Emmanuel, God with us. As we begin this Advent season, this time of waiting, "with-ness" has been on my mind. With-ness: God with us. What does this mean to you? What does it mean to you to know that God has dwelt among us. He's moved in. I love the way The Message translation portrays John 1:14. It says, "The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son. Generous inside and out, true from start to finish." During advent, we anticipate the coming of Jesus, the Light of the World. Slowing down to recognize just what this means is something that I will be working on during this season. Spending time in prayer, silence and rest to reflect on all that God has already done this school year and standing in awe with what He will continue to do. With Parent-Teacher interviews fresh in our minds, we can celebrate the learning and growth that has taken place this year! And anticipate further growth throughout the rest of the school year. Confession time: Praying for God's will to be done in all areas of my life has always been a challenge for me. I like knowing, planning, organizing - and controlling. But, relinquishing this control into the hands of my Creator is my aim this Advent season. Would you join me in slowing down? How can we show the world that we have been with Jesus? 

K. VanderPloeg