Thursday, December 21, 2017

Day 19 -- Renew on This Nineteenth Day of Advent

Renew "makes fresh" and "strengthens." Ruth 4:15 in the Old Testament says that the Lord will renew your life and sustain you in your old age." God does this for me in both big events and also little moments like this morning. I looked out of my kitchen window toward the children's fort. The sun hitting the frost on the roof made it look as though the fort had a fireplace. I found it charming and refreshing. It was a reminder to me to look around, to look with the eyes of a child, full of wonder and delight.


Renew has special meaning to me because I spent two years studying with the Renovaré Institute, and the meaning of renovaré is renew. Loving God with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength, and loving others was definitely strengthened through those two years of study.


Traditions also refresh and strengthen me. Below is a picture showing that Mary and Joseph are drawing ever closer to "Bethlehem" on the fireplace mantle. They are now on the bookcase. (If you wonder, I have not read the classics fully. They're part of my to do list.)


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