PWOC International Blog

December 4, 2009
Submitted by: Angel Mansberger, PWOCI Assistant Training Coordinator
 
I have a confession.  Christmas is not my favorite time of the year.  Please, don’t misunderstand me.  You will not hear me grumble, “Bah, Humbug.”  It is just that Christmas is such a stressful time.  Did I give the “right” gift?  Did I remember to send cards to everyone I am supposed to?  Is my house decorated properly?  Will our Christmas savings be enough to ensure we stay debt free?  So many things distract me from the true HOPE of Christmas.  Instead of Christmas, I have learned I need to focus on ADVENT.  Dictionary.com defines advent as (1) a coming into place, view or being; arrival; (2) the coming of Christ into the world; (3) the period beginning four Sundays before Christmas, observed with the commemoration of the coming of Christ into the world; and (4) the Second Coming.  Wow!  Now, I CAN get excited about that!
As a child, Christmas was about the hope and excitement of the gifts I would find under the tree on December 25th.  When I took ownership of my faith, Christmas became something fresh and new.  I experienced a new HOPE!  For me ADVENT represents the excitement of Psalm 130:5 which says, “I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His Word I put my hope.”  Christmas may not be my favorite time of the year, but advent sure is!  I pray you will discover a fresh hope during this season of advent.