You're listening to the Allender Center podcast with Dr. Dan Allender.

This week, Dan and his wife, Becky Allender, conclude our Advent series by reflecting on the act of celebration.

How does anticipating the coming of Jesus equip us to celebrate the scandalous nature of Christmas with deep, life-changing joy?

From all of us at the Allender Center and the Seattle School, a very Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones.

Well, we have the opportunity to end our Advent series by talking about celebration.

We've been trying to put four words before you, the idea that you can't have the coming of Jesus

without your heart anticipating his arrival and therefore preparing to be able to welcome.

But that welcome comes. In one sense, there are moments of the surprise of receiving.

And now what we're going to eventually move to is how do we celebrate? How do we actually participate in the fullness of the work of what Jesus brings?

But anything that you want to ponder, Becky, from?

Well, I just think there's so much about preparing our hearts in the midst of waiting.

And that song, praise song, open the eyes of my heart, Lord, the idea of

seeing your fingerprints all over my life. So there's a space that I need to enlarge in my heart.

There's a time that if I enlarge the space, I need to sit in the time.

And then what is the journey?

What is the unexpected journey that has invaded my life before or that is invading my life now?

And dreams, you know, what dreams?

When you have dreams, you're awakened to the longings that there are so many dreams

or so many things you've dreamed on behalf of others that haven't taken place.

So a lot of that is just the preparation of space, time, the journey, the obedience to have faith

and trust, and then the dreams.

What do you long for?

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