Guest Post by Pilar Arsenec- “Dancing With Angels”

My final guest Advent post by my friend, Pilar Arsenec. Merry Christmas

Dancing with Angels

Now that the Christmas season is upon us, I begin to reflect upon what it means to me.

Christmas has held different meanings through various stages of my life. As I’m getting older and have young children of my own, it holds yet another meaning.

I think my perspective began to change while I was pregnant with my first son. I remember going through old photos from my childhood and mourning the days of old.

The days when I would hear my maternal grandmother singing along to her favorite Christmas songs. All the while working diligently to prepare for her guests arrival.

Everything my grandmother did had a touch of class. She was a great hostess and an amazing chef.

“When Light Was Born” by Stacey Covell

A special thanks to my third guest Advent writer. Please enjoy the inspiring writing of Stacey Covell…

When Light Was Born
By Stacey Covell

It was nothing.
A non-event.
Except it wasn’t.

She was a pregnant, unmarried teenager.
He was trusting in faith and love.
They were both scared.
Still, in the dark of night they had faith.
They were following the words of their Lord.

A journey.
Days and nights.
Travelling slowly, uncomfortably.
She was nearly full term.

Pain. Labor.
No hospitals. No room.
Babies don’t wait.
A barn. Animals. Stink.
That star lit Bethlehem night.

A baby was born.
Naked, helpless, dependent.
The most humble start.
A new family.
Sitting in a barn.

The baby. A King.
In a moment, the world was changed.
Light was born.

Stacey is a fiction writer and poet.

She lives in Dublin, Ireland. She loves the green, but misses the snow in her native MN. 

She loves to see beautiful things come from the unexpected.

She blogs at One Beautiful Thing , please check her out!

“How to Rediscover Jesus at Christmas” by James Prescott

A big thank you to James Prescott sharing his writing with us today…

How to Rediscover Jesus at Christmas

A major supermarket in the UK has recently begun it’s Christmas advertising campaign. The slogan they have adopted this year is ‘Christmas isn’t just one day”.

Every time I see it I feel a twinge of anger.

Now in a sense, Christmas isn’t just about one day. It’s about the fulfillment of an age-old prophecy, and the birth of a man whose life echoes through eternity.

But I suspect this isn’t what the advertisers are talking about.

The advert reminds me how much Jesus has been forgotten at Christmas. Him & His story have become at best a tradition, a sideshow, or even worse, completely ignored.

The way our culture treats Christmas, you may as well take the Christ out of the name. It may as well be called ‘The Winter Festival’ or ‘Consumermas’.

But you know what? Christmas is not about shopping. It’s not about the tree. It’s not about decorations. Those are all nice, I like them all (well, maybe not the shopping..).

But Christmas is about Christ. It’s about Jesus.

It’s about the fulfillment of God’s promise. A time to celebrate the love of a Father who gives up His own Son to save His people. About a Son who gave up eternity and all of Heaven, to become a poor son of a carpenter.

It’s a celebration of the truth God hasn’t forgotten us. It’s about the greatest gift of all.

The sad thing is, even as a Christian I can easily get so caught up in the consumer-Christmas aspects of the season I forget about Jesus. It’s why I love advent. It’s a season which, advent calendars aside, has largely been left unconsumerised.

Advent helps me connect again with the truth of the Christmas story. It gives me space to reflect on the hope, joy and peace which Jesus coming ultimately brings.

In many ways, Advent saves Christmas. Because as we prepare for the coming of Christ, we have our eyes opened again to why He came. We connect again with the true meaning of Christmas.

We rediscover the hope we have through Jesus.
We sense again the joy of His coming.
We are awakened again to the peace which transcends understanding.

So when Christmas Day comes, we are ready to celebrate the coming of the King.

All of us will be surrounded this season by adverts, messages selling us the consumer Christmas. At times we may struggle to hold on to the true reason for the season.

So this Christmas season, look for Jesus. Even in the midst of the consumer-driven rush.

Whatever you are doing, wherever you are, look for Jesus. In the shopping centre, when you’re decorating the tree and wrapping the presents.

Look for Jesus.

Jesus is there even in those moments, if want to find Him.
And then on Christmas Day, celebrate His birthday. Celebrate the coming of our Saviour.

Jesus is the reason for Christmas. No matter what consumerism says.

James Prescott is a writer & creative exploring digital media & our divine journey. He blogs regularly at http://www.jamesprescott.co.uk and is a regular guest blogger for various sites. Follow him on Twitter at @JamesPrescott77

Advent Perspectives & Preparations

To honor my own sense of seeking a deeper connection with the Christ in Christmas, I have invited 4 talented writers to share how they experience the Advent.

Each Advent weekend a guest blogger will share from their hearts, and I hope you will welcome them by reflecting on their words. They represent different corners of the world, and a unique walks of life.  I think you will enjoy them…

Advent used to mean little me except for being part of a liturgical calendar in my Episcopalian upbringing.  As I grew in my own faith, the importance of stopping to ponder and prepare our hearts in celebration of Christ’s birth took on a new meaning. Not a denominational view, a personal longing.

Want to learn more? Our celebrations have been geared toward less focus on ourselves, and spending time teaching our kids to focus on what Christ is about. Not just 4 Sundays of preparation, or archaic church activities. Genuine time to slow down and turn off the outside noise.

May I suggest a few resources?