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[prismaticbleed]

 

ADVENT OFFICIALLY BEGINS!

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I had to put my phone on do not disturb while we eat because I know I had to put my phone on Do Not Disturb while we eat because I know that, If we are  Interrupted by a phone call, It won't shut us into social mode and we will end up being a Whiny miserable crying irritable wreck. We will end up sinning and offending the family and ruining everyone's day.
The guilt is unbearable but if we leave the phone open the Anxiety is equally unbearable. There's literally no way to win. But the smartest thing to do is to put it on Do Not Disturb. Or is it? I don't know.  All I know is that the very thought of the phone ringing is making me want to screamcry & vomit.
...Nevermind. I prayed to Jesus about it a day He said, "don't be rude." "Turn your phone back on," He said, "and trust Me." I prayed the Surrender Novena prayer, and obeyed.
The anxiety is still lingering, still wringing its hands and trembling, but Trust in God is standing by her, strong arms around her shaking shoulders, warmly reassuring her that "God's in control of the situation. He won't let any harm come to you. Trust His timing and plans. We aren't in any danger as long as we stay close to Him." Anxiety panics, "ARE we close??" Trust replies, "if we keep our phone on and leave the details up to Him, then yes. Keep talking to Him about it if you need to. You can't be far away from Him if you're in a conversation."

Update at 1452:
Jade just called and although we were irked at first, instinctively, we actively chose & strove to be as kind as possible. And the anxiety CALMED DOWN. We just met the call as a courageous task, but not a burden-- as something to rejoice in, as an opportunity for kindness & service & friendship, GIVEN BY GOD.
We're always scared of saying things "automatically" and without thinking "to be polite" or "say what is proper" BUT then we make promises we CANNOT KEEP, or assert opinions we DON'T HAVE, et cetera. It's an act, a facade, and it's as evil as it is wrong as it is programmed.
We need to pray about it, AS a "we," because THAT'S where we can receive the help for ALL of us, even the poor Socials.
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It's beautiful weather outside, I just want to note-- our "favorite" before snow comes. Everything is foggy & shining with rain, the trees all copper-stellated fractals against the fine silver sky.


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VOTD = Psalm 130:5.
"The season of Advent reminds us that regardless of who you are, where you're from, or what you've done, you can cry out and wait on God. He is trustworthy, He is faithful, and He always makes good on His promises."
🎶As long as You love me...🎶 Seriously though, that's the actual message here.
Why do we cry out? Because at heart we're helpless. We're wounded & frightened children. We hurt and we're scared. We cry out for help, for rescue, to be found, to be delivered. It's the most basic instinct we have, the first action of any infant the moment they enter the world. And once we have cried, we wait. We must wait; we have no other option, as a response is never immediate nor even guaranteed... that is, unless we're crying to God.
God ALWAYS hears us, before we even draw breath to cry; He hears the instant the very impulse rises in our troubled minds. And IN His very hearing He responds. There is no hesitation, no debate, no wondering with God. Why? Because He IS faithful, He IS trustworthy, and He HAS PROMISED to care for us.
(Scripture verse to support this? Otherwise,)


