It's Advent... so what are you looking forward to?

[Tuo]

Advent is about expectation, hope, anticipation, looking forward... So I thought it might be nice to have an Advent 'looking forward' thread for us to talk about what we're looking forward to, either immediately or in the longer-term, or what our hopes are (again, short-term, for 2014, or beyond).

This thread is not just for Christians... Even if Advent doesn't have any particular meaning for you, the turning of the year, with the hope of Spring around the corner, provokes the same kinds of reflections.

So what are you looking forward to?

I'll start with a short-term one. I'm looking forward to getting together with my family next weekend to celebrate my dad's 80th birthday. My dad is a wonderful, kind, happy, funny, gentle man, and I feel very blessed that at 80 he's fit and well and full of fun.

I'm looking forward to seeing my family on Boxing Day.

Christmas Day once we have got through all the services will involve food, nice wine and sleep so the family get together is the next day when I might be half awake. We don't see enough of the wider family although we speak on the phone so it will be good to reconnect in person.

To be reminded of what Christmas is all about.
It is easy to get sucked into things and forget the real reason behind it all.