Advent Season and a New Journal

Well, I have been terrible at blogging the last few years, but hoping I can be a little more consistent over the holiday season.  I started a new art journal to record my artistic responses to an advent study I am doing over at Pause, Ponder & Prepare.  I am still embellishing the cover, but started on the study part.  Many of us are starting on the study in November and will go back through our study, journals, etc and reflect more in the month of December.  I am not likely to get this done in a month, so hopefully I can finish up in December.

I don't know that I am going down the path the study writer intended ... but God is leading me somewhere with this study :)  I used the word prepare on my page, because the real meaning of the word is starting to resonate with me.  If Christ came back tomorrow, I would be excited and also disappointed in myself.  God chose the word "persevere" for me this year and I have persevered through much for sure ... but my first instinct usually is to run.  I want my heart to be ready for Him when He returns ... and all the hard stuff He has asked me to persevere through this year is meant to prepare me for Him.  I have to keep reminding myself of Jeremiah 29:11 ... that God has plans to prosper me and not to harm me.

The scripture at the bottom is from 1 John 1:5.  This scripture has came up 3 times in different places over the past month, so God is speaking to me.  Most of my life -- especially childhood was filled with a darkness I did not understand.  My heart was heavy and without hope ... without light.  Only through Him have I dared to live in the light ... and had reasons to hope.

Here is to a God who loves ... never tires ... and will continue preparing my heart ... rooting darkness out of my heart, so that there will be more room for Him.