The first week of Advent

We are at the midpoint of the first week of Advent, and once again I wish I'd spent a bit more time getting ready to mark this season of getting ready. Somehow I find that the older I get the more I need to prepare to prepare...
We are enjoying the new yule log made at last Sunday's Family Advent Festival each night - light the first candle while we do our evening devotions. Of course the resident two-year-old doesn't quite understand why we aren't lighting all four candles - "More candles!" she demands, as we blow out the match after lighting only one.
Our household is using a devotion from Luther Seminary for Advent this year. You can find it here, as well as on the right-hand side bar on this blog, under "God Pause."
Looking for something different for Advent? Try Silver and Gold Have We None, an Advent devotion from the Lutheran Compass Center in Seattle.
Or check out The Advent Devotional Project, put together by a Montana Synod member.

Tonight we begin our midweek soup and bread suppers (at 6pm) and services of Holden Evening Prayer (7pm). I encourage you to take some time to slow down during this busy season of the year, and join with your brothers and sisters in faith to sing, pray and reflect on Christ's light breaking into our darkness.

(And if  you want to sing with the choir during Advent and Christmas, stick around for choir rehearsal, which will begin right after evening prayer concludes.)