Hope. Peace. Joy. Love.

The advent season is upon us and like many Christian families, mine looks for ways to prepare for the coming of the Christ child. We have an advent devotional we follow--the Jesse Tree--which I've previously written about here. We look for opportunities to perform random acts of kindness, which I've written about here and here and here. We keep the gift-buying to a minimum and try to make purchases from companies that are making a difference in the world, like those listed here.

So why do we do all that?
For hope. And peace. And joy. And love.

These are the four words we focus on during advent, the ones written on our advent wreath, the ones we breathe in and out in anticipation of Jesus. In the brokenness of our world today, it's harder than ever to see hope, peace, joy, and love. But if you can't see them, you need to be them.

That's why I've added a new advent discipline this year: Dressember. Dressember "uses fashion to advocate for women who've been exploited for their femininity. As women take on the creative challenge of wearing a dress for the 31 days of December, they are advocating for the inherent dignity of all women."

So, I'm wearing a dress every day. In December. In the midwest.

I'm as prepared as I can be.

Getting organized for #dressember, because I can do anything as long as I have a good plan. #itsmorethanadress

A photo posted by Christina Krost (@5matches) on Nov 20, 2015 at 7:13am PST

Here's what I'm afraid of: being cold, running out of outfit ideas, accidentally flashing the entire neighborhood bending over to pick up a child, and tights.

But here's what I am hoping will happen: I'll find some inspiration and creativity in my own closet, I'll be reminded of how much choice I have as a woman in the U.S, I'll enjoy wearing my "nice" things every day instead of saving them for some undefined special time in the future, and I'll show my girls that we can make a difference right where we are by performing small acts of love.

This idea seems to be catching on: On it's first day, Dressember has already raised $100K for A21 and IJM to rescue and restore women trapped in slavery internationally. If you'd like to contribute on this Giving Tuesday (or any day in December), click here to donate to my page.

Hope. Peace. Joy. Love.
It's coming. Prepare the way.