Friday, December 10, 2010

My dearest God,

I live in amazing wonderment as I prepare for this Advent weekend. Six grandchildren will make their way to our home this afternoon. Five girls and one boy, ages 5 to 10, will join me for a whirlwind of activities all intended to celebrate the gift of Advent, a time of hope, faith and love. We will have a candlelight dinner, a floor picnic, a frosty pancake breakfast, a make-your -own lunch and breakfast and then we will conclude with lunch at everyone's favorite Bob Evans Restaurant.

We will watch two Christmas videos, attend a symphony Christmas program, take a carriage ride downtown around the circle and drive through neighborhoods to see Christmas lights. We will do projects together coloring our fabric frosty Christmas bags I made them, making bird feeders, chocolate lollipops, and frosty tee shirts. We will read a book, Penny's Christmas Jar Miracle, together by the lighted Christmas tree. We will participate in church worship and then sit in a circle talking about sharing and loving one another just before they go home. We will laugh, sing, play, dance, slide down the stairs in sleeping bags, pray and be happy.

All this is made possible by you and only you! Your own miracles have paved the way for this time together. When I look at the six remembering their births, their physical trials, their sorrows and disappointments, their highs and lows, and their challenges and triumphs, I know the Advent miracle is your gift.

Blessings upon you,
God Most High,
for you are
the god
of blessing.
Your gifts
are the number
of stars
in the skies.
Your love
is as deep
the vast ocean.
What can
I say
to you,
Giving God?
How can
I express
my gratitude?

Love, Andrea