BIG announcement below…
I have never actually seen an Advent-Music category at a music store and while I do have a pretty high stack of Christmas records (the old vinyl kind, ya know) and CDs, I don’t have an Advent music category. I am just visiting all styles and types of music with words that seem appropriate for this high-church tradition of the days leading up to the {12} days of Christmas, as evidenced by most of my blog posts these last 2 1/2 weeks or so.
What I am doing is trying to make sure I just take a few minutes, the length of the time of the song, to observe these days from a perspective I was not raised in (I come from the day-after-Thanksgiving-to-the-day-of-Christmas-is-just-a-mad-rush-to-but-to-bake-to-have-a-gazillion-church-activities-and-parties-and-then-collapse-in-utter-fatigues-the-end variety) and think about {in expectant waiting and preparation} Jesus – and all His coming changed, the first time…
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness, a light has dawned.” Isaiah 9.2
And I don’t want to be as blind and as busy and as un-expectant as those who may have missed Him the first time. We are people of the Light and we just live like…nothing is different (I included you in that sentence so I wouldn’t have to take all the blame, *wink).
So for Advent, I am remembering that the Light, Jesus, He came and that we’ll be celebrating that in a few days. But that He is not finished and He has gone to prepare a place for us and He will come again and we are looking for Him, preparing for Him and waiting for this momentous occasion with expectant joy, on earth as it is in heaven!
Today’s happy-song of watching and waiting: Prepare the Way by Charlie Hall
Prepare the way, because we still can for so many living in darkness. An oldie, but goodie. :)
I didn’t post yesterday (because of something BIG). But I did observe Advent in probably its’ most recognizable heart-longing way, which I shall explain…
I won’t tell the whole story here, but there will be details to follow, I am sure. BUT, on Sunday, we had our Annual Girl’s Baking Day at the house. We get together with sugar and flour flying through the air. Nuts are chopped, pretzels are dipped, chocolate is melted, icing is squeezed…and at 6 pm, all the guys show up and ooh-and-aah over tables and counters full of Christmas treats and sweets. Every year, we cut back, waaaaaaaay back. And yet yearly, there are just mountains of sweets and Christmas treats – it is crazy! But then everyone has some festive goodies to get them to December 25th, or to share with neighbors and friends. It is ONLY once a year! Because otherwise….no bueno.
So, we did that on Sunday. Ay-yi-yi! We worked our buns off. And Tredessa, completely pregnant, with a baby due THE NEXT DAY, worked and worked and worked! We were hoping she’s go into labor because of it. Instead, we wore her out! And me, too – the doula!
9 pm…whew! Tired. Everybody leaves, everybody is exhausted by the merry-making. Everyone has been up since before the days-shortened dawn. Then, suddenly…her water breaks at that moment, at that least-expected, boy-we-could-sure-use-a–good-night’s-sleep moment as she was leaving.
We get to the hospital a couple of hours later and blah-blah-blah…
EVANGELINE WAS BORN! *happy-dance* *singing and rejoicing*
She came at 1:23 pm on her “due date.” She was 20″ long, weighed 7 pounds and 10 ounces and has some curly looking honey-colored hair and is just gorgeous-gorgeous-gorgeous! I LOVE her!
Stephanie took this one, a first glimpse at Evangeline
So I didn’t post a song yesterday but it was mainly because I was in a room filled with longing and expectancy, a birthing room. The room was filled with holy music the entire time and it was beautiful and all I could manage to do was Tweet about it.
After they told Tredessa, late morning, she was dilated to 5 cm and she had been hoping to be so much further, I backed away as she and Ryan literally danced through contractions. He’d reach out his hand to her like they were at any romantic event and she would lean into his chest and they’d sway softly, Tredessa breathing carefully while Ryan cheered her on and encouraged her. Then as the contraction would subside, she’d sit down to rest for a minute or two and then he’d say, “Let’s have another contraction. Are you ready?” And he’d reach out his hand and lift her, as if he had just said, “May I have this dance?” And they had a contraction every single time, on and on, for nearly an hour. And I sat in front of my majestic snow-capped mountain backdrop on this perfect sunlit day praying for them, praying for my sweet daughter to have the strength she needed, and I wept. They were working hard for their love, for this baby…
This was part of what we saw through the window at the hospital
The birth of a granbebe shows me the Advent-Christmas connection in Technicolor. You wait with longing for 9 months, you labor through dark hours hoping, concentrating, wondering if you can see this thing through…then in a moment of total surrender, when you believe you cannot go on – she arrives…LIFE!
Welcome to the world, little Evangeline Lilly. Your Nonna already loves you.
And now to Ryan and Tredessa: Prepare the way for Baby Eva! Eva!!!
Sooo beautiful…you, your writing, eva, the mommy and daddy, the day , the process , the way God does things so amazingly…all of it…beautiful!!!xoxo
I have tears rolling down my face upon reading this lovely posting of this miracle of Love with a new life. Ryan and Tredessa are the most wonderful kids in this world. Their love shines through……… Beautiful Baby Eva Lilly….. a testament of their love. God has blessed us all.
WELCOME Sweet angel Evangeline Lilly. We love you with all of our hearts!
Jeanie……I love your choice of words….”Slow dancing through labor” How beautifully described.
<3
Tears here too. I need to save this somehow as I just L. O. V. E. the utterly romantic story of Tredessa & Ryan. Still talk to my girls of how their love for God, and His best for them gave them a beautiful, real life love story. So precious, so beautiful. Congratulations dearest friend. She is magnificent!!
Jeanie you have such a beautiful way with words. Tears flowing down I could see you sitting in the corner, praying and silently feeling her pain. I shared this with Erica which made me cry more. I pray I can be her strength, when she needs it. Love to you and your new precious, little granddaughter, and of course, Tredessa and Ryan. God is so GREAT !!!
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