Bittersweet

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and hopefully you've survived all the carbo-loading, family zoom calls, and the dish-washing marathon.  By the end of this weekend, we'll be starting Advent, preparing for Christmas, and bracing for winter. 
Winter is not my favorite season, but one of my favorite things about this time of year is seeing all the Bittersweet. I know, I know, it’s pernicious and we’re all supposed to hate it, but I just can’t. Every year, I love to see the clouds of orange berries that appear along the roadsides, and I watch for them as the leaves start to fall. 

I think it’s so poetic that when the leaves all wither and die and drop off the trees, what remains is… bittersweet.  It seems especially poignant this year as we face a winter of covid, of holidays without family. We're sad for all we've lost in 2020 but can't forget to be thankful for all the good. I think this will be a bittersweet Advent, but I know that there is Good News at the end of it. 
I hope your Thanksgiving was full of giving thanks, that your Advent will be filled with joyful hope, and I hope you'll join us to prepare to celebrate the Good News of Jesus' birth. Help us decorate the Christmas Walk, come sing Christmas carols in your car, and plan to worship with us online or in person at Christmas. Find out and share all the information at our Christmas page, and stay up-to-date with our Facebook page. Happy Advent, Salem!

Blessings,
-Margo