Advent

We are slap bang in the middle of Advent. Not that I had thought much about it really, just accepted that’s where we are. But I went to my prayer group this evening and we shared our own ‘takes’ on the season running up to Christmas. Some shared a story – for example: ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’; others music, ‘Mary, Did you Know?’; or poetry: ‘Christmas Bells’ by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow – all of which I thought were brilliant and made us stop for a moment to reflect.

I shared a poem that was introduced to me by my tutor of my writing class, ‘A Winter Blessing’ by Jenna Griffin, as well as some irreverent prayers from a collection by Steve Chalke in his book called ‘Oh, God…..’.

‘A Winter Blessing’ includes lines like these, which have a tenor of Christmas that resonates right now and have set me up for the coming celebrations ahead:

'May you burn candles and log fires and a little bit of food to remind you that things can be good without being perfect. 

May you start a new tradition with people you love. May you start a new tradition all alone. May you step back into traditions that make you think of your childhood.

May you bundle up and go on walks. May you return with pink cheeks and full lungs.

Blessed are you when you endure the growing pains of compassion. Blessed are you when you bless the snow and do not curse it. Blessed are you when look at the gray of the sky and see angels.

Blessed be the Winter. Blessed be the world. May peace reign.'

I am particularly keen on the last sentence…..peace, that’s what we’re all looking for isn’t it?

And talking of pink cheeks……here’s Freddie bossing the look when he visited Santa last week.

Anyway, changing the subject: what about our day? It was exciting this morning – the chimney sweep came!! We worked out that it is probably about five years since we had the chimney swept….. oops! We are pleased it’s been done of course, because there is no longer a horrible smell of smoke wafting into the lounge when we have a fire lit. Boom!

John has spent the day trawling the internet, researching odds and sods and ordering bits where he could, before labouring over installing a new socket in the hall this afternoon. I think it was a fairly difficult job as he had to get the old back part out of the wall and insert a new one. But when I got home it was as neat as a new pin, so I was delighted!

I had been to visit Mum this afternoon. Last week I had been distressed at how she is deteriorating and was keen to get things in train to improve the situation for her. I had a good chat to the manager of the care home, who told me she was unaware of some of Mum’s difficulties, but she immediately spoke to the staff to get things moving. We’ll see how it goes. Meanwhile, I will have to return the brand new slippers I bought for her because they didn’t fit. Disappointing really, but there we are. Another trip to town!!! Ah, well, no peace for the wicked. What was I saying about peace……?

And here are my prayers for this evening, taken from the ‘Oh God….’ book. First, shared by Roger Gale, MP, a grace he heard during a meeting of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association:

'Lord, make me not like porridge: hard and heavy to stir.
Make me rather like cornflakes: quick and ready to serve.'

And second, shared by Linda Nolan, the singer:

Yesterday is a memory, tomorrow is mystery, and today is a gift - 
that's why they call it the 'present'. 
Thank you, God, for the best gift of all: life.

Yep.

Take care everyone. Enjoy the advent month, with chocolates in calendars and candles burning down as we count the days to Christmas. God bless.