SO, who’s got their Christmas trees up? Have you been to the Christmas markets and seen all the lights being turned on?

This time of year, the excitement is building.

The teachers in our schools know that the hyper level in the children is getting higher and higher as the end of term grows nearer. There is the nativity play or Christmas performance to prepare for and then all the parties.

Anticipation and excitement grow hand in hand and the preparations continue. How can we make the most of all this time of preparation?

One of the activities that I do with the children, as part of looking at what Advent is all about, is Godly Play. The sentence that looks at the time of preparing says ‘this is the time of the colour purple when we are waiting for a King, but one not like any other King. This is the time when the church sets aside four weeks to prepare for the mystery of Christmas. Sometimes we are so busy rushing around and gathering things in that we miss the mystery of Christmas. Advent is the season for us to pause and be ready in our hearts’.

Do we want to miss the mystery and the wonder of Christmas?

This month we lit the first of our Advent candles and we will light the central one on Christmas Day. The anticipation is growing as we prepare for the arrival of that gift of love from God. May we help each other enjoy this time of year, to celebrate in the small ways as well as the large.

Just as God gave us his gift of love may we find ways of sharing that love with each other. Happy Advent!