John the Baptist ends the 460 year prophetic silence with his wilderness call for people to repent. As he does, he also challenges his listeners to move from their self-centered expectations to God-centered anticipation. God is about to do something way beyond their expectations. They are to turn to God and anticipate the remarkable display of his goodness and grace.

Are we led by our self-centered expectations of God or by our holy anticipation of the goodness of God?

How do you prepare to celebrate the birth of the savior of the world? Our culture has turned Christmas into a stressful  and expensive holiday that never delivers on all that it promises. For many, it the most challenging time of the year. For some, it is downright depressing. Rather than taking our cues from the culture, we should take them from the Creator. After all, he gave us the best Christmas ever.