Advent Begins

 

And so begins the Advent season with our faith community's beloved tradition of the Advent Spiral. A moment of quiet in a world that feels so heavy and frantic. xo 

On The Second Sunday Of Advent

 

Yesterday was the first time I have been back to the church since the pandemic began nine months ago. It was also the first time the girls had been back in a year. 

It was like coming home again. 

I'm pretty sure it missed us. 

We were there to film the dance the girls have choreographed for the 5:00pm Christmas Eve service. 

Emma went right into Junior Deacon mode. 

Practicing while she waits for Grace to get changed. 

Warming up. 

Nailed it. 

The first of several run throughs. 

It's amazing what these two can put together in a week! They did "hit a wall" at the end and needed to enlist the help of their former dance teacher (and one of my dearest friends), Miss Cindy. She helped them wrap the dance up beautifully and offered feedback and praise for a job well done. To see what they created be sure to join us on the church Facebook page at 5:00pm on Christmas Eve! xo 

The First Light Of Advent

 

Grace made this beautiful wreath out of greens from our backyard. This was the eighth graders art project this week and it came out absolutely gorgeous!  Isn't it stunning?!We are so glad that our girls have grown up Waldorf and that they have been able to continue with their Waldorf education this year even though I returned to full time paid work. We could not have asked for a better school community for them to be a part of this year! 

The first light of Advent is the light of the stones. 

The light found in crystals, 

In seashells, 

And in bones. xo

Advent One

Blessing of Hope

So may we know 

the hope 

that is not just 

for someday 

but for this day- 

here, now, 

in this moment

 that opens to us:

hope not made 

of wishes 

but of substance, 

hope made of sinew 

and muscle 

and bone, 

hope tha thas breath 

and a beating heart, 

hope that will not 

keep quiet 

and be polite, 

hope that knows 

how to holler 

when it is called for, 

hope that knows 

how to sing

when there seems 

little cause, 

hope that raises us 

from the dead- 

not someday

but this day, 

every day, 

again and 

again and 

again.

-Jan Richardsom
from The Cure for Sorrow

The Fourth Light Of Advent::Love

The fourth light of Advent is the light of man.
The light of love, the light of thought, to give and understand. 

Love is patient,; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way;it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.  -1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

Joy And The Light Of The Beasts

 The third week of Advent is the light of the beasts.
It shines in the greatest, it shines in the least. 

"Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day." -Henri Nouwen

"Joy is the simplest form of gratitude." -Karl Barth

"All joy reminds. It is never a possession, always a desire for something longer ago or further away or still 'about to be' ". -C.S. Lewis

Happy Saint Nichols Day!

Happy Saint Nicholas Day! 

May the deeds of Saint Nicholas inspire acts of kindness, compassion and generosity today and every day! xo

{This Moment} In The Advent Spiral

{This Moment} A Friday ritual. A single photo -no words- capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you are inspired to do the same leave a link to your moment in the comments section for all to find and see. We wish you a magical weekend. xo

Breaking the rules today for a little explanation. It's our tradition that whoever walks the spiral first gets to walk it again after everyone has left the room and before it's taken down. When you first walk the spiral it is very dark, whereas by the time everyone else has walked it the spiral has become enchantingly magical. Since Emma was the first to walk it this year, she got to be the last as well. xo

Welcome, December!

December has arrived and with it Tomte the Gnome! 

From now until Christmas he will bring a new activity or kindness to do each day. xo

Scenes From The Advent Spiral

Wishing you and yours a blessed and magical holiday season. xo