Advent Challenge

Faith, prayer, advent

Advent: To Come To

The word “Advent” is a Latin word meaning “to come to.” We celebrate it in mainline denominations each year in the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. In one sense it is a time of preparation. To prepare our hearts for the savior born in humble beginnings and to prepare us for the second coming of this savior who will save us from this earth once again. Our God is a transcendent God so the preparation for what has happened and what will happen is the same in a very basic sense.

Advent is a beginning.

In another sense Advent is a beginning. There is no more waiting. Our King is here. We rejoice that God is with us.

Which brings us to another perception of Advent, the sense of wonder. Who are we that God Himself puts skin on and lives among us? What kind of love is this that He endures all that we endure? Why would He choose to do that?

This year we need Advent like never before. We went into the Pandemic during Lent - a time of somber reflection - and in a very real way we are still in that season. Advent will allow us to turn that reflection into a time of preparation for the beginning of something new and the hope for what is to come. It will allow us to truly wonder once again who is God that He want to be “with us”? Who is the Emmanuel?

From December 1 - 25, I’ll be writing daily focusing on words that speak to my soul. Each word has a Biblical connection and can help us live into the season of Advent. The words would make a good focus for Centering Prayer each day but they can also help us get into some Holy Mischief.

Your Advent challenge is this:

Purchase one item each day for your local food bank and write a word of encouragement on each one. You can use one of my words or  some of your own. You can write a lot or a little. However you choose to live out this challenge know that you are not only feeding someone physically, you are also feeding them spiritually.

My list of words is below. Let Advent begin!

Until Everyone Hears,

  1. Joy
  2. Peace
  3. Kindness
  4. Love
  5. Hope
  6. Wonder
  7. Compassion
  8. Happiness
  9. Generosity 
  10. Abundance
  11. Growth
  12. Presence
  13. Prayer
  14. Life
  15. Family
  16. Worship
  17. Rejoice
  18. Health
  19. Salvation
  20. Light
  21. Wisdom
  22. Prepare
  23. Return
  24. Comfort
  25. Remember

Faith, prayer, joy, advent

30 Comments

  1. BettyJean Bowers on November 23, 2020 at 7:55 pm

    Thank you
    Merry Christmas 💜

    • skarafanda on November 24, 2020 at 9:08 pm

      Merry Christmas and Happy Thanksgiving to you too BJ!

  2. Jon Humphries on November 23, 2020 at 8:01 pm

    Awesome challenge

    • skarafanda on November 24, 2020 at 9:08 pm

      Thank you!

  3. Laura Alvarez on November 23, 2020 at 9:28 pm

    Great idea!

    • skarafanda on November 24, 2020 at 9:09 pm

      Thanks! Looking forward to it!

  4. Pat Carman on November 24, 2020 at 7:58 pm

    A great idea, you little mischief maker😊I’ll do it!

    • skarafanda on November 24, 2020 at 8:18 pm

      It will be an act of prayer with each item you write on!

  5. Lynne Gray on November 25, 2020 at 7:51 am

    Great challenge. Count me in!!

    • skarafanda on November 25, 2020 at 8:00 am

      Woo hoo!

  6. Hope - Shannon Karafanda on December 5, 2020 at 7:19 am

    […] P.S. – During Advent, your challenge is to get 25 items for a local food pantry and write inspiration words on them. You can find more details here. […]

  7. Wonder - Shannon Karafanda on December 6, 2020 at 7:22 am

    […] P.S. – During Advent, your challenge is to get 25 items for a local food pantry and write inspiration words on them. You can find more details here. […]

  8. Compassion - Shannon Karafanda on December 7, 2020 at 7:31 am

    […] P.S. – During Advent, your challenge is to get 25 items for a local food pantry and write inspiration words on them. You can find more details here. […]

  9. Happiness - Shannon Karafanda on December 8, 2020 at 7:01 am

    […] P.S. – During Advent, your challenge is to get 25 items for a local food pantry and write inspiration words on them. You can find more details here. […]

  10. Generosity - Shannon Karafanda on December 9, 2020 at 7:46 am

    […] P.S. – During Advent, your challenge is to get 25 items for a local food pantry and write inspiration words on them. You can find more details here. […]

  11. Abundance - Shannon Karafanda on December 10, 2020 at 7:00 am

    […] P.S. – During Advent, your challenge is to get 25 items for a local food pantry and write inspiration words on them. You can find more details here. […]

  12. Growth - Shannon Karafanda on December 11, 2020 at 7:04 am

    […] P.S. – During Advent, your challenge is to get 25 items for a local food pantry and write inspiration words on them. You can find more details here. […]

  13. Presence - Shannon Karafanda on December 12, 2020 at 9:19 am

    […] P.S. – During Advent, your challenge is to get 25 items for a local food pantry and write inspiration words on them. You can find more details here. […]

  14. Prayer - Shannon Karafanda on December 13, 2020 at 9:46 am

    […] P.S. – During Advent, your challenge is to get 25 items for a local food pantry and write inspiration words on them. You can find more details here. […]

  15. Life - Shannon Karafanda on December 14, 2020 at 10:54 am

    […] P.S. – During Advent, your challenge is to get 25 items for a local food pantry and write inspiration words on them. You can find more details here. […]

  16. Family - Shannon Karafanda on December 15, 2020 at 12:02 pm

    […] P.S. – During Advent, your challenge is to get 25 items for a local food pantry and write inspiration words on them. You can find more details here. […]

  17. Worship - Shannon Karafanda on December 16, 2020 at 1:00 pm

    […] P.S. – During Advent, your challenge is to get 25 items for a local food pantry and write inspiration words on them. You can find more details here. […]

  18. Rejoice - Shannon Karafanda on December 17, 2020 at 2:14 pm

    […] P.S. – During Advent, your challenge is to get 25 items for a local food pantry and write inspiration words on them. You can find more details here. […]

  19. Health - Shannon Karafanda on December 18, 2020 at 2:10 pm

    […] P.S. – During Advent, your challenge is to get 25 items for a local food pantry and write inspiration words on them. You can find more details here. […]

  20. Salvation - Shannon Karafanda on December 19, 2020 at 2:14 pm

    […] P.S. – During Advent, your challenge is to get 25 items for a local food pantry and write inspiration words on them. You can find more details here. […]

  21. Light - Shannon Karafanda on December 20, 2020 at 3:18 pm

    […] P.S. – During Advent, your challenge is to get 25 items for a local food pantry and write inspiration words on them. You can find more details here. […]

  22. Wisdom - Shannon Karafanda on December 21, 2020 at 4:01 pm

    […] P.S. – During Advent, your challenge is to get 25 items for a local food pantry and write inspiration words on them. You can find more details here. […]

  23. Prepare - Shannon Karafanda on December 22, 2020 at 3:28 pm

    […] P.S. – During Advent, your challenge is to get 25 items for a local food pantry and write inspiration words on them. You can find more details here. […]

  24. Return - Shannon Karafanda on December 23, 2020 at 4:39 pm

    […] P.S. – During Advent, your challenge is to get 25 items for a local food pantry and write inspiration words on them. You can find more details here. […]

  25. Comfort - Shannon Karafanda on December 24, 2020 at 12:36 pm

    […] P.S. – During Advent, your challenge is to get 25 items for a local food pantry and write inspiration words on them. You can find more details here. […]

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