Advent and weekend...

ADVENT ENCOURAGEMENT...

"From the Christian point of view there is no special problem about Christmas in a prison cell. For many people in this building it will probably be a more sincere and genuine occasion than in places where nothing but the name is kept. That misery, suffering, poverty, loneliness, helplessness and guilt mean something quite different in the eyes of God from what they mean in the judgment of man, that God will approach where men turn away, that Christ was born in a stable because there was no room for him at the inn -- these are things that a prisoner can understand better than other people; for him they really are glad tidings, and that faith gives him a part in the communion of saints...

A prison cell, in which one waits, hopes, does various unessential things, and is completely dependent on the fact that the door of freedom has to be opened from the outside, is not a bad picture of Advent."

Dietrich Bonhoeffer   Additionally, this article on God's Wish List (by Andree Seu Patterson) this Christmas was convicting.  Also, the same author recently wrote about being thankful that God let her hunger.... in which she refers to Corrie Ten Boom's gratefulness for the fleas in her nazi barracks because the fleas kept the guards from checking on them and allowed them to worship freely, even in a nazi camp.  Who knows how God will use your hunger and waiting ??   "If you are in a season of hunger right now—whether for love, or marriage, or children, or friendship, or job fulfillment, or whatever it is people hunger for in this temporary wilderness we sojourn in—you might even try giving thanks today for the hunger, though it sounds radical. God is good all the time. He has purposes we do not foresee. Who would have conceived that the fleas in Barracks 28, though at first reluctantly listed in a litany of thanks by Corrie, would be the way God kept the prison guards away so that she and her sister and the other believers were free to gather around the Bible and worship?"  

THIS WEEKEND.....  
This weekend, my roomies and I hosted our annual Singing Christmas Tree party.  It was a smaller crowd than usual (partly because we did a lowkey version this year, party throwing can get exhausting!) But I loved having a smaller crowd because I was able to talk to most everyone I wanted to which isn't always the case!  I forgot to take any pictures, but I rocked a lovely gold sequin skirt and black sweater (dave does not like the skirt but I LOVE it! so festive!)   The next morning, my friend an I ran the Jingle Bell Jog 5k and had a lot of fun.  Then I headed to Natchez for a wedding with Dave. His cousin got married and have a gorgeous ceremony overlooking the Mississippi River and then a fun ceremony at an old antebellum building downtown.  Here are some pictures...

With Dave's sister Kim at the ceremony

With Dave in front of the MS River. I know I am biased, but he sure looks cute!

I LOVED the flower arrangements with Mississippi Cotton included in a very subtle way!



With sweet Melissa at the wedding...one of Dave's childhood pals and now one of mine too!

 Sunday Morning we had to go back pretty early since Dave had a project due this week and I had to work at Everyday Gourmet, but we didn't want to miss the first Sunday of Advent or a morning celebration of his mom's birthday, so I went to church in jeans so I could go straight to work (Dave's church is more casual so this is acceptable but I have never dressed down that much for church and was nervous about it so his sister was sweet and dressed down too...)  Here is the birthday celebration and Dave's family lighting the first candle of advent.....