🎄 A December Mini-Series: Advent of Hope

Focusing on the traditional Advent themes: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love

✨ Hope — A Light in the Darkness

I have to admit it. I haven’t felt very hopeful during this Christmas season. Lots of things that were plaguing me last year have been resolved, but then some other issues came along and made me question my decisions, my words, my purpose, and life in general.

There has been a lot of waiting in my life, mostly waiting for prayers to be answered. I’m not a very patient person, as many can attest, but God does work with me in the waiting times. He helps me reflect on my thoughts, my anxiety, the feeling He is absent. But He’s not.

🌟 Learning to Trust God in the Waiting

I tend to fight Him when all He wants is my heart, a heart that’s soft to His voice, His comfort, His healing. I’m learning this as I go through this life with its joy and sadness. Maybe some of you are the same way. I struggle to put a smile on my face during many of these times. I guess you can at least say I’m honest in that way. I don’t hide my feelings well, and I don’t like that about myself, but that’s the way it is.

🕯️ The First Advent Candle: A Small Flame of Hope

This time of year, which is appropriately called Advent, is a season of waiting and watching for God’s light. That candle that glows in a dark room helps us see that God is near, even when things feel dim.
The first Advent candle reminds us that even in the waiting, God is working. Hope is never silent, and light is never truly gone. It just begins with a small flame.

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.” — Isaiah 9:2

If you haven’t yet, light your first Advent candle together as a family and reflect on what hope means to each of you. That first Advent candle is a little light with a big message: Jesus is coming, and Hope is already here.

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” – John 1:5

📚 More Hope-Filled Resources, Just for You

Check out my website at https://marygracejohnsonauthor.com and download the “Seven Affirmations of Hope” for free.

I also have two collaborative books available on Amazon:
Hope for the Holidays: Stories and Traditions for a Peaceful Season (2024) and the new 365-day devotional, A Year of Hope (2025).

And don't forget! Look for my solo picture book debut this winter, And the Sun Came Up: A True Story of Grief and Hope, which will be available for preorder very soon. I will be looking for launch team members to participate in this book release where there will be giveaways, behind-the-scenes updates, and early access to the book!