December 5

Good Morning! I'm up early for a FULL day ahead. Bible Study at 7:30, our church women's Christmas Brunch at 10, and then to Chicago with friends for some window shopping and dinner before we go to Candlelight Carols. I've been fighting a nasty bug - only worked one and a half days this week - so I'm praying for an extra dose of energy. I'll just duck into a Starbucks on Michigan Avenue and people watch (zone out) while my girlfriends window shop...there's already a book in my purse...

Have an extraordinary last day of the first week of Advent. Let's keep our focus on HIM.

December 4

Happy Friday! Here's your ADVENT reading for today. Enjoy!

December 3rd

Happy Thursday! The reading for December 3rd is posted here. (don't pay attention to the posting dates - this year or last - just the BLUE TITLE DATES) - (GREEN ones on the advent blog.)

Peace to you!

December 2nd

I hope you enjoy today's ADVENT reading! And the BONUS Advent reading. :o) (Somehow last year I posted twice for December 2nd.)

Advent

In 2008 I wrote an Advent blog.
I am revisiting it now, and enjoying the fact that I'm *totally* surprised by each day's writing. Ha. Must be a midlife thing, eh?
Here is the link to December 1.

Let's enjoy it together. I might edit some of the posts as I reread them this year, so please don't get ahead of the date. A request of the author. :D

One more request. COMMENT. Comments are the ONLY feedback I get. I LOVE comments. Pretty please? I have readers that I don't know. Who are you in Missouri? Such a faithful reader, and I have NO CLUE who you are.

And if anyone (Diane?) can give me the instructions on a simpler comment methodology, PLEASE share.

Happy December everyone!

Desired and Chosen

It's odd to be reading of the Passover in the first week of Advent, but that's where I am at in the Jesus study. In Day 76 Beth quotes part of the "Kiddush" as it is likely what Christ said as He celebrated the Passover with his disciples in the upper room. (Luke 22:14-22 is today's passage.) The Kiddush is a blessing recited over wine or grape juice to sanctify the Shabbat,or other Jewish holiday. I googled "Kiddush" and came to the following English translation in Wikipedia.


English translation of Friday night kiddush
[And it was evening and it was morning], the sixth day. And the heavens and the earth and all their hosts were completed. And God finished by the seventh day His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, for on it He rested from all His work which God created to function.

Attention, gentlemen,

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who creates the fruit of the vine. (Amen)
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, has desired us, and has given us, in love and good will, His holy Shabbat as a heritage, in remembrance of the work of Creation; the first of the holy festivals, commemorating the Exodus from Egypt. For You have chosen us and sanctified us from among all the nations, and with love and good will given us Your holy Shabbat as a heritage. Blessed are You, Lord, who sanctifies the Shabbat. (Amen)

Such a very lovely blessing. Before this reading I did not know it existed. There is such beauty in the Jewish traditions. It would have been a lovely prayer at Thanksgiving... perhaps I will print it and put a copy in our china cabinet...where it will be available for appropriate use.

As I study it, I see that it is a blessing of remembrance. Lord. God. King of the universe. Creator. We need to remember WHO God is.
It is this King of the Universe who sanctifies us - changes us - fits us for Himself - through His Word.
It is AMAZING that the King of the Universe desires us. Ponder that. God has one longing - even as God - and that is for relationship with His creation.
The King of the Universe has given us Sabbath as a heritage, a reminder to rest for 1/7 th of our week, as a remembrance of His work of creation and His example of rest. (Now THAT is a good reminder for the Advent season.) Isn't it funny how we love to FIGHT this - call it ritual, and unnecessary for New Testament believers. But it is a GIFT. A gift "in love and good will." Why do we fight what is so good for us?
The King of the Universe gave us Passover to remember His deliverance of His people from Egypt.
We are chosen. I am chosen. If I remembered this each day it would certainly change my perspective.
We are chosen and sanctified from among the nations. Do you ponder this enough? If you have accepted Christ's free gift of salvation and are living in obedience to Him, then you can know you are CHOSEN. I'm not interested in debating predestination, but I'm grateful that I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I AM CHOSEN. God did it right - however He did the choosing - and I am among the chosen. I don't know about you, but I don't thank Him enough for that, nor do I mention it in my prayers nearly enough.
Blessed be the Lord of the Shabbat.

This kind of ritual - not as a NECESSARY, but as a LOVELY REMEMBRANCE - excites me. I love the heritage of it. I love that Jesus likely said these very words with His disciples. At this site you can listen to it in Hebrew.

