Advent preparation

Advent begins next Sunday. What? Already? where did the last year go?

The trouble with Advent is that it rushes at me and by me too quickly. It can be hard to make best use of it in a 'watching' and 'waiting' sort of way. Perhaps it is the same for you?

I've found that planning ahead can help. It seems odd to think about preparing for Advent, when Advent itself is a preparation season. On the other hand when I don't plan to prepare I don't prepare well.

If you are wondering how to take a few regular quiet moments for prayer or reflection during Advent, here are a few suggestions to choose from:

• Dreaming of a "White Christmas"? Why not dream of a green one instead? Better still - do something about it. A Rocha has an online Advent Calendar 2014 with daily "life-altering tips and ideas for a greener Christmas and beyond". 

• Jon Kuhrt has a simple Advent Challenge to use between 1st and 24th December. The idea is to set aside 10 minutes a day for silence, short readings, reflection and prayer. It is based on Jesus' words and actions in the gospels. He introduces it in this post in which is the link to a 2-page downloadable document.

• Christian Aid has an online Advent Journey "designed to give you a daily moment of calm and reflection in the midst of what can be the busiest time of year."

• I often read a new book at this time - the shorter and simpler the better. This year I'll be reading Stephen Cotterell's 'Walking Backwards to Christmas' and possibly contributing to the #AdventBookClub through its Facebook Page. (H/T Pam Webster on her Pam's Perambulation blog.)

Perhaps you have some other suggestions?

Image Credit: Pixaby, CCO Public Domain