It's a NEW YEAR!

"Right here right now
Under the stars
I promise you my heart
Cause it starts tonight!"-TobyMac

I would like to start off by saying HAPPY NEW YEAR! I get more excited about this new year than the January 1st new year every year. With a new year here, that means Advent is here! Advent is a time for us to prepare ourselves for Christ's coming. Although I think we should be doing this everyday, Advent is a time in the church where things are changing and we can focus more on preparing our hearts for God.

This morning I went to morning prayer and mass with the monks at the Abbey and it was really great. Everyday we have the opportunity to participate in mass and receive the Eucharist and I think that mass helps us prepare ourselves and our hearts immediately. 

"I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you, taking from your bodies your stony hearts and giving you natural hearts." - Ezekiel 36:26

This summer when I started going to daily mass more frequently, I found that my heart was changing constantly and growing more open. I think when we make that decision to be open to God, he gives us this new heart, as stated in Ezekiel. Everyday that I went to mass, God was showing me something new and greater and I was opening my heart up to even more possibilities. 

The song "Tonight" by TobyMac has some great lyrics for right now. It starts tonight, promise God your heart and open yourself up. I am going to go a step farther and say it start right now. No better time than the present right? Spend some time with Jesus, even 5 minutes, and see what he is saying to you.

Oh and something else I have learned is to be patient because I am pretty sure that we have a different clock than God does sometimes.

Peace and Love,

Erica Jean