At the closing of the year...

We look back at what we've accomplished and we look forward to what we can become or accomplish in the new year. Resolutions are made at midnight as we watch the ball drop, or whatever your traditions are at your house... we sometimes get nostalgic and teary about the change, but move ahead bravely to a new day, a new chance to make a difference in the world. Use this new year as a jump start, find a friend to keep you accountable and help change someone else's life!
For the ladies that follow this blog, there is a great opportunity starting January 2nd, called Chasing Kite Tales (I'm taking part, and getting very excited about what God is going to do!)... What is the Kite Project? You can click the link to find out more about chasing your dreams! Here's to the New Year! Let's make it an amazing one!





Happy New Year!!

Bless us all...

Live each day in this coming year in the hope of God, the knowledge of His love, filled with His joy and comforted by His peace!

Peace be with you.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

You are Holy (Prince of Peace)

I first heard this song at a Michael W. Smith concert the year I moved to Tennessee... I went out to find the song the next day. We have peace when we our lives are in line with God's will... we respond to the peace and blessings with worship to the Prince of Peace, Emmanuel, the Alpha and Omega... Our Savior, Redeemer and Friend.

Peace in the unknown

Philippians 4:6-7 reads: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
I know that if I get so worried with what I have to do tomorrow or over the weekend, that I have no peace... I can't focus on the tasks I need to get done that day... I get anxious. Worry does not add one days to our lives here on earth, so why do we do it? We are human and we worry, it's in our nature to freak out over the minute details of life... So as we journey toward the beginning of a new year, let our hearts be at peace as we rest in the Lord. Focus on the day in front of you, and look to the future with hope and peace, knowing that God is already there.

Day After Christmas

It's December 26th... now what? Christmas is over, gifts are given and unwrapped, and we begin to look toward the new year. Don't forget to keep the real meaning of Christmas in your heart all year long!

All is Well... Happy Christmas!

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
Have a Happy and Blessed Christmas Day!!!!!

One More Sleep til Christmas!!!

The Muppets Christmas Carol has always been one of my favorite Christmas movies... and the song One more sleep til Christmas is always going through my head when I go to bed on Christmas Eve... it reminds me of the magic and wonder of the season!
Enjoy the traditions of Christmas Eve with your family and count the blessings of the year! After all there's only one more sleep til Christmas!

ADVENTure Week 4: Peace

Our hearts are restless, Lord, until we rest in Thee... ~St. Augustine

Greetings from North Carolina... this week we light the fourth candle. The fourth week of advent explores the themes of peace.
This week we celebrate Christmas... the time with the Prince of Peace is born unto us. Isaiah 9:6-7 reads: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.
Jesus was born into a time of great turmoil. Herod, who was threatened by the birth of the child people were calling a king, ordered the murder of all male children in and around Bethlehem aged two and under... there was no peace, only fear.
Although we cannot fully understand what was going on when Jesus was born, we do know about unrest... we've seen our fair share of wars, and living in fear. In these times of unrest, people will turn to just about anything to help eliviate the fear.
The only true peace is found in the Prince of Peace himself, Jesus Christ... we light the fourth candle in a prayer of peace for those living in fear, those who are alone during the holidays and for those who are in need of rest.
Find rest and peace in the Lord this holiday season... He is waiting for you with open arms!


Photo credit: "Adventkranz" by Benjamin Nussbaum, used under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs license

Love isn't love until you give it away

“A bell’s not a bell ’til you ring it. A song’s not a song ’til you sing it. Love in your heart wasn’t put there to stay. Love isn’t love ’til you give it away!” – Oscar Hammerstein II
What I've been inspired to challenge everyone this week is to start a love revolution.
So, how does one start a love revolution? There are entire websites dedicated to this topic, one inparticular that I want to share with you is theloverevolution.com
There are videos, you can join the revolution and spread God's love, one person and one day at a time.
In the movie, Pay It Forward, Trevor (played by Haley Joel Osment) is in a social studies class where his teacher Mr. Simonet encourages them to think outside the box when thinking about the world. Trevor comes back with the idea of pay it forward. You do something big for three people, they in turn agree to help three more people... you get the idea... This begins a movement and it spreads past the borders of the city where Trevor and his mom live. I won't spoil the movie for you if you haven't seen it... needless to say, one boy has the courage to start a love revolution by paying it forward.
I take this moment to challenge you... now in the words of Fleming and John... I'll radiate to you, you radiate to me, yeah we'll start a revolution, spread a warm fuzzy disease... Go spread the warm fuzzies to someone who might need a little love this holiday season! I offer this song today as a reminder to share love with someone this Christmas season... Wherever you find love, it feels like Christmas!

