Advent Etcetera

Before church on Sunday, while wandering around the farm snapping frosty photos, I was also thinking about what to wear to church later in the morning. The honest truth is that the fact of Advent beginning on this day did not even enter my snow-addled mind. Somehow, though, I managed to decide to wear this bright blue sweater.......I recalled that I had worn it to Father-in-law's funeral a year ago, and, also on another Sunday after Thanksgiving a few years ago. The thought of Advent hadn't entered my head on those occasions, either.

Once the sweater was on, I could see it needed a pin to draw the eye. While rummaging through my jewelry box, this old pin of my mother-in-law's seemed to shout out, "Wear me!", even if the green stones didn't quite match the sweater. (I do love blue and green together, though.) It wasn't until I looked at this photograph of the pin later that I noticed the two cross-shaped cut-outs. On the way to church, I pointed the pin out to Husband and said, "This pin belonged to your mother." He thought for a moment and replied, "She would have turned 75 tomorrow (December 1), and Dad would have turned 80 on Friday (the day after Thanksgiving)." Anyway.......I felt privileged to be wearing the gold pin in honor of my mother-in-law's golden anniversary of her birth!

*
Once in church, I saw the bright blue paraments on the altar, pulpit and lectern, and the blue stole on pastor's robe, and realized they were there because of the arrival of the Advent season. I thought, "Wow......everyone will think I was really on the ball because I'm wearing this Advent-blue sweater!" I love to fake people out. In the photo below---which warms my heart because it captures these two little friends of mine; they are #6 and 7 of a family of seven sisters!---you can see the blue cloth hanging from the lectern.

This photo was taken after the church service. Why did I happen to have my camera in my purse at church? Well, I threw it in there in case of spotting an interesting snow scene on the drive to and from church. Am I insane?......"Signs point to YES", says the 8-Ball. Anyway, I was standing at a lower level down in the narthex when I took this photo. The girls' parents were helping to put up the two large Christmas trees in the nave, up near the altar, below those arched stained-glass windows which were pictured in my blogpost on Sunday. A few members of the church youth group---including my son---were stringing Christmas lights in place up in the balcony at the rear of the sanctuary.......that's what the little girls are gazing up at. This seasonal church decorating task is done at the beginning of Advent each year.

*

Remember that I mentioned on Sunday that it was St. Andrew's Day? Well, sitting right behind me in church that morning was a guy named Andrew, so at the end of the service I turned around and told him "Happy St. Andrew's Day".......which perplexed him a bit, I think.

*

Have a wonderful day! Consider the meanings of the Advent season; Ruth of

Ruth's Visions and Revisions blog posted a lovely Advent prayer the other day.....one which she wrote herself.

*

[An update on Jacob, the 17-year-old friend and relative who collapsed with a brain bleed last week.......he had been improving and was scheduled to go home soon, but yesterday he developed seizures, and is back in ICU, having more tests. Thank you for thoughts and prayers for him.]

*