Advent is a time of waiting, looking forward, and preparing.  As Christians, we are looking forward to the time in the church calendar when we mark the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  We are preparing for His arrival and how He will change the world, and individual hearts.  The preparations seem endless at this time!  There are spiritual preparations to be made, as well as practical and “worldly” preparations.  Balance them.

Queen Elizabeth II hits the floor on her knees first thing every morning.  That is a practical, spiritual example I can follow!  There are many wonderful Advent devotionals out there.  The one I like this year is from Friends of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford University.   It is a quick paragraph of inspiration along with the corresponding lectionary scripture for the day.  Making time for God every day, especially during Advent, will make the rest of your days better.  (Or, you will see how God is working in the negatives of your days, which, again, is better.)

Speaking of Her Majesty and looking forward to Christmas, it is fun to take a peek into where she will be, what she will be eating, etc.  Since the fire at Windsor Castle, the royal family has spent Christmas through the New Year at Sandringham House.   They have tea Christmas Eve afternoon, after which they open their gifts.  Christmas morning finds them with a light breakfast before attending church at St. Mary Magdalene on the grounds of the estate.  After the service they are greeted back at the House with the traditional Christmas lunch.  Tea will appear again that afternoon, and finally, dinner.  A change of clothes for each of these events is necessary, at least according to Sarah, Duchess of York, in Chef Darren McGrady’s book, Eating Royally.

Sandringham House
http://www.tournorfolk.co.uk

St. Mary Magdalene Church, Sandringham, Norfolk, England
http://www.sandringhamestate.co.uk/sandringham-church/

Lovely to know where they will be celebrating Christmas, but what will they be eating?  According to Princess Diana’s private chef, Darren McGrady, it is much like our Thanksgiving meal of turkey, bread sauce (stuffing), sausages wrapped in bacon, chestnuts, glazed carrots, potatoes, cranberry sauce, and gravy, followed by desserts and assorted cheeses.  Chef McGrady gives lively accounts of his time with the royal family in his book, Eating Royally.   Amazon might be able to get it to you in time for your stocking to be stuffed!

Back to our living royally today, what you are serving for Christmas lunch and what you are wearing for each of your meals (pajamas for breakfast, skirt for lunch and jeans for dinner:) are two ways to show your reverence for the occasion.  If making these things happen to meet a certain standard gets in the way of being able to prepare your heart for what God has in store for you, AND show the love of Christ to others, then stop your meal prep and wardrobe alignment.  Take these few days before the kids are out of school and decide what must happen, how it can happen, and delete the rest.  You can do those things next year!

Daily time with God can look many different ways:

devotional

prayer (on your knees, in your favorite chair, on a walk, in the car)

Bible study with a neighbor or friend

Do it!

Preparing the worldly things can be overwhelming, so:

Pray

Plan you meal (I am still considering several options for our meal.  The recipes “on the table” are posted on my recipe page.)

Make you grocery list and pick when you need to go

Get out your serving pieces, table linens, etc.

Choose your prayer (freestyle, or prepared, plan it)

Get those gifts wrapped!  If you have not shopped, get out there or get clicking.  (and, have the store do your wrapping.)

If you have not decorated yet, skip it, or skimp on it.  We are too close to get everything out now, so choose to make this part easy on yourself.  A few poinsettias or white hydrangeas will give the punch you need.

Pray

And, pray again!

The Lessons and Carols service at my church is truly beautiful.  It transports me to what I think heaven must sound like.  One song in particular caught my attention as a wonderful prayer for our Christmas day lunch:

“Let ev’ry heart prepare a throne” by Mark Patterson/Philip Doddridge

“Let ev’ry heart prepare a throne for soon the Child of Light will come. Let ev’ry voice prepare a song to welcome Christ the Promised One.  Let every hand reach out with love to greet this gift from God above.  Make ready now, the Savior comes, the Prince of Peace, the Promised One.  So let the flames of Advent grow, each candle shines that all may know the hope we need, so long foretold will soon be here for us to hold.  Let every hand reach out with love to greet this gift from God above.  So let the flame of Advent grow, each candle shines that all may know the hope we need, so long foretold will soon be here for us to hold.”

May this Advent season and Christmas day be the one you cherish because of the gift God places in your heart.  Merry Christmas preparation!