Advent is all about preparing for the Christ child.
At the moment, I am in Hungary with a Christmas Market tour group. It has been very interesting to be here at the start of Advent. The Christmas markets typically do not start until December 1st because that is the day that begins the countdown to Christmas. There are Advent wreaths all around. Many home and store windows are decorated but I have hardly seen any “Santa” things. I don’t feel quite as bombarded with the commercialization of Christmas. Some stores and towns use large windows for the Advent calendar and each day a window is opened to reveal something special. The preparation helps the anticipation of baby Jesus.
There is a lot of preparation we Americans do in anticipation of Christmas. Being involved in a retail business that does a lot of business during this season, I need to be intentional about preparing my heart, particularly when time is short and the to-do list is long. I don’t often have a rhythm or predictable schedule but I might need to start scheduling it in because I think I might enjoy something that is consistent and dependable.
It is time to take a breath and relax and remember what this time is all about. How am I preparing my heart? How am I preparing me? Am I letting God soften the callouses and refocus my distracted thoughts?
How do you prepare?
Come, Lord Jesus.
Liz
prayerpointsbyliz 
With the coming Christmas season I am doubly glad that I don’t have a Tv set, getting bombarded with annoying “Christmas adds and ovewhelming musthaves ” is a thing of the past for me. I try to focus on the coming of the Christ Child and what He means to me and how He affects my life . Is my life idealic? Far from it, I get busy distracted, frustrated, bogged down with mundane things, right now it is shoveling snow and the berm left by the snow plow. So I light my Advent candles and think what were The Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph doing at this time? Sadly Christmas has tremendously sad memories for me and my family, my Mom passed away on December 2nd 2002 suddenly. It still affects me, it always will. Stay safe and warm dear friend, enjoy Hungary.