Advent again

I never did get my walls painted, but I am fully moved in (have been for a couple months), and love my little house. And now it's Advent again already, and before you know it, we'll be in a new decade.

It has been a year full of change for me, but as far as I can tell right now, it has all been change for the better. I'm looking forward to what 2010 might bring.

*revised 02-04-2011*: I originally posted all the photos for my Christmas letter here, but since I am now linking to this blog more publicly, I've removed all but 2 from my ordination.  Those of you who know me personally can find me on Facebook to get all the personal updates and news.

Advent... time to wait, to watch, to prepare for the unexpected

Obviously I am now an official blog slacker. If you want to know what I'm up to, Facebook is the best bet - both as a way to keep in touch, and what I'm likely to be doing on any given day!

I do want to lift up this great post on the God's Politics blog (part of the Sojourners community), as a reflection on how to sanctify our consumption in whatever form it takes:

A Pre-Consumption Prayer

by Rachel Anderson 11-28-2008

“Consumption” isn’t a bad word. Even as we watch the excesses of the consumer economy crumble and collapse around us, we should remember that the word “consume” also means “to eat.”

On Thursday, many of us consumed to excess as eaters; today, on “Black Friday,” many of us also consume to excess as shoppers. But as Eugene Cho pointed out so thoughtfully last week, buying stuff at low prices isn’t by itself a mark of shame or weakness. It is, in our post-agrarian, post-industrial society, a necessity. The issue isn’t whether we buy or not buy things. It is whether we do so with appreciation for all of God’s creation. read the whole article

This Advent I am seeking to celebrate the season in simpler, deeper, truer ways... I'll probably fall pretty far short, but I'm trying. Blessings on your seeking as well.