Advent has got off to a good start this year despite the snow on Sunday which caused an event to be cancelled. We had one day of a Christmas Tree Festival at St Michael’s church but Sunday morning’s Songs of Praise was cancelled and we had a communion service instead. Very disappointing as we had a visiting choir. However, I will still hear their songs as they are singing them at an event tonight in another church.
This Advent I haven’t taken on any challenges nor decided to do anything in particular. I am just taking each day as it comes.
My prayer table is adorned with a picture from my prayer journal in 2019 for the first week of Advent, and I have been using the hymn O Come, O come Emmanuel as part of my devotions.
I discovered a good recording of O come O come Emmanuel on YouTube, where the words are slightly different from the traditional ones I am familiar with and have pasted into my smaller prayer journal. I will probably do more decoration on it, but here it is so far:
I enjoyed our Mothers’ Union session on Wednesday when we made some candle decorations. Rather pleased with the way the photo came out with the church in the background. It was taken in my lounge.
I have been relaxing by doing some doodles and then using watercolour paints on them. The page was divided into sections using tape which I removed when finished.
I am ready for my day off tomorrow. Today I have taken my first Christingle school assembly and this evening will be taking part in a special Advent to Christmas service at All Saints church. I think I am just about ready for Sunday’s two communion services and an evening carols by candlelight service at 3 of my 4 churches.
Oh, I nearly forgot. I have a chocolate Advent calendar that I won in a raffle a few weeks ago. I am using it as an incentive to play my clarinet each day. If I do some practice then I get to eat a chocolate. So far it is working but my playing is VERY rusty. I am OK with the lower notes but those above the break are extremely difficult to play. I hope that daily playing will make a difference. So I suppose I have set a challenge – but I am sitting very lightly to it. Off to play now!
I hope that whatever you are doing this Advent that it is a blessing to you and helps you have a wonderful Christmas.
Elizabeth Jones' Diary 