The Preparation Friday Five

Sally of RevGals writes:This has been a difficult week for me, the death of a little six year old has overshadowed our advent preparations, and made many of us here in Downham Market look differently at Christmas. With that in mind I ask whether you are the kind of person that likes everything prepared well in advance, are you a last minute crammer, or a bit of a mixture.....Here then is this weeks Friday 5:

1. You have a busy week, pushing out all time for preparing worship/ Sunday School lessons/ being ready for an important meeting ( or whatever equivalent your profession demands)- how do you cope? Since September that has been the norm. I have learned to live in the realm of the twelve-hour, six day week, Sundays shorter for good behavior. It has been grueling and I have lived at the fine edge of exhaustion. I have learned that I need to do one thing at a time, make lists and check them twice, eat well, try to keep on top of things as much as possible because getting behind is lethal, keep a sense of humor, vent when I need to, that done is better than perfect, and all things pass. Oh, and breathing helps.

2. You have unexpected visitors, and need to provide them with a meal- what do you do? I must have well-trained friends....nobody seems to show up at my house expecting to be fed. If they did, we would order out or go out, my treat.

Three discussion topics:
3. Thinking along the lines of this weeks advent theme; repentance is an important but often neglected aspect of advent preparations.....Oh I so agree. And I think it is so misunderstood. I absolutely LOVE repentance in it's truest and best form....that we can begin again, make a turn, a complete stop and atone. And that it is joyful, and liberating and transformative. The best Christmas gift, really if you think about it!

4. Some of the best experiences in life occur when you simply go with the flow.....kind of a stretch for me, though I'm trying to loosen up. But I am such a control freak, this is a tough one. It's really a spiritual discipline for me to go with the flow and believe that I don't have to take charge, and often a measure of where I am in my walk with Jesus as to how much flowing I can do at any point, (or "let" others do without trying to control them as well!)

5. Details are everything, attention to the small things enables a plan to roll forward smoothly...well yeah. Paddle like heck under the surface. Glide like a graceful swan above, and never let 'em see you sweat! Recipe for a great performance (and probably a great deal of stress as well). But I am a detail person and I like to know that all is well beforehand so I can relax and be confident in the moment (mostly).

Bonus if you dare- how well prepared are you for Christmas this year?
I am Adventing...so Christmas not too much yet. Have some garland and lights outside. Have an advent wreath within. Have some gift projects in process. That's pretty much it for now. And I am good with that.