Anticipation.

This Santa was so much fun.
He threw me for a loop when he whispered in my ear,
"Instead of cookies, how about leaving me a piece of your cheesecake?"
I had just baked a cheesecake and I am thinking he must be one of the floor guys who was in the house working that day. When I asked how he knew I had cheesecake he said, "I'm Santa."

We left cookies.

December 30-31

The house is eerie quiet, as all the little ones have gone.  My heart misses them so much, but my brain says...REST.

Yesterday, one of our three year old grands looked up at me and said, "How many more days until Christmas?" I couldn't bring myself to say, "361." Instead, I reminded him we'd just opened our presents and would enjoy them for a long time.

The word that came to me was anticipation.  There is excitement in anticipating the arrival of something. And it's so much fun when you view it through the eyes of a child.

Anticipate- "regard as probable, expect or predict."

I awakened anticipating the work ahead of us regarding taking down all the decorations this weekend.  Then I realized before I embarked on any projects, before the sun even came up, in the quiet darkness of what we call today, I wanted to spend time with Jesus. Watching the sunrise over the mountains with Jesus is a gift, knowing He is with you as he ushers in the day. Ah, yes the anticipation of what today will bring. 

"Let every heart prepare Him room."  Prepare Him room to be Lord of your life with whatever today looks like.

Advent means coming.  It is a form of anticipating.  Like the song lyric, "What child is this?" which reminds us of 2,000 years ago all the people anticipating the arrival of the Messiah, we are anticipating the return of our King.  Jesus has come, and He is coming again.

"When the time came to completion, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons."  Galatians 4:4-5