It is the beginning of Advent… the beginning of the Christian calendar… the beginning of a new year… and it seems appropriate to begin a new blog now… here… at this time…

So that’s what I’m doing. After almost 5 years of blogging on sites like xanga and myspace I decided it was time to grow up and get a more official blog, something more my own. So, this site was born… it was born to birth and incubate my random thoughts… it was born to dialogue with myself and others… it was born to give me an outlet for myself and a place to become.

So, what thoughts are bouncing around in my head right now? Mostly I’m thinking about this season of advent… this time of year when we celebrate the coming of Christ as a tiny baby – when we look back and rejoice in God Emmanuel – God with us – God becoming one of us. It’s when we celebrate and anticipate the coming of God’s “full kingdom and reign of peace” (to quote a friend). It is a time of Hope. 

And so as Advent begins may God's hope be present with us in new and exciting ways. May God come into our lives and bring the peace and justice of his kingdom. May He remind us that He is with us, that He is at work in our world, that he has come and He is continually coming. And with this thought in mind may we find ways this advent season to join with God in bringing hope and peace and love and justice to the world around us. May we seek Him in earnest longing like the Magi did. And like the Magi may we bring to him what we have as an offering. May we come before Him not to receive but to give. May we experience the abundant Hope that is ours in Christ and may our eyes be open to the ways in which we can give Hope to others.

May hope and joy be yours this Christmas.

Rejoicing in the journey -
Beth Stedman