week one:come
empty.
waiting to be filled.
the manger is empty.
there is no ONE in it.
it is waiting to be filled.
filled by a PRESENCE.
THE Presence.
one little candle burns brightly.
in the quiet of the evening.
first lit by a young girl.
she attends to the linens and the wreath.
careful that things are just so.
these rituals take effort. and time.
two things that seem to be very sparse around here lately.
simplicity is the key word this year.
the house looks so bare .
all of the festive fall clutter is gone. stashed away in boxes. tables and shelves have been stripped of many beloved knick knacks.
i want our hearts to soak up the nakedness.
so that when He does come we are not already full….
happy first week of advent friends.
i hope you are all well.
andeverythinginitsplace.wordpress.com 
Simplicity is the key word here, too. I desire us to experience that waiting and longing in a new/deeper way this Advent. To not hurry too quickly. But to really prepare … and long … for His coming.
A blessed first week of Advent to you, too, dear Regan!
simplicity is here, too. lovely photography!
Thank you for the reminder. It makes me want to clear more clutter out of our home.
So beautifully said (and photographed!), Regan.
Regan…what a beautiful post…what a precious reminder as we all wait to be filled…just gorgeous!
Sigh. I love your pictures. I am working on decorating a little for advent without purchasing a bunch of junk made in China. So far we have a little Jesse tree that was given us, and I’m slowly putting away the fall decorations and digging out my one tote of Advent & Christmas things.
Simplicity has been ringing in my head lately, too, and I come here and see I’m not the only one.
I like it! And I totally agree. You said it much more eloquently than I did, and I have not conquered the clutter around here.