Light a Candle

One week ago, tragedy struck our nation... and as I sat in disbelief, this the song Light a Candle was the first one to pop into my head. As Christians, we are called to be the light of the world (Matthew 5:16 tells us to let our lights shine so that others will see the good works and praise our Father in heaven)... when you think about it... candles provide more than light... although it is there primary function, when you get closer to a candle it radiates a little warmth... when we give love to those around us, not only are we spreading God's love, we are warming their hearts... and when you receive a blessing of love, what do you want to do most? you want to share it... one by one, candles will be lit with simple acts of love... In the shadows of this tragedy, we can be a light of love to those who will be in desperate need this holiday season... Light a candle for the broken and forgotten May the season warm their souls. Can we open our hearts to shine through the dark? Light a candle, Light the dark, Light the world, Light a heart or two, Light a candle for me, I'll light a candle for you.
Be the light and share it with others this Christmas and all year long!

In the First Light

Every time I hear this song, all I can say is WOW! It truly embodies the spirit of the Christmas season... Christ was born to seek and save the lost... which meant he would die for our sins... 33 years after his birth, He took on our shame and went to the cross for us.
But the sadness would be broken as the song of life arose. And the firstborn of creation would ascend and take his throne. He had left it to redeem us but before his life began. He knew he’d come back, not as a baby, but as the Lord of every man! Hear the angels as they’re singing on the morning of his birth! But how much greater will their song be when he comes again to earth! Hear the angels as they’re singing on the morning of his birth! But how much greater will their song be when he comes to rule the earth!

Here With us

The words of this song say it all... Hallelujah, hallelujah Heaven's love reaching down to save the world Hallelujah, hallelujah Son of God, Servant King, You're here with us, You're here with us! I pray your blessings are abundant today!

Christmas Day is in our grasp! So long as we have Hands to Clasp!

We all know the story of the grinch... whether we grew up with the Dr. Suess book and cartoon narrated by Boris Karloff, or the Jim Carrey movie, its the same story.
The grinch, whose heart is two sizes too small, hates Christmas. He devises a plan and cleverly disguises himself as Santa... together with his adorable dog max (the one horn always cracks me up... but I digress), they steal Christmas from the Who's. As he is about to dump the load off Mt. Crumpit, he stops to hear the crying of the who's....
Narrator: So he paused, And the Grinch put a hand to his ear. And he did hear a sound rising over the snow. It started in low. Then it started to grow... But the sound wasn't sad! Why, this sound sounded glad! Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small, Was singing! Without any presents at all! He HADN'T stopped Christmas from coming! IT CAME! Somehow or other, it came just the same! And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling:
Grinch: How could it be so? It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes, or bags! Narrator: And he puzzled and puzzed, till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! "Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas… perhaps… means a little bit more."

Dr. Suess, in all his wisdom put the real meaning of Christmas in a children's books, being with family and surrounded by love, not what we can get...but by what we give. The wonder and excitement sometimes diminishes that a little when we are younger, and as we get older, its the hustle and bustle, or trying to get the perfect gift that seems to trip us up.
Near the end of the movie, we are told that The Grinch changed that day (after he realizes that he didn't really steal Christmas... ), and the story ends this way: And what happened then...? Well...in Who-ville they say That the Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day! And then the true meaning of Christmas came through, And the Grinch found the strength of ten Grinches… plus two.
Let your heart grow this Christmas season, don't be a grinch... let God's love fill your heart so full it overflows and you have no choice but to share it with the world.
As I was writing some of these blogs, my heart was so full, it overflowed and I couldn't help but smile... God's words bubble out of me and I can hardly keep up... I pray that love will overflow in your heart this holiday season!

