The Advent Season for 2011 is upon us. How wonderful these next twenty-eight days will be. These days are pregnant with wonder, waiting, joy and redemption.

The wonder come from trying to understand why the Creator of the universe would want to take on the form of a human by entering the womb to be born of simple parents, in a poor simple land during a time of cruel, harsh rule. Why enter the world so simply into a cramped, smelly, sheep pen? To what ends does the Creator perform such an event?

"Anything worth having is worth waiting for." This has been spoken to me many times. I have in turn said it to my own and to many others many times. "Waiting" also creates in us, probably because we are mortal and physically confined and defined by time, a deep sense of urgency and anticipation. It is just as difficult for an adult to wait for the birth of his child as it is for a child to wait for his birthday year after year. What are we waiting for now? For what are you waiting?

Joy! Joy! Think about it. Joy! What causes you joy? What do you do to create joy for yourself? What do you do to create joy for others? What do you do to create joy for the Creator of the universe? How do you feel when you feel joy, unbridled, free-range, non-ending JOY? Does your heart pound? Do your cheeks become flush? Do you become light-headed? Can't sit still? I feel all that plus more.

Redeem. Redeemer. Redemption. When something is redeemed is something bought back or paid for by the original owner because it once belonged to him. It was lost, deeply desired, and then sacrificed for because it was knowed to be of great value.

Over the next 28-days I hope to share with you my thoughts on Advent and on some daily scripture readings. I'm doing this as I prepare and get ready for the coming of my Lord, Jesus the Christ. This is what Advent means to me:

First Week - Sunday - Isaiah 63:16-17, 19; 64:2-7
Passage Isaiah 63:16-19:
¹⁶For [surely] You are our Father, even though Abraham [our ancestor] does not know us and Israel (Jacob) does not acknowledge us; You, O Lord, are [still] our Father, our Redeemer from everlasting is Your name. ¹⁷O Lord, why have You made us [able] to err from Your ways and hardened our hearts to [reverential] fear of You? Return [to bless us] for Your servants' sake, the tribes of Your heritage. ¹⁹We have become [to You] like those over whom You never exercised rule, like those who were not called by Your name.

Passage Isaiah 64:2-7:
²As when fire kindles the brushwood and the fire causes the waters to boil--to make Your name known to Your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at Your presence! ³When You did terrible things which we did not expect, You came down; the mountains quaked at Your presence. ⁴For from of old no one has heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides You, Who works and shows Himself active on behalf of him who [earnestly] waits for Him. ⁵You meet and spare him who joyfully works righteousness (uprightness and justice), [earnestly] remembering You in Your ways. Behold, You were angry, for we sinned; we have long continued in our sins [prolonging Your anger]. And shall we be saved? ⁶For we have all become like one who is unclean [ceremonially, like a leper], and all our righteousness (our best deeds of rightness and justice) is like filthy rags or a polluted garment; we all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away [far from God's favor, hurrying us toward destruction]. ⁷And no one calls on Your name and awakens and bestirs himself to take and keep hold of You; for You have hidden Your face from us and have delivered us into the [consuming] power of our iniquities.

I believe this scripture show us that God was, is and always will be. I also let's us know that our sinfulness and the separation that it causes is all a part of the plan. I also see that even though there is a gulf of separation between God and sinners, the sinner knows there is a separation and that there is still a yearning in the sinners heart in the sinners spirit to be restored with the Creator.

Heavenly Father, Help us prepare our hearts for your coming this Advent season. Make us mindfully of your desires and give us the strength to be obedient to your wishes. Amen - DD