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A dear friend of mine is in the homestretch; eagerly awaiting the arrival of her second child.  Months of preparations have taken place, and now all there is to do is wait with excited expectation for this new little person to arrive.

And it makes me think about the season we’re celebrating right now, Advent, another time of excited expectation; a time that includes careful preparation and celebration at the arrival of the One who is to come!

Advent (noun)

1. a coming into place, view, or being; arrival: the advent of the holiday season.

2. (usually initial capital letter) the coming of Christ into the world.

3. (initial capital letter) the period beginning four Sundays before Christmas, observed in commemoration of the coming of Christ into the world.

As a child, I celebrated Advent by selecting a daily object to pull from a pocket of our handmade Advent calendar to place upon its felt Christmas tree.  My siblings and I often squabbled over whose turn it was and the perfect placement of that day’s ornament.

And now as a woman in her thirties, my mind turns to Mary, the mother of Jesus, in this season.  I think about how she must have felt following the visit of the angel Gabriel who told her the incredible news.

I think about how many times she probably rehearsed how she would tell Joseph, the man in which she was betrothed, that she was pregnant.  And I think about the eager anticipation and trepidation she must have felt with her swollen belly, knowing the mission of the child within.

A few years ago I came across a Christmas quote from Max Lucado.  Instead of it sharing the humble gesture of Christ entering the world, he shares with us the mission of the young maiden, Mary, and that of you and me.

“Christ grew in Mary until He had to come out.  Christ will grow in your heart until the same occurs.  He will come out in your speech, in your actions, in your decisions.  Every place you live will be a Bethlehem, and every day you live will be a Christmas.  You, like Mary, will deliver Christ into the world.” – Max Lucado.

Let’s work together during the season of waiting and deliver Christ into the world.  To do this, I created an image of this simple, yet beautiful message from the quote above for you to share with those around you.

• Pin it – Drag your mouse over the image below to share on Pinterest
• Share from Desktop – Right-click the image and “save image as” to share on your favorite social media channel.
• Share from Mobile Device – press and hold, on the image to save the image and share on your favorite social media channel.
• Print & Display – Download a print of the image to display in your home.

What does your family do to celebrate Advent?

[divider] [row-start] [three-fourths]Bree Blum is just your average single thirty-something book loving, oil using, cardigan wearing blogger who loves Jesus.

You can connect with her on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.[/three-fourths] [one-fourth][/one-fourth] [row-end]