I love learning. It really just invigorates me. I'm home sick today, for the second day in a row, but today I am at least able to be reading and studying a bit. And honestly, my dilemma is WHICH Bible study to work on. My favorite is this Jesus one, I have a lesson in Proverbs to lead on Saturday morning, and I'm working through Immanuel by Ann Spangler for Advent. (Praying the Names of God through the Christmas Season) After my first morning nap (I am, after all, home to recuperate for the rest of my work week) I will dig into Christian History. I have SO MUCH reading for that, too. I so prefer my time in the Word, but will continue to plod on through the background information I am learning through my seminary classes.

Remember today that you are desired by God. Will you respond to Him in a new and fresh way during this season of Advent?

Delightful

Christmas Day 2008 was delightful.

The hour and a half of coffee sipping, journaling and reading the Word was a key to its success. By the time the kids began to appear I was ready and smiling. The candles were lit, the Christmas playlist crooning, the tree and other decor alight, the sun was streaming in, and mom and dad were finished with their respective quiet hours. A very good start.

Highlights include:

• hub reading the Christmas story out of Matthew
• sharing an oplatki for the first time - a new tradition
• leisurely present opening - stretched out before and after breakfast, for over two hours.
• staying in our jammies all day
• six of us enjoying one another's company, and the traditions we share
• appreciative children
• my bald hub donning a visor that came complete with a head of hair - the hit gift of the day
• a family game of Apples to Apples
• Guitar Hero Rock Band - complete with dad on the bass and mom singing lead... all six of us rocking together
• Scrabble with the oldest after dinner - he and mom's favorite game
• the movie "Christmas Vacation" (currently being enjoyed while mom blogs and reads)
• four deer trotting through the yard
• Grandpa's visit for the traditional Chinese take out dinner
• guitar and carols
• the fireplace aglow (still a treat having waited 23 years to move to a home with a fireplace)
• reading a book on knitting - inspiration to create - relaxed perusal
• the youngest entertaining us with odd facts from his new Guinness Records 2009 book
• fresh hot coffee throughout the day
• a rousing game of Kerplunk with our 19 year old and her boyfriend

We've had a picture perfect day, which is a minor miracle to a mom of four - aging from 13 to 21. It makes all the preparation worthwhile and rewarding.

Happy Birthday Jesus. Thank you for inviting us to your eternal party.

Not a Creature was stirring...other than mom...

The day began well, before the others awoke...


Sitting in my spot, staring out the window at the snow laden woods, writing in my moleskine journal,


feet up, savoring the Word.


The food was ready to pop in the oven, made late Christmas Eve: overnight egg casserole and overnight caramel rolls;

and the table set for our traditional family breakfast.


The sunlight streamed in the windows, illuminating the tree.



The promise of an excellent day.

Merry Christmas!

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Inspired

Can you even believe that the Tour of Homes has over 900 participants? That's 3 a day to view between now and when I decorate for Christmas 2009!!

One of the homes REALLY inspired me (#5 Mary (Megardengal) when I saw a set of doors used as a headboard on a bed. We desperately needed a new headboard, and I knew that we had some old solid wood doors in the basement. And so, although I had 12 guests coming for a turkey dinner, on Saturday I had my hub drag a bi fold door up just to audition it as a headboard. Hours later, it was dusted, oiled and hung...

Today I bought it a wreath.

It's spectacular. And it was free! Since it was stained to match our dark woodwork, it fits in perfectly, and it's just different enough to be interesting. I'm really excited about it...this photo does not do it justice, but you can get the idea.

I'm not exactly speeding through those homes on tour, but I have completed three projects as a result of the 10 homes visited thus far. Our kitchen window decor was inspired by something similar, as were the the jingle bells hanging from the chandelier, and also the headboard.

Fun little details added from items I already had in the house. Fa-la-la-la-la!

Perfect Peace

My dear buddy Margo just called. When schedules allow, we pray together at 7:30 am on Friday mornings. Margo is a mentor in my life, and was one of my Bible study leaders when I was a young mom. Margo and I have history.

She asked if she could recite her "piece" to me over the phone. She has been asked to be Elizabeth on Sunday, to recite some of what Elizabeth may have been thinking, based on Luke 1, and then light the second advent candle. Margo wrote the recitation herself.

Tears ran down my face as I listened to what Margo had written. The story of Elizabeth and Zechariah gives me such hope, as I've written before, and Margo's way with words and her passion for the Truth touched my heart.

Margo's (Elizabeth's) introduction included, "I'm here to tell you that you can have peace in the midst of heartache and pain. You can have peace when your world is turned upside down. And you can have peace when you're waiting with anticipation and hope for what God will do in the future."

THAT is exactly what God has been teaching me through Luke 1.

Yesterday I landed on the verse in Isaiah

Is 26:3 “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You.

