Diane M. Houdek

Clearing your house of clutter might seem like the perfect project for Lent, it can be a fruitful Advent pursuit as well.

Beauty rescues us from a drab utilitarian existence. Simplicity doesn’t need to be stark and completely minimalist.

As you take time to breathe deeply in prayer, look with appreciation at your hands and reflect on the many things they do—working, playing, loving, creating.

We fill our lives and our calendars with more than we can do in 24 hours and we do that for days on end. Reluctant to cross anything off, we simply push tasks to the next day and the next.

Advent reminds us that the One who has come into the world and is always coming into our lives in new ways is the source of our salvation.