"As you wait upon the Lord during this Advent season, know that He wants you to come close— so that He can be your strength, so that He can give you comfort, and so that He can provide everything you need."
This phrasing struck me. AS you wait, COME. The waiting IS a movement. The stillness and expectation IS a coming towards those very hopes. But the very motion reveals that our hopes are ALREADY realized-- because ALL of our hope, all we are waiting for & expecting, IS IN GOD. He, Himself, IS the fulfillment of every Promise. And He calls US to come, to wait and yet to have... to come to Him, and to come close.
That's the most amazing word: "close". God wants us as near to Him as we can get, and infinitely nearer.
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And in that very closeness, we receive strength, comfort, and provision, because God IS those things-- He IS every hope, and far exceeded.
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The questions are very helpful, perfect for Advent=
"As we begin this Advent season, how can you actively cultivate a sense of waiting and expectation?
1) I can meditate on the attributes of Jesus Christ.
2) I can commit to more intentional prayer times with my family.
3) I can seek to serve others as I remember the ultimate sacrifice of God sending His Son."
1= Its very different to wait for a stranger than it is to wait for a friend. It's very different to wait in hope and joy than to wait in boredom or impatience. We need to know Who Jesus IS, and what He is for us and the world, before we can truly EXPECT and AWAIT Him as we ought, as He deserves. We need to get to know Him as a Friend.
2= Prayer is conversation with God. Prayer is an active reaching-up to Him.
The word "commit" echoes marriage.
The word "intentional" demands your personal presence.
Lastly, FAMILY.
3= This is such an unexpectedly powerful application of the Advent message. Who, in need, is waiting for God's Presence right now?
God gave His Son to us through Mary. He put Him in a manger, a food-trough. Are you not part of that same Christ now, through the Church? Jesus seeks to fill the empty Manger even now. Who can you feed today, through the grace of His Presence in you? Who can you "become food" for? How can you give yourself as Christ gave Himself, humbly and totally and with tender love?
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KVOTD on John 3:16 is STUNNING me with unexpected insight.
"Christmas is the time when we celebrate the Gift God gave humanity-- which is the Life, Death, AND Resurrection of Jesus. Because Jesus rose again, it means we don't just get the "Gift of Jesus" on December 25th, but every day! Eternal Life, His Peace, His Patience, and His Love... we receive the gift of God's Presence every single day. Eternal life starts here and now."
Easter and Christmas are FUSED AT THE HEART and we don't typically think about that beautiful and terrible truth!! Even in Christmas, there is the Cross... but that means that even in the Cross, there is the very birth of Life Himself. It's gorgeous.
But THEN there's the RESURRECTION, which means ALL of that is ALSO RIGHT NOW??? Jesus LIVES, and He Lives FOREVER, both in time AND in eternity-- although now we do "wait for Him" to return, He IS HERE, in His Spirit, AS LIFE, THROUGH LOVE.
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Then, they gave the verse with a "fill in the blank" like THIS=
"For this is how God _____ the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life."
1) loved
2) rules
3) created."
THEY'RE ALL ACTUALLY CORRECT???
God loves us by giving us Jesus, of course, BUT Jesus is ALSO our KING-- our King OF LOVE, and the Loving King Who LITERALLY CREATED THE COSMOS. God gave Him to us in love, and when we believe in Him AS our King, as our Lord, even truly as our Creator, then we are re-created in Him, through His Divine Authority and Love, and thus we have eternal life-- HIS Life. It's amazing.

The questions are deeply moving too.
"FILL IN THE BLANK: "Love is _____." =
1) Putting other's needs before your own... like Jesus did!
2) Being patient... like Jesus is!
3) Never giving up on someone... like Jesus never gives up on me!"
And I just had to sit with this in light of the video and realize that 1 Corinthians 13 really is just describing Jesus.
"Love is basically laying your life down for someone, which means JESUS IS LOVE." 
And yet, how often we forget what that definition truly is!!
1= Jesus HAD NEEDS. This is mind-boggling. As GOD, He didn't need anything and cannot need anything. But AS A MAN, Jesus had the SAME INNOCENT HUMAN NEEDS as the rest of us. He needed food, water, clothing, shelter, rest, companionship... and Jesus readily and willingly forsook those needs for Himself whenever it meant He could therefore fulfill those same needs for someone else.
Do we do the same? Are we even willing to try?
2= Jesus is patient. Read that again. Jesus IS patient. It's a CHARACTER TRAIT for Him. God isn't fickle, remember!
Think of how He constantly exhibits this. Yes, He trusts God's plans & timing; He looks at all events through the lens of eternity-- but this exact perspective affects how He treats people. He never "reacts" in haste, He responds deliberately & with respect. He exemplifies "longsuffering"; He never complains about others, never forces others, never rushes people. When people let Him down, He gives them another chance, with no griping. He meets sinners right where they're at. Are we patient with others, patient like Him?
3= Jesus NEVER gives up on people. No exceptions. This ties into both His patience, and His Self-sacrifice. Jesus DIED to save EVERY SINGLE SINNER, if they would but accept Him. And He gives them that chance to accept Him EVERY MOMENT, literally until their heart stops and they stand before Him in person. But up until that final instant, Jesus offers unlimited forgiveness and love. Every day He goes out searching for the lost sheep. Every day He is up on the hill watching for the prodigal son. Every day He is preaching repentance and mercy both. Every day He is on the Cross.
THAT is our model for love, and perseverance within it. If Christ NEVER gives up on ANYONE, to that astonishing an extent... how could we, who are called by His very Name, ever dare to harden our hearts and do anything less?