This verse so encouraged me, and I tentatively chose it as the theme verse for the fall 2009 retreat I've been asked to lead for our church. How to experience God's peace in fallen world. And today Margo, as Elizabeth, recited that verse to me - the only verse cited in the 3 minute narrative prepared for this coming Sunday.

And so, first thing on a cold and crisp Friday morning in December, God has warmed my heart and whispered in my ear, "Grace, you're on the right track." When God brings thoughts to me as I study His word and talk to Him, and then they are reinforced from another direction, it is a very personal "hug" experience for me. I LOVE it when that happens. God shows me that He orchestrates details right down to what verse I am reading to prove that He is indeed the artist designing the tapestry of my life. Generally I see the underside - a seemingly unrelated mish mash of colored thread. But once in a while, a pocket of joy, He allows me to see the pattern.

At this moment in time I am in perfect peace, because I trust in Him.

Thank you Lord.

Out on a (frasier fir) limb...

One of my "bucket list" entries is to write and publish a book. And one of the book ideas has been, for years, a book on preparing for Christmas.

I celebrate Christmas in a big way. I love the decor, the music, the cards, the gifts, the special foods, the entertaining....and I tend to do it all. I have it down to a *relatively* stress-free system, and actually ENJOY the preparation as well as the festivities. I have a passion to help women to enjoy the season rather than drown in it. Doing it ALL is so unnecessary -putting Christ back into Christmas is a really good place to start.

In recent years I've found a lot of good advent resources and have realized that perhaps the world does not need yet another Advent book. But the idea is still percolating within me. I've come to realize that I'm gifted in the area of organization, and truly I'd like to share that gift, and incorporate it into my passion for the Word of God.

And so...drum roll please...I'm going out on a limb (time wise and commitment wise) to kick off an advent blog: Advent-ful December is officially open. Each day in December, take a minute to turn your heart and mind upward to find Him in your preparation. It's not going to be linked to this blog as it will be open to the public. No personal info - just Advent. Share it with whomever you like!

Take a peek. The entries will simply be dated - jump in when you can. I'll be writing as time allows, so pace yourself! :) Perhaps I'll post a week ahead...you just never know.

Enjoy. Participate. And may God enrich your Christmas in a whole new way.

King David

I'm not doing so well on blogging about the Advent study. At the moment I'm juggling two studies: Advent and the Names of God, and while I'm LOVING it and almost keeping up, the time to blog has been usurped. But here I am for a quickie before bed.

Today I was reading about David, the shepherd boy, the slayer of Goliath, the adulterer and murderer, and the man after God's own heart. What a character! One of the assigned verses was this one:

1 Ch 28:9 “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.

How blessed for David to be able to tell his son to "know the God of your father." We can't fool our kids! I want our children to know, without a doubt, Who is the God of their mother. (and father) And not only who He is, but I too want them to know Him. That is the most important legacy there is.

Whole heart and willing mind. Willing mind. Are we willing to do what He tells us?

For the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. This phrase gives me great comfort as well as reason to pause. The comfort is that unlike people, God always understands me and my intentions. When I'm trying, successfully or not, to do His will or carry out His best plan, He knows it. When I totally blow something, He knows that that was not my intention, and He understands my original intent. That is comforting. HOWEVER, I can't fool Him. I can fool a lot of people, but I can't fool God with any false religiosity...He searches my heart and knows my intent. Give it up, Grace.

If you seek Him, He will let you find Him. Wonderful comfort. Warm fuzzies.
If you forsake Him He will reject you forever. No sugar coating here.

Life is all about choices. The Bible is all about choices. Choose God and choose the path of blessing. Choose other than God and choose the path of curses. It's simple.

Simple though the choices be, I find it reassuring that God so used David in spite of himself. Gives us all hope, doesn't it?

Advent

Our SAMBS group (Saturday AM Bible Study) (Sassy lambs) began our new study, Preparing My Heart for Advent yesterday, for the second consecutive year. While it doesn't seem possible that we should be preparing for Advent, it is so very lovely to begin the journey in the relatively stress free month of November.

My plan is to share some of the Advent journey via blog.

Day Two today. The assignment is to read Luke 1 through 2:40, and write questions. Who, what, why, how, where. The purpose? To slow down and study. Savor. Savor His word and His company.

They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizbeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years. Luke 1:6-7

Righteousness does not guarantee perfect circumstance. Righteousness does not preclude longing. Longing does not preclude living within God's will.

Sometimes the wait is long, even when the longing is God given. They were both advanced in years.

Tears fill my eyes as I highlight the angel's message:

Do not be afraid...your petition has been heard...You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice... Luke 1:13-14.

My heart is full from just these few verses. Live righteously in spite of the longings. Keep praying. Live expectantly. Keep hope. God hears.
Amen!