Advent is a special time in which we celebrate God’s first coming, in the form of His son Jesus wrapped in a baby body. He came to where we live, exactly where we are….from heaven to earth, from the presence of God to the presence of man. He came so we could be intimate with God exactly where we are and encounter a little piece of heaven on earth each day. This was made possible through Jesus first coming to earth, his death and resurrection. I recently wrote daily affirmations and one of them read “I belong to God. I am joined with Him and His plans for this day.”

As I was pondering that the other day, I imagined what it might look like. I was thinking it would look like both of us with our work hats on, sleeves rolled up, sweat on our brows working hard to help others come to know Him. But what I saw was totally different. I saw Jesus pushing me on a swing and then Jesus and I walking on the beach collecting sea glass and splashing in the ocean. I realized a few days later that those two moments were the most memorable moments in my childhood of being totally engaged with, enjoyed, relaxed, happy and joyful. I came to realize that God desired to just be with me. That He wanted to be fully engaged with me, to enjoy me and be enjoyed by me, and to just visit together in a relaxed and real way. Wow!! How wonderful is that!! That’s why Jesus came to earth, and that’s God’s desire for all of us. From that experience, I’ve decided to get up 15 minutes early every day, and experience Advent each morning. God comes to me every morning and we are fully engaged in an intimate, playful, honest, totally enjoyable way. I am real with Him and ask questions about things in my life I don’t have answers to and quietly wait. He gives answers that are incredible…He is wisdom. I am mostly silent and just listen for what He wants me to hear and know for the day ahead. The coolest thing is since starting this new habit, I hear from Him through out the day as well. It’s like the connection that started in the morning remains as my day continues. So, it is my hope that you celebrate Advent, not just at this time of year, but every day. It’s so much better than you could imagine. And it will change your life.