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A new year — Advent 1

Roger Hutchison - Advent 1

 

 

And so a new year begins… in the Christian tradition, we mark another circle around the sun.

Today is the first Sunday of Advent – a time to begin anew. As the month of December begins energy pulls toward Christmas.

Every store we enter, every advertisement we see, many songs we hear — all focus on the importance of preparing for Christmas. This is often chaotic, stress-building preparation. Preparation far from the call to collect oneself and gather with others to intentionally listen for sounds of God’s arrival.

Advent is a time set apart to live with a sense of wonder and anticipation. It is a time to settle the noise around you,  to wait for something to come- something exciting and new.

Does your heart race? Do you feel a bit unsettled?

Light a candle in the dark places and stay alert.

Thank you, Roger Hutchison, for this beautiful image of Advent1.

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Lest We Forget

Alan Sun, Art of Marp: “Did a painting to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the armistice in Europe.
On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, the guns fell silent.”
(Nov 11, 2018)

Shared from Live & Learn – David Kanigan

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the soil of appreciation

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The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.

 

Quote: His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama
Image: Ahmed Saffu

 

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That there is nothing weak about kindness and compassion

A grateful moment for an honorable man…

Live & Learn

It has been remarked that Elijah was a kind man. I tell my daughters—and I have to say, listening to Elijah’s daughters speak, that got me choked up. I am sure those of you who have sons feel the same way, but there is something about daughters and their fathers. And I was thinking, I would want my daughters to know how much I love them, but I would also want them to know that being a strong man includes being kind. That there is nothing weak about kindness and compassion. There is nothing weak about looking out for others. There is nothing weak about being honorable. You are not a sucker to have integrity and to treat others with respect. I was sitting here and I was just noticing the Honorable Elijah E. Cummings and, you know, this is a title that we confer on all kinds of people who get…

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