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Oh man I almost forgot we have ACTUAL ADVENT DEVOTIONALS for today =

LBB=
"Spend today’s time with the Lord writing your ideas on how you can spend [Advent] well. Your plans can include items that are spiritual, (deciding where and when you will pray each day), practical (your gift list), personal (sending a Christmas card to someone with whom you've not been on good terms), or charitable (doing something for the poor).
[Before you write anything, spend a few quiet moments with the Lord and ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.]"
Honestly I should print out that last instruction and tape it to my phone. We NEED to get into the habit of quietly pausing & praying, even for a moment, BEFORE we do ANYTHING, and specifically asking for the Holy Spirit to guide us IN that action. Otherwise we're effectively going at it alone, failing to give Him a decent thought, and we WILL justly crash & burn.
So, having asked for His inspiration, insight, and guidance on this-- and ALSO praying to be given the grace to be OPEN TO HEAR & RECEIVE that from Him-- let's do day one.
Our initial ideas on how to spend this Advent well include =
1) SPIRITUAL = Start reading BACE again at last, especially since we STOPPED at the Nativity originally. Take time to READ more of the actual Gospel. Do this during free time periods: hour after BK, hour before bed. When you are too tired to think and instead need to rest, listen to Christmas hymns & edifying carols, and reflect sincerely on their message. Do NOT overwork yourself with devotionals, especially typing; the key is to REFLECT more, to PREPARE YOUR HEART for Jesus's birth by MAKING ROOM, not to make more of a mess with overexertion clutter & rushing.
2) PRACTICAL = put new lights on the tree. Follow through on your yearly wish to RECORD A CHRISTMAS CAROL, even if it's just vocals over an FLKeys track. But do something, and do it worshipfully.
3) PERSONAL = give Christmas cards to ALL family members, and to at least every neighbor that gives me a card (I do not yet know anyone else; if I do, include them).
4) CHARITABLE = Fulfill one tag on the SJE Giving Tree. Actually go over mom's house to help her bake cookies, and ALSO go up the homestead to help her clean. Donate at least one book & chaplet to the Church. Don't avoid Paul if you see him about.


"The joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus... all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, [are invited] to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least [to] an openness to letting Him encounter them; [we must all] do this unfailingly each day."
This is it. This is actually it. This is what we're lacking in prayer. This is what we want-- need-- to do for Advent.
We need an actual personal encounter with Jesus.
Our soul is starving. We could weep from how badly we KNOW we need this.
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The other devotional book (EGJ) has THIS devastatingly gorgeous reflection as an intro, that literally had us reeling =
"Can you even get your head around this? Is there room in your heart for it? The entire distance separating heaven from earth, God from humanity, the Creator from the creation is about to be erased. All barriers standing between you and the full embrace of God’s infinite love are on the verge of disappearing forever... All that’s required is a heart opened wide enough to let all the love in God’s universe flow in, dwell for a beat, and then flow out again, over and over, again and again. It is the most amazing gift imaginable, and it has the potential to rock our world, so we’d best get ourselves prepared. Ready?"
DUDE THERE IS NO WAY I COULD EVER BE READY FOR THAT, it's too divine, too pure, too beautiful, too intimate but THAT'S WHERE THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES IN, and thank God for that!!
...man but that is Infi talk. One hundred percent.
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WE'RE READIN' SON!!
We actually have these 2 books from the 1940s full of Christmas stories that I've never heard of, and I really want to read them because it reminds us of our childhood, when our mother would read us stories in bed about "the long white winter" when it was snowing outside. I can still see the cardinals and pine trees in our mind's eye. There was such a perfect cozy silent quiet precious beauty to all of it that I treasure with my whole heart. Christmastime and Easter are when our family actually did feel like family, and our home actually did feel like a home. Considering the fact that we've lost virtually everything in that respect over the past 5 years, we really need a tangible reminder, however small and private, in this year when we're struggling to even remember who we are, not just what this season truly means.