Love Came Down

I know that this really isn't a Christmas song, but it is the perfect resonation of what I was trying to say yesterday... I hope that this song is a blessing to you today and that you will know that you are loved beyond any reasonable doubt... and it's a perfect love that will never leave you, it won't abandon you, and it will not forget about you... May your Blessings be abundant today!

ADVENTure Week 3: Love

Love came down at Christmas
Love all lovely, love divine
Love was born at Christmas
Star and angel gave the sign

Worship we the Godhead
Love incarnate, love divine
Worship we our Jesus But wherewith for sacred sign?

Love shall be our token
Love shall be yours and love be mine
Love to God and all men
Love for plea and gift and sign

The third candle is the candle of love. The first bit of John 3:16 reads: For God so LOVED the world...
Gor created the world and when it fell into sin, He loved it so much that He sent His son to save us.
Last week we meditated on the hope that we have at Christmas; this week focuses on the love of God and Jesus. Jesus gave his life because of that love... he took on our sin, our shame and our debt. He cleared our names so that we could experience his love in our own lives.
William Walker write the hymn What Wondrous Love is this, O My Soul and I love the words, they express just how much we are loved... and, in my case, I often take it for granted, or am selfish with the love I was given... I want to keep it for myself, instead of share it.
During this week, we remember God's love and how He sent His Son to help us and to give us the example of perfect love.... Our response to this should be to share it with those around us. Let us worship him and share His love with others this holiday season!



Photo credit: "Adventkranz" by Benjamin Nussbaum, used under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs license

Sing Noel, Sing Hallelujah

Sweeping, Epic, Grandious... I can think of no better way to end this week than with this song... Sing noel, Sing Hallelujah! All creation Great and small. Sing noel, Lift high His praises. Christ come To save us all! Christ come To save us all!
This piece ranks right up there with the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah, with it's outspoken tones of joy.
We have joy this Christmas season (and every day after for that matter)... Joy is from God, which is not the same as being happy (but don't get me started on that... we'll save that for another blog). I hope that you enjoy this piece and that your heart is prepared for worship tomorrow!

Christmas Angels...

There are very few Christmas songs that send a thrill through my heart like this song... sweeping orchestral, 4 choirs, glorious melody... don't get me started! This is what joy would feel like to me, if Joy were a musical entity.
There is a part of me that thinks this is what the scene was like when the angels appeared to the shepherds... full four part harmony, an orchestra... In Luke 2 we read: And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Joy to the World the world, the Lord is come... let earth receive her King!

Being Mary at a Martha (Stewart) time of year

Now let's see, cards are mailed, tree is trimmed, decorations are up, presents bought and wrapped, menu is prepared, kids have treats for school party... oh hello there, I was just making sure everything is in order for Christmas this year. After what happened last year, I can't stand for another year like that... We had several unexpected guests show up, which called for extra preparation... and where is my sister? Sitting out in the living room just chatting away with Jesus... I can't believe her sometimes... ugh, she frustates me so much. Left me in the kitchen by myself to finish cooking the turkey, making the dressing and cranberries... just makes me shudder if I think too much about it. Not this year... no sir... I have extra food in case Peter and the guys show up unannounced... again... I tell you what, they never call, just show up... typical disciple! Oh here's my sister Mary, will you excuse me? I have to finish several things on my list before this afternoon.

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

I was so excited when Jesus decided to stop by with the guys! I was just so enthralled by his stories and teaching... I guess I forgot that Martha was in the kitchen by herself... I tend to do that sometimes, you know, forget... but it was Jesus! he was actually at our house! I was so overjoyed that he was visiting that I wanted to hear what he had to say! Who can blame me for wanting to sit and listen at his feet?

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

This Christmas, will you be bogged down trying to be Martha with visions of the pefect Christmas dancing in your head? Don't let worrying steal your joy, or your focus from Jesus!
Each Thanksgiving, my husband and I host the big dinner at our house. Both sets of parents come in and its a great day! The first year we did Thanksgiving together was our first year of dating... there was a lot to be anxious about... our parents were meeting for the first time and I felt strain to be Martha Stewart... needless to say, a few things kind of blew up in our faces... we were trying to do all the shopping, cook elaborate dinners, and hang out with our parents... in the short time that they were there.... through the years, our Thanksgivings have become easier and easier and this year was amazing... we were able to split the time between cooking, time with our parents and my having to work pretty great... it was a joy (but then we've had 3 prior to get to this point). We were less Martha and more Mary... I was able to focus on being Thankful and really take in the fullness of Thanksgiving. I responded to all the blessings in my life, a great husband, our amazing families and the time we were able to share together, with worship... On Black Friday, I went into work and as I listened to the first strains of Christmas music... I was joyful and excited about sharing the idea that God blessed me with over Thanksgiving dinner. My heart was overflowing with hope, love, joy... and I was at peace.
May God grant you genuine joy this most excellent of seasons!

