You can find hope, peace, joy, and love in Advent

’Advent isn’t about ticking boxes on a list or adding another tradition to our calendars. It’s an invitation to slow down and let God prepare our hearts,’ says Bethany Hobbs

As December approaches, it’s easy to get swept up in the Christmas rush - the, gift lists, and everything that comes with this busy season. But the season of Advent is really about preparing for an arrival - specifically the arrival of Jesus.

This theme of arrival is all around us. When I was awaiting the fast-approaching arrival of my daughter, my husband and I had this incredible sense of anticipation, preparation, and joy surrounding the upcoming birth of our child. The cot was built, car seat fitted, schedules were shifted - everything began to revolve around welcoming this new life into our world and Advent invites us to experience something similar, to prepare ourselves and shift our focus to welcome Jesus.