Emphasis Preaching Journal

During childhood, the time following Thanksgiving was a time of expectation, anxiousness, and impatience. Each morning I would look at the calendar, always a bit perturbed that a week had not passed while I was asleep. I was waiting for Christmas morning and the promise of many packages under the tree. For an entire month the excitement and expectation would grow. First the tree would go up along with the birch log advent candle. Soon, a few packages were scattered under the tree.