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	<title>The XM ChallengeFirst Advent &#8211; The XM Challenge</title>
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	<link>https://www.rickbergen.net</link>
	<description>Help Plant 1,000 Churches</description>
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		<title>First Advent</title>
		<link>https://www.rickbergen.net/?p=534</link>
		<comments>https://www.rickbergen.net/?p=534#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 28 Nov 2010 14:50:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rick Bergen</dc:creator>
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				<description><![CDATA[I remember the excitement of coming to church, four Sundays before Christmas, and seeing a wreath at the front near the pulpit, with four candles, one of them lit. As near as I can understand, this is a symbol of a time of waiting. In the Old Testament, the Jews waited for the Messiah. Now [&#8230;]]]></description>
					<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I remember the excitement of coming to church, four Sundays before Christmas, and seeing a wreath at the front near the pulpit, with four candles, one of them lit.</p>
<p>As near as I can understand, this is a symbol of a time of waiting. In the Old Testament, the Jews waited for the Messiah. Now we wait for His second coming.</p>
<p>Waiting is good. Waiting is kind of like the &#8220;smell&#8221; of good food in the kitchen, or the &#8220;sound&#8221; of a friend driving up to the house. It is an anticipation of some very important about to happen. Waiting is like building the foundations under a house. If we learn to wait well, we will live richer lives.</p>
<p>Here are four Christmas cards the girls and I painted this year. I will post them today, on the First Advent Sunday.</p>
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<p></p>
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