Consider the flurry of activity this time of year of people preparing for Christmas. But then consider an even more exciting possibility: preparing for Jesus. Preparing for Christmas is to get ready for a holiday. Preparing for Jesus, on the other hand, is to get ready for a life transformation. In this season of Advent we consider the inexpressible joy of having our lives renewed by Jesus. No grinching or grouching about celebrating Christmas here, rather our focus will be on the transformative power of Jesus in our lives and how we prepare for that.