Book one is "The Fireside Book of Christmas Stories" by Edward Wagenknecht & Wallace Morgan. Its super fat and super old-- 1945 and 659 pages. It's a red fabric hardcover and there's nothing on it but an embossed image of three Church bells and it smells like a library. I don't even know where this thing came from but I love it.

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I always catch up on the Church bulletins on Sunday, and this is what we got from those=

"There are many things to take care of and to get accomplished in our preparations [for Advent]! But keep in mind the necessity to prepare spiritually first and foremost! ALL we do stems from the sense of "gift" and joy, and sharing and believing! In order to do that, we might need to do one of the most difficult things of the season... Slow down, breathe, experience! ...Enjoy the moment, live in the present! ...The scriptures call us to stay awake and alert. That mindset may help us to be aware of Christ's Presence here and now, not just waiting for His Birth, but realizing His immense Presence in our lives every moment of every day. Let's try to really make this a new beginning. Let's not miss a minute but prepare our hearts for Christmas in a way we may not have thought of or had time to do before. Allow God to enter in, and take comfort in His ever-present love and grace. [That] will show us the way through these days of Advent and help us to make Our way to the feast of joy we all prepare for and await!"
1) Like the LBB said today, EVERYTHING we do MUST be done WITH the Holy Spirit. Everything we undertake must be consciously brought into the spiritual dimension, by bringing it to God in prayer BEFORE DOING ANYTHING ELSE. We never learned this before, and from rightly humiliating pride we never "thought of it on our own." We must humble ourselves in deep gratitude now and thank God for this new & most essential instruction. There is ONLY ONE WAY to prepare for ANYTHING-- and that way is PRAYER. Real prayer, not mindless babble like we do. In any case, the true reality of physical things IS spiritual; for anything we do with & within it to be true, likewise, we must actively involve that deeper dimension.
2) A beautiful way to do so: act from a sense of GIFT. Again, the EGJ devotional referenced this very thing! "
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3) IT'S NOT A SIN TO ENJOY THE MOMENT. IN FACT, IT'S SPIRITUALLY NECESSARY!!
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4) This is really shaping up to be our personal Spirit-ordained theme for Advent: Christ IS Present with me, right here, right now, for real, and i NEED to start LIVING LIKE IT.
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5) ...this can be a new beginning. Of course it can be, with Christ "arriving anew." He is "never changing, always new"; He "makes all things new"... it's because "death has no power over Him." Every encounter with Christ is a new encounter with Life. It's inevitable. He never changes, He is always the same, yet He is inexhaustible in depth & richness, always new yet eternally unchanging... it's beautiful. But that's just the context for our point. Jesus gives you a new beginning in every moment with Him. YOU can change, after all, to become more like Him-- each time one step higher up an infinitely ascending height of goodness & truth.
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6) Never forget the MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT ADVENT = you are preparing your heart for Jesus Christ to enter in and be "BORN" there. He's not just "arriving," like holiday visitors from out of town. He's not showing up like Santa Claus. Jesus isn't something outside that stays for the season then returns to whence it came. No, Jesus is a child being born, making your very heart His cradle and home, calling you to imitate His very Mother. Jesus wants you to prepare for His Birth while He already resides within you. He wants to enter your life in a brand-new way, a life-changing way, a way that involves all of you forever, a way that makes you specially His and makes Him specially yours.
I may be rambling. But Christmas isn't just a memory-- like the Eucharist, it is a memorial, a making-present of the Greatest Present possible-- the Presence of God.
Advent is about preparing our hearts to receive that very Presence more deeply & truly than ever before...
7) ...and step one is ALLOWING it to happen. THIS IS ALL GRACE. You cannot will it to happen on your own. You cannot force it, schedule it in, orchestrate it, et cetera. It is not in your hands. This is all God's glorious work, and we are to echo Mary, "May it be done to me according to Your will." And if God leads us to a cold and distant cave, outside of town, in the middle of the night, then so be it.
This "allowing," this joyfully humble trusting surrender to the flow and direction of grace, is what will lead us not only through the surprises of Advent to the unexpected yet blissful Manger, but also through the ongoing Advent of the Church as she waits for the Second Coming of Christ in the equally unpredictable future. May our every heartbeat be a preparation for Him, in this season and ever onwards.


