Advent Week 1

On Hope & Resetting Your Mind

Today is Wednesday, December 3. We are officially 22 days away from Christmas!!

This past Sunday marked the first Sunday of Advent — a season of hopeful anticipation that invites us to prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ. The next few weeks of Advent I'll be sharing reflections that invite us to slow down and refocus our hearts, minds, and lives on what truly matters as we prepare for the coming of Christ and a new year.

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When you look at your calendar for the next month, what fills it?

Here are a few things on my family calendar that fall outside the normal rhythm:

• Pre-audition workshop for the middle school musical

• My niece’s ballet (a whirlwind day-trip to Harrisonburg, VA — 3 hours one way!)

• A winter chamber concert

• Musical auditions

• A winter middle school orchestra concert

• A night of worship & soaking prayer

• A Christmas party with friends

• The Women’s Christmas Coffee House at church

• A winter middle school chorus concert

• The musical read-through

• A Christmas party my daughter was invited to (must remember that white elephant gift!)

• Two youth Christmas parties for the kids

And that doesn’t include the regular weekly things — youth group, guitar lessons, bowling league, STEM club, appointments, meetings, and all the “normal” life stuff that never actually hits pause.

Oh, and we can’t forget:

• Finishing Christmas shopping

• Decorating

• Baking cookies

• Wrapping gifts

• Packing and preparing to travel

• Planning a 12th birthday party for my son?!?

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It will all happen. It all gets done, somehow. As parents, we have a way of keeping the holiday magic in the holiday. (Thanks, Mom, for the absolute best Christmases of my life!)

And by the time we hit December 31, I’m usually pretty brain-fried. I don’t feel particularly rested. The kids will still have a few days off school, and I’m trying to figure out how we’re going to celebrate our anniversary on January 2nd and our son’s birthday on January 6th.

I’ve given up on making New Year’s resolutions because I inevitably fail them within the first week. I start the year weary and already feeling behind.

What about you? Do you get a restful and rejuvenating winter break? Or do you also feel a little fried by the time it’s over?

I find myself wondering: Does it have to feel this way? What if this year I could refocus a little sooner, slow down a bit, and actually enter January 1 with a renewed mind instead of an exhausted one?

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Advent begins with hope—the steady light that reminds us that God is near, even here. This is a season of waiting, of preparing room. And maybe what we need to prepare most isn’t our calendar, or our homes, but our minds.

So often our thoughts spin with what needs to be done, what we’re not doing well enough, or what’s still unfinished. But what if, before the year ends, we let God renew our minds and restore hope right where we are?

“Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” -Romans 12:2

As I move toward the new year, I’m asking: What does it look like for God to renew my thoughts and my mindset? And how do I fix my mind on what really matters in the midst of the hustle and bustle? How do I keep my hope up?

Renewing your thoughts doesn’t have to be complicated. It might look like pausing to pray before your next task, reflecting on a verse or truth that counters negative thinking, or jotting down what’s on your mind and asking God to show you a new perspective. Take time this season to notice patterns in your thoughts and ask God to give you His perspective. These little rhythms open space for God to gently reshape how you see and respond to each moment, helping to keep your hope alive even in the midst of a busy season.

Wondering what it looks like for God to renew your thoughts and mindset? I’ve created a free Advent guide that lays out ten simple, practical ways to focus your mind and keep your hope up. Grab your free download here.

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” -Colossians 3:1–2

Keeping my mind focused on the reason for every celebration this season helps keep my hopes lifted and my worries quiet.

Intuitive Eating has taught me that real change doesn’t begin with willpower — it begins with renewing the way I think: about food, my body, my limits, and God’s care. Advent feels similar. Hope grows when my thoughts shift from pressure and performance to presence and trust. This week, I’m practicing a simple mind-reset by building in three slow breaths before the next thing on my list — a tiny pause to notice how I’m feeling, invite God into that moment, and ask, “What do You want me to do right now? Is this drawing me toward Your hope or pulling me away from it?” This little rhythm helps me step out of autopilot and into intention, gently resetting my mind and re-centering my hope.

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A gentle invitation for you:

If this reflection stirred something in you — a desire to slow down, to renew your mind, to approach this season with a little more intention and a little less pressure — I’d love for you to continue journeying through Advent with me. Subscribe to get these reflections straight to your inbox.

As always, I’d love to hear from you! Reply to this email or comment below—share what you’re hoping for this season or one small way you’re making room for hope in your day.

I’m thankful you’re here and I’m looking forward to journeying through this Advent season with you!

Hope filled blessings,
Emily
Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor & Coach at IE with Emily

P.S. Find last year’s Advent reflection on hope here:

A Thrill of Hope