GLORY

Yesterday I spent the day preparing the house for the Christmas season. My tradition has been to decorate on the first weekend of December. I haul out the boxes of greens and decorations. It's always fun to remember years gone by when I lift the lid to find ornaments and Christmas stockings I made for my children when they were small. And the old paper Advent calendar reminds me how they used to count down the days til Christmas and memorize the Bible verse behind each little window. I pull out specific decorations always used in certain places throughout the house. But now, in our new home, I had to begin all over; a new canvas for fresh ideas. 


I chose a totally different color scheme for this house. My choice of decor in our living room lends itself better to a palette of blues, white and silver instead of reds and golds. After making a few purchases at some nearby craft stores, I was ready to let the creative juices flow. I put on some Christmas music and Keith and I set to work. 

As Keith hung the lights around the front door I thought about a phrase used in an allegory entitled Tales of the Kingdom by David and Karen Mains..."making entrance". In the story, this term is used to describe the process when a person becomes who they really are. "Lord, when people make entrance into our home, may they see who they really are because of your love."


The entry hall was next. Stairways always deserve a garland of greens. I had 18 feet of greens to play with. Ribbons, beads, pinecones...my fingers got a workout as I tied it all together with floral wire. 

While I was doing this, Keith put up the tree. It takes 2 people to string the lights and beads. But his first love in this process is to wrap gifts. So he went off to do that while I hung the ornaments. (something I confess I don't really enjoy doing and was always happy to allow our children to do...)

I filled the fireplace mantel with greens, candles and ornaments.  I re-used many old items by spray painting silver over top of gold, cutting off red berries and applying white ones, and tying blue ribbon where there once was gold. 

 Now the house feels ready to welcome the season. In this time of Advent we are reminded each week that the King is coming! Get ready! Prepare the way for his GLORY.

Are you ready? 

Are you preparing? 

As you decorate in the coming days and weeks, prepare your heart as well. This too is caring for the house. He wants to arrive and dwell with us. Let's make room for his GLORY to shine for all to see.

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his GLORY, the GLORY of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

John 1:14