From a different church, on this same vital topic =
"In both the first reading and the Gospel, we hear of how Shepherds tend their flock, caring for the sick and the lost, eventually judging and separating them. In the first reading from Ezekiel, God is that shepherd, rescuing the sheep from harm, seeking them out when they are lost or strayed, healing them when they are sick or hurt. Throughout his ministry, Jesus was that shepherd, the Good Shepherd-- calling his sheep, feeding his sheep, tending his sheep. In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus tells his disciples that they, the sheep, are now to tend one another, and that He can be found in the least of their sisters and brothers. We, His disciples, are now the ones who must feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, and care for the ill, visit the imprisoned. As we celebrate Christ the King, may we recommit ourselves to our calling so that one day we can face our King, our Good Shepherd, knowing that we have served Him in our brothers and sisters in need. What corporal works of mercy will we do this week? How can we better see the Lord in our neighbor in need?"
1) What hit me the hardest = don't get stuck on the corporal mercies alone. Look at the big picture, just in this reflection, and let THAT sink in-- we, in imitation of our Shepherd, must rescue each other from harm. We must seek others out when they are lost or straying. We must heal others when they are sick or hurt. We must call others to community, we must feed others who hunger, we must tend to the most basic needs of others with attentive care. This is the "spirit of the law" even within that list of works. Now do you grasp more clearly just how deep and sincere and outgoing our love must be? We must SHEPHERD each other, and we CAN because we, the Church, the very sheepfold, ARE the Body of Christ the Shepherd! This is WHY He is in not only us to SERVE as Shepherd, but He is also in the beloved "least ones" to BE SERVED as King... while never usurping or replacing any precious human life. Yes, Christ is in all, but it is a relationship; it is a unity, a sharing, a love. If you neglect the one Christ loves so much, even that very least one, then you neglect Him. If the King cherishes the most wretched beggar so dearly as to leave the 99 and seek him out and carry him home and live in his heart, then who are you to overlook that treasured soul, in whose dirty face the very reflection of Christ is visible? Did not Christ live as humbly and poorly as they? Did God not identify Himself with those that the world rejects?
There is a profound unity of love here. It MUST be acted upon.
2) Don't get overwhelmed by the immensity of the task. It is not yours alone to do. Ignore your ambitious pride. You are but a sheep, a single cell of a Body. You are insignificant, yet irreplaceable, and you are necessary, and there is a work that only you can do. Pray about it. Be like Jesus. Serve those around you right now. Seek the most needy right where you are and serve them, even if you can only help one person. You are still bringing God's love to that soul, and that is priceless.
Be realistic yet diligent. Set a timeframe! What CAN you do this week, with no transportation, no food you can share, no money in your wallet? What do you have? Always yourself. Always time, always an ear, always your presence. Do not tremble & complain at this. Pray for grace, and do what you can. Set a concrete goal. Start small. But give.