How to have a prayerful Advent.

I love the anticipation of Advent. The joy and excitement. What I don’t love is the commercialization that threatens to distract me.

The gifting and spending make me cringe. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not against giving and receiving gifts. I don’t hate the idea of generosity. I just get stressed out from the pressure of mandatory giving.

So, while it’s a tempting proposition for my wallet, you won’t find me writing a gift guide. I won’t tell you what to buy for your mother, father, aunt, spouse, or children. Because 1) I have no idea what my own loved ones want, let alone yours and 2) that would bring me more stress than joy.

But instead of a gift guide, how about a prayer guide? Continue reading →