ADVENT WREATH

I wanted to just leave the very funny clip below but I will start tonight a new Christmas tradition in our home and thought some of you may not know about this. It is called an "Advent Wreath" It is four candles around an evergreen wreath . Not a dryer sheet wreath! (See clip below to understand ) and one candle in the middle. For the next five days which would lead us into Christmas day, we will light one candle and read accompanying Scripture. Here is the outline:

The wreath represents God's eternal love, that knows no end. The greenery represents the everlasting life that Christ brings.

Each candle symbolizes an aspect of Christ's birth.

Today (Friday) we will light the first candle. It is the Prophesy candle and it reminds us that Christ's coming was prophesied long before He was born.

Read out loud Isaiah 9:2-6 and Luke 1:30-35

Day two: This is the Bethlehem candle. It reminds us where Jesus was born.

Read Micah 5:2 and Luke 2:1-7

Day three: The Shepherd's candle. We are reminded that God sent the angles to proclaim His arrival to common men and that He always uses common man to spread His Word.

Read Isaiah 52:7 and Luke 2: 8-12

Day four: The Angels candle. With this light we are reminded of the heavenly angels and hosts who announced Christ's birth. Also reminding us He is the Light of the World.

Read Ezekiel 34:23 and Luke 2: 13-20

Fifth day, Christmas morning: The last candle is the Christ candle. It is white and symbolizes Christ's holiness, purity and perfection. If you use a large white candle it can burn all Christmas Day. Read Isaiah 9:2-6 and John 1:6-13.

Hope you and your family enjoy this Advent Wreath. I plan to have the kids read the verses each night and then David on Christmas morning.

NO POSTS until after Christmas...but if I get any Christmas pictures from you all...I will post. Have a blessed Christmas and don't forget to take a look at the "Smile...it is Friday" clip below!

SMILE...it's Friday!

Ok...this is when we (crafty, DIY, Martha-wannabees) go over the top!



Have a great weekend....

Send me your Christmas pictures...your dog...your kids...your family! We will have a web-Christmas card exchange next week. Don't be shy!

Always have an answer for the Hope you have...

Yesterday began at 5:00 a.m. and ended at 10:45 p.m. It began with David and I rising early to get ready to take Hannah to the hospital for her colonoscopy (which went very well other than some upper irritation which we believe can be healed). As soon as the procedure was over, we were beeped to go back and see her and the doctor. Looking at her sweet little face still under the anaesthesia the doctor came out to tell us it all went fine. My intuitive response is to say out loud "Praise God"...there in a single sentence is my hope. It was not in the doctor, or the medical procedure or even the incredible tool the doctor was using to look inside Hannah....it was in God Himself. The outcome could have been different, more severe...the result could have been one which many also face...but the Hope for perseverance through whatever the