Photo Credit: "Joy" By: Phing Chov, Used under Creative Commons Attribution license

Gloria...

Angels we have hear on high! Sweetly singing o'er the plains... and the mountains in reply, echo back their joyous strains.. Gloria in Excelsis Deo!

Infectious Joy... *achoo*

excuse me... I think I might have the flu... How about a hug?
If you're like me during the winter, you practically wear purell as a perfume... No one wants to be sick come Christmas break... you don't want to be infected
On the other hand, when you hear someone laughing and they have a great laugh that makes you bubble up and laugh a little... you are drawn to them... or, someone with a great heart for people... you want to spent time with them, maybe they inspire you to be a better person... they have something that you want... you want to be infected with the joy that they have.
Genuine joy for God and sharing what He has given you is infectious... people want to know what it is that makes you so joyful... with that, you have an in to talk to them about Jesus and share the joy that He's given you through Him.
Philippians 4:4 says: Rejoice in the Lord Always, and again, I say rejoice! I know that sometimes, I'm not too joyful... I amsometimes that Christian who looks like they were forced to suck a lemon during worship... Joy should (and I stress, should) radiate through us, letting Jesus shine through us.... that is what Joy is to me... even in the darkest times in your lives, you should radiate Christ. Easier, said than done... and believe me, it's not lip service when I say... trust me, I understand!
Christmas brings us joy... or should, anyway... because of the meaning for us. Christ was born, became like us, took our sins to the cross, paid our debt and freed us from the curse of sin... we have a lot to rejoice about!
Instead of looking like we sucked on a lemon, let's smile and let God shine through us today!

Rejoice!

I figured I'd put at least one upbeat song on here during this holiday season, after all, it's a season of Joy!

ADVENTure Week 2: Joy

Luke 2:8-11 read: And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.
I am amazed by the irritability and frustration that I see during the Christmas season... people running around trying to find that perfect gift, or throwing an elbow at a black Friday sale to get the last of the latest toy. Where's the joy of the season? It seems to be stretched thin over the raw nerves of flustered shoppers... barely noticable through the strained chords of Happy Christmas. It seems that we've misplaced it.
We have cause for GREAT JOY! A savior, albeit, he was born in a barn, and his first visitors were shepherds. But in those humble beginnings, the shepherds, Mary and Joseph got to look upon the very face of God! Great Joy people!!! Christmas should bring us great joy (and I'm not talking "Don't worry be happy" kind of stuff).
As you've probably pieced together, the candle of Joy is lit today. Hannah W Smith wrote about an encounter with a non Christian in her book The Christian's Secret to a Happy Life where he said to her: "You Christians seem to have a religion that makes you miserable. You are like a person with a headache. He does not want to get rid of his head, but it hurts him to keep it. You cannot expect outsiders to seek very earnestly for anything so uncomfortable."
Have Joy and show it this holiday season!




Photo credit: "Adventkranz" by Benjamin Nussbaum, used under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs license

Hope for the New Year!

What is your hope for the new year?

And, no, I'm not talking about your resolutions... What do you hope to accomplish in the new year?
Last year, I would have told you, I was hoping to make it through that year... and now that I have, this year... my hopes, they have grown... and include several projects that have been laid on my heart during this current year. It's been exciting to see what God has done so far and scary to be having all these hopes for the following year.
As we all travel toward the end of this current year and take our first steps into the new... we all have hope, we carry it in our back pocket to pull out should we ever lose sight of our true calling.
In the movie A knights tale, William is writing a letter and as he closes it, it is suggested that he write: Hope guides me. It is what gets me through the day and especially the night. It continues, but those first two sentences catch me everytime that I watch that movie... Hope guides me...
Hope is defined as the "feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best"... this holiday season offers hope to many people, and in return they are offered the greatest gift ever given... salvation through Jesus Christ and a promise of eternity with Him.
Inspire others around you to hope and as Ghandi said: Be the change you wish to see in the world.
You (and I am speaking to myself when I say this... talking to myself makes me look crazy...er) may be one person, but you can give hope by giving a cup of coffee and being a shoulder to cry on to a friend in need, you can be hope to an elderly person who may have no family, take your pick... Be the heart of Jesus to those you meet this holiday season... share hope and carry it with you into the new year!

