Comments on: Let the waiting begin…

By: Trish

Trish — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 22:00:48 +0000

Amongst my complete busy – ness I have had a little time to think about Mary too – the journey to see Elizabeth, the journey to Bethlehem, the journey to Egypt – I mean who feels like going anywhere when they are pregnant? All a woman wants to do is stay home eat chocolate, drink tea (after the first trimester) and make a little nest. So how on earth she coped with all that is a mystery to most of us. However Im amazed at Gods utter determination to protect this baby from the enemies around them. So to all of you who are carrying a “baby” be assured in this season of advent of Gods utter determination to protect the baby (he who began a good work in you is faithful to bring it to completion) – in the right time as ever!

By: Trish

Trish — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 21:51:24 +0000

that made me laugh that Paul

By: Brunettekoala

Brunettekoala — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 18:49:27 +0000

This year I’m thinking of what Mary must have been going through. Like if I was in my last few weeks of pregnancy the last thing I’d want to be doing is traipsing across a hot dusty desert country.

Lynn has already directed you guys to our church’s version of the Advent Conspiracy – Just Christmas.

This year I’m forgoing presents and asking people to give money to the charity I work for (we really need it) which is a pregnancy crisis centre trying to be ‘Jesus’ to people struggling with unexpected pregnancy (appropriate for this time of year I feel!) through my JustGiving page…

http://www.justgiving.com/koalachristmas

And ok, ok….I’m a heathen…I secretly think Advent is GREAT purely for the whole chocolate advent calendar thing.

By: Paul

Paul — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 12:35:28 +0000

so many Lynn’s so many great links, ty

By: Paul

Paul — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 12:34:49 +0000

Thanks Lyn, great link

By: lynn

lynn — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 01:00:46 +0000

Advent blog – http://www.hopefulimagination.blogspot.com

from the other lynn
(true lynfest)

By: lynn

lynn — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:57:24 +0000

Hi. It’s International Blog Comment Day and I’m trying to make the blogworld a little more conversational in the spirit of John Smulo’s idea – http://helpiworkwithchildren.blogspot.com/2008/11/new-gadget.html

But anyways, your post really interested me as I have just written some thoughts on advent over on Hopeful Imagination (1 Dec entry). I thought I wouldn’t copy and paste it over here as I’d take up too much of your column space. You probably know all of the other contributors! I’m in a little corner of Scotland and I assume all you Down South guys know each other

I was also going to suggest a link for Christmas – my church is participating in http://www.justchristmas.org.uk where we spend half of what we would normally do on food/drink/presents etc and each person brings that 50% in to a special offering – last year it was to build a school for the Dalit people in India and by this summer this had been completed.

Thanks for the other links, these look fantastically helpful to me.
Blessings upon you!

By: Lyn

Lyn — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 08:09:32 +0000

No, I don’t want to ban it either, as your wrote, it’s good to sit and think about why we are bothering.

By: Paul

Paul — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 07:40:42 +0000

Hi Lyn, thanks for your thoughts and the web link. I don’t want to ban christmas but it is a tempting reaction to say “why bother…” At least reflecting helps me remember why I am bothering.

By: Lyn

Lyn — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:40:19 +0000

[i]“Part of me is already resenting christmas, the pressure to spend money on presents, the haggling with families for eating arrangements, are wearing out my patience and good will! All set against the backdrop of scarcity, the fear of recession, the growing pressure to hold until what I have got rather than practising giving away what I have.”[/i]

Oh I so relate to you Paul. Last year we tried to give less and use most of our money buying world vision gifts for people – surprisingly, we seemed to end up offending people by doing this. This year I’ve tried a different tactic – most things have come from Tradicraft.

I need to reflect on Advent as I get so frustrated with what Christmas has become. I don’t know if you’ve seen the Advent Conspiracy (dot org) but they have some really interesting ideas for families and church groups. Thanks for the links, I really like the Why we are waiting one.