John the Baptist Prepares the Way

3 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea ² and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” ³ This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

⁴ John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵ People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. ⁶ Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. Matthew 3:1-6

Isaiah’s Prophecy

¹⁴ Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel Isaiah 7:14

God Paved the Way for the Birth of Jesus – Before Zaccheus Needed a Tree to See Jesus, God Planted the Seed

How I Prepare During Advent

Today, it is Christmas Eve, and I am not singing “Deck the Halls.” Rather, I am out in my garden. Advent is a time of Joy, Peace, and Love–and my garden is a great source of all those things. Advent is also about Hope, and this year, I created a Hope Garden, where I’ll watch perennials and other plants return year after year.

My Hope Garden is dedicated to things that will return yearly. In some ways, that is religious. Jesus came that mankind could have everlasting life–and that’s why I use evergreens in my Advent Wreath.

My Peace Garden is the First Garden I Planted When I Moved Here. It is where I allowed the vines and other plants to shelter me from the rest of the neighborhood.

It is where the birds dropped seeds and caused sunflowers to tower above the rest of the garden.

My First Garden is Where I First Found Peace After Moving Here.
My Second Garden Is Dedicated to Hope.

My Third Garden Is My Joy Garden — It will be filled with annuals, and I can’t plant it until spring, but I’ll show you the plans. My Joy Garden is My Children’s Garden:

How to Grow a Children’s Sunflower Garden

Gardening for me is an Advent thing to do. During Advent, I clean out the debris from last year’s garden, and I work to prepare new garden beds. Advent is a time of preparation:

Advent and My Gardens are also about the Circle of Life. I often write about how literature often addresses the Circle of Life.

Seasons of the Year as Symbols and Themes in Literature

The Circle of Life was initiated on the day that God created the Seasons.

Yesterday, I cleared off my painting table during Advent. It was my way to prepare to paint again.

As I have said before, I didn’t accomplish everything I had hoped to accomplish during this Advent Season, but tomorrow, I’ll begin celebrating the Twelve Days of Christmas until January 6, when I’ll celebrate Epiphany –the Ultimate Night of Light. On January 7, I’ll begin celebrating Advent for the next year–because that is how the Circle of Life Works. For Me, a Celebration of Light is a full-time commitment.