Advent and the Inn

Hello Friends,

James and I are members of New Hope United Methodist Church here in Enid and as you may know this was the first weekend of Advent.  We lit the first advent candle to represent hope.  During that service all of the children in the church decorated the Chrismon tree with ornaments representing Christ.  I have always loved symbolism.  That is just who I am.  I use symbolism a lot in my decorating, so when you come to Southard House and see all of the beautiful decor there is probably a meaning behind that certain color I used in the dining room and why I used two candles on the mantle, etc.  There will be meaning behind why I have done just about everything that gets done at Southard House.

After the service was over yesterday I began to think about how Advent correlates with my life right now.  There are so many people that are so anxious about the opening of the inn.  There is much anticipation and it is difficult to be patient to watch this process unfold.  Advent is another word for arrival.  There were so many people anticipating the arrival of Jesus.  They were promised a Messiah and they believed He would come.  God did not disappoint them!  He came through.  He kept His promise.  Jesus was born and grew to be that Messiah they were promised.  We believe that God will come through for us too.  We are in a difficult time right now because I do not have an income, the bills are mounting, and we still do not have all of our financing secured. We are putting our faith in God to see us through.  He has always taken care of us and I know He will not stop now.  It is difficult to wait and be patient.  It is difficult to not know what is going to happen in the future or when it will happen.  The only thing we can do is be patient, trust God, and have hope that it will all work out in the end.  I believe He will come through for us.  He always has and He always will!

I hope you will take time to stop and reflect on the Advent season and its meaning in your life.  What roles do hope and faith play in your life right now?  As you reflect I wish you peace and blessings during this wonderful holiday season.  We will keep you updated on our progress.  Until next time . . .

May You Be Blessed!

Tammy