Photo Credit: "The Hope" By: Mustafa Khayat, used under Creative Commons Attribution- Non Commercial- No Derivs license

The Promise

I love music... ok, that was a duh statement if ever I heard one... but I really love Christmas music... I start getting twitchy around Halloween (some of you know exactly what I am talking about). Music is so powerful, and after yesterdays emotional charged Mary, did you know/ The King is Coming medley, I was wanting to take it down a notch, but I pulled out my Michael W. Smith Christmas collection, and well, no such luck... The Promise is a piece off His It's a wonderful Christmas album... I hope that you enjoy this glorious piece and let it echo to the deep places of your soul this morning.

Mary Did You Know?/The King is coming

This is one of my favorite Christmas songs... the message of hope is radiating from every word!!! This version is from The Gaither Homecoming show and includes the song The King is Coming... after hearing this at a Living Proof event, where I was brought to tears, I might add... still am whenever I hear it... This is what Christmas is all about!!! The King is Coming!!!!

Hope of Redemption: Lessons from Ebenezer Scrooge

In the first sentences of A Christmas Carol we learn that, Marley was dead (Dickens further elaborates that he was as dead as a doornail...) Mr. Dickens then goes on to explain that this is important or nothing that follows will seem woundrous.
The description of Scrooge that we get from Mr. Dickens is that he was a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, couvetous, old sinner... oh my...
We've seen many depictions through the years of this story, but one of my favorites is The Muppets Christmas Carol... (Yes, I know, it's the muppets and there is singing and dancing... often at the same time *gasp*) The reason I like this version so much (is addition to Kermit being in it) is that the words of the songs ring true to this very day (but I'm getting ahead of myself and there will be more on this later in the month).
Michael Caine's depiction of Scrooge, despite being surrounded by muppets, is brilliant. His Scrooge is a hard and shrewd businessman who seems to have no heart at all.
We are witness to one scene with his nephew where he states: ...every idiot who goes about with Christmas on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding and buried with a stake of holly through his heart.

Ouch!

So, all in all, not a very nice guy... but that very evening, his old business partner, Marley, comes for a visit... now you remember that he was dead right? I believe the phrase was "dead as a doornail"... for seven years, to be exact.
So, Marley visits and during the interaction, Scrooge notices the heavy chains that his friend is carrying. Marley explains that he forged these chains while he was yet living and that Scrooge is following that very path.
Scrooge begs his friend to speak comfort, but he has none to give... before he leaves, he tells Scrooge that he's here to warn him. He tells him that he has a chance and hope of escaping the same fate... redemption.
He then tells Scrooge that there will be three more ghosts haunting him, starting at one in the morning...
Scrooges then asks if this is the hope Marley mentioned, when Marley says that it is, Scrooge balks. Marley tells him that without these visits there is no hope of redemption for Scrooge... Marley leaves.
Scrooge then encounters each of the ghosts in turn, the ghost of Christmas past, present and Christmas yet to come.
During each interaction, we see more of the heart of Scrooge emerging... and by the third ghost, he knows that he must change in order to escape the chains that await him.
I will honour Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all year round. I will live in the past, present and future. [...] I will not shut out the lessons that they (the ghosts) teach!

At the beginning of the story, Marley warns Scrooge of the chains that await him... as sinners, we have chains binding us to the sin in our lives and we are dragging it around with us... I speak metaphorically, but we are, in fact, slaves to sin.
Like Scrooge, we are trapped by the chains, luckily there is hope... Scrooge, in seeing the error of his way, repents of his evil and changes his ways. He is saved from the horrible fate of his friend Marley.
When Christ died on the cross, he took all of our sins on Himself that we might be saved. He was born to save the world! When we accept that gift of salvation, we are redeemed... we are freed from the chains that once bound us to sin.
Our sins are paid... our debt is cleared. By accepting this free gift of salvation, we let go of our old lives and change our ways... this salvation doesn't give us free reign to do what we want, instead once we are saved, we are called to serve God.
This Christmas season, as we celebrate the hope of Christ's birth... the salvation of our souls, celebrate the hope you have in your redemption... John 3:16 reminds us that God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son (what a great Christmas gift!) that no one should perish but have everlasting life.
The greatest gift you can give this year is the hope of redemption! Don't forget that we are called to be a light in a dark world this holiday season (and beyond)!
Have a blessed Monday!

Come Thou Long Expected Jesus

Advent means arrival... As we celebrate advent we not only celebrate the birth of Jesus, but we await His second coming... Come Thou Long Expected Jesus!



Have a blessed day!!

A Thrill of Hope...

... the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!

What thrills you?

I know that when God gives me an idea or a blog idea and I can barely write fast enough to capture the thought, I get excited to share it....
It thrills me to think that the words God blessed me with reaching people... even if it is just one.... there's potential that God will speak to them through those words.
When I was a kid, I loved Christmas... still do, actually... but I was always so thrilled by the lights, the music and the "magic" of the season... It was such a happy time.
I was born with sleep apnea and for the first 13 years, I had to sleep strapped up to a machine that monitored my breathing. The Christmas excitement would build and build and then I would have to wait for my parents to wake up to be able to go down and see the presents and open them. It felt like hours waiting for my parents... which only built up the excitement more.
Now that I am older, I sometimes feel like I've lost a little of that thrill-ability (I know its not a word... not let's watch the grammar peoples go nuts!)... anyway, I still hope and dream, but I don't get that thrill as often. Until Christmas, that is, and then I wish that I could bottle that feeling for the rest of the year.
As I write this, I am reminded of the hymn All That Thrills My Soul. We used to sing it in church, and although it's not a Christmas song, it's a good wake up call for me... after the trees and the lights are put away, after all the gifts are opened (and let's face it, sometimes returned)... let Jesus be a thrill of hope eminating from your soul like a candle, inspiring hope in this weary world.

ADVENTure week 1: Hope

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2
Advent is a time of waiting, a time of expectation for what is to come. In four weeks, we will be celebrating Christmas... when God revealed true love through His Son, Jesus.
Hope is what the promised coming of the Messiah gave to the children of Israel... a light to shine in the darkness... were you ever afraid of the dark when you were a kid? Did you have a nightlight? It spread a light through the room, so that the fear and dread would ease... As adults, we get anxious for things, we fear the unknown or things that we can't control... God is the light in our "darkness". He gives us hope for the future, hope to face the unknown and hope that things will work out as they should.
The first candle of Advent is lit as a symbol of God's light shining in the darkness... a hope where once there was none. We have that hope today, and we can share it with others who don't know or understand that hope!
O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer Our spirits by Thine advent here Disperse the gloomy clouds of night And death's dark shadows put to flight. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel.






Photo credit: "Adventkranz" by Benjamin Nussbaum, used under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs license

Let the ADVENTure begin

So what is advent? Advent is literally from the Latin Adventus, which means arrival. So from that you can most likely deduce that the advent season heralds they arrival to someone... but who?
In most churches, we celebrate the advent, or arrival of Jesus. His birth is foretold throughout the Old Testement and in the first chapters of each of the gospels proclaims it!
Each year, the church celebrates the birth of the Savior and furthermore, we look forward to His truimphal second coming.
Each week, a theme is presented and we are challenged to meditate on them throughout the week. This is where this idea of the ADVENTure comes from... each of the four Sundays before Christmas, a theme will be presented and explored through the week.
The hope that we have in Jesus... Hope in redemption, and looking to hope in the new year. We can live out love... share it, celebrate it, start a love Revolution! We can have Joy... Joy in knowing Jesus, proclaiming that Joy and living with joy in our daily lives. And finally peace... the arrival of the Prince of Peace, finding peace and rest in Jesus and having peace in the unknown.
I am excited to share what God has put on my heart this holiday season! Have a blessed day!