness, Silence, and Uncertainty in Our Lives.  I hope you’ll go back and read this post.  It is one of my favorites.  I’ve been thinking a lot about the idea of darkness, silence, and uncertainty lately.  I can’t say I like this feeling in general.  As I alluded to yesterday, it can feel so lonely and isolating when we are in this state of uncertainty.

We are not alone in this feeling of isolation.

At least two times in Biblical history, God seemed to disappear from the scene.  The first time came when the Israelites moved to Egypt to escape the famine.  If you remember, Jacob moved his entire family to Egypt to live with his son, Joseph, who had gone down to Egypt when his brothers sold him into slavery.  The Israelites (Jacob’s descendents) ended up living in Egypt for 400 years. I’m not a Biblical scholar, but there seems to be very little record of God speaking to His people during this period of time.  It wasn’t until God spoke to Moses through the burning bush that we begin to see God breaking the silence.  A short time later, he led his people out of Egypt and back to the Promised Land.

Fast forward several hundred years.  The Bible is full of stories and prophesies in the Old Testament which give a record of God’s voice and interaction with His people.  We hear from prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, and Daniel.  We see God speaking to King David and King Solomon.  There are many clear examples of God speaking.

But then it happened again.  God was quiet.  About 400 years before the time of Christ, there seems to be another period of silence.  The prophesies stop.  And the stories of God’s interaction come to a halt.  For 400 years, the people of Israel are in a place of darkness, silence, and uncertainty.

And then it happens!

God breaks through kind of like the Apollo 13 clip we saw yesterday.  He shines brightly through the darkness as He sends His Son to earth on a rescue mission like none other.  He speaks to His people like never before – through His one and only Son.  I think there was an expectation on the part of the Israelites.  They expected to see God.  They expected to hear God speak.  And they waited.

We are approaching a time of year when we celebrate Christmas.  This season means many things to many people.  It means family.  It means food.  It means presents.  It means traditions.  It means Christmas movies and Christmas carols.  It means holiday parties and ugly sweaters.

But there is something more.

Christmas is a time to remember God’s unmistakable voice breaking through the silence, darkness, and uncertainty.  Christmas represents God’s rescue mission for us – His people.  It represents the coming salvation for those who believe and put their trust in Him.

As we head into advent next week (the time before Christmas), I invite you to listen for God’s voice.  Watch for the ways God is breaking through the darkness and uncertainty in your own life.  And celebrate the new thing He is doing in you.

Maybe it seems like God hasn’t spoken to you for a very long time.  Maybe it seems like 400 years.  As we talked about yesterday, maybe we just need to stop, wait, and listen.

May God speak to you in new ways this holiday season!  May He provide an epiphany directly to you and to me.

How is God speaking to you these days?  What are you doing about it?