Advent in 2 minutes

Over recent years I have come to value Advent as a preparation for Christmas so  I appreciated  the message of  this video-and yes we lit  the 1st advent candle in church today

Advent poster

Having been brought up in an Anglican environment(not that I went to church much !), I am turning my thoughts to Advent,(which is not far away now) a season of hope and preparation for the coming of the Messiah.
I was very struck by the churches advertising network campaign poster this year of a baby in their mothers womb
The thinking behind the idea is explained here

ChurchAds.net organisers hope that the poster will capture people's attention and spark conversations about the birth of this very special baby, with as much relevance today as 2000 years ago.

Commenting on the new poster, the Bishop of Reading, the Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell, said: "For many parents pregnancy gets real when you see the image from the ultrasound scan. It tells you something is actually kicking off. We've got so used to the tinsel-wrapped cosiness of the carefully packaged 21st century consumer-fest Christmas, that its astonishing reality - an actual pregnancy, a God come down to earth - is easily missed. But this image demands attention. So does this child. He's on his way.

Advent!

Advent ,a time of preparation and waiting
Here is a link to my favourite Advent hymn!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPHh3nMMu-I&feature=player_embedded