Treasure These Things

Advent means waiting.

Long before I understood the word, I understood the feeling, an ache of wanting something so much that the calendar itself seems to slow down. As a child, I counted the days until Christmas morning. Now, I count them differently, God has taught me that the waiting itself is where He does some of His most profound work in us.

I wrote these reflections over three Advent seasons. The chapters follow the four candles many of us light during Advent (Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love), then Christmas Day and four reflections on offering our hearts to the King of kings. You do not need an Advent wreath to use them. Think of it as a path: we begin in longing, arrive at a manger, and end by asking what it means to treasure these things in our hearts.

• Nine unhurried reflections for Advent and the days beyond
• A Head to Heart section closing each chapter for reflection
• Breath prayers, Psalms, and simple practices for quiet mornings

Brenda H. McCord is the co-founder of Discover God’s Truth Ministries, where she writes the weekly Embrace Truth devotional and co-hosts the Walk with God podcast with her husband, Walt. She holds a master’s degree from Dallas Theological Seminary and has spent years walking alongside women who are learning to seek God with their whole hearts.