If you are a regular reader of my blog, you will probably recall that for several years, I have used my blog to participate in an international phenomenon called “Advent Word,” begun a number of years ago by the Brothers of Saint John the Evangelist. I have been participating since before it became an international phenomenon and before I had a blog with which to create my contributions.

AdventWord is now a separate organization with its own website, Facebook page and other social media platforms. Whoever runs it, and I’m not sure what role the Brothers of SSJE currently play, a list of Advent Words is published to subscribers and via social media a few weeks before Advent begins. To participate, all you have to do is post–a comment, a photo, or whatever inspires you–and use the hashtag “#AdventWord.” My participation is always a photograph plus words, which might be my own reflection or story relevant to the word and the photo, or perhaps a fragment of scripture, poetry or insight from one of the many gifted writers I regularly read and am inspired by.

This year’s AdventWord begins today, the first day of Advent, and I will post my contribution later today. But before I do, I must share something that is very special to me. Last year, at the end of the series, I was tagged in a post–I believe on Facebook–but I couldn’t swear to that right now. Someone at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Edinburgh, follows #AdventWord and selects one contribution per day to share and feature. This person had chosen one of mine.

As a blogger and photographer, it often feels as if one is speaking into a void. Yes, I do have faithful friends who always support my efforts with a thumbs up or a heart, and I deeply appreciate them. But it is profoundly humbling when someone so far away and heretofore unknown, sees, reads and is moved by my offerings.

If the link above is no longer active, I trust you can copy and paste it into your browser to read that reflection. And if you haven’t yet subscribed to my blog there’s a box in the sidebar to the right. I promise you will never be spammed by me and there’s no advertising on my blog. Just photographs and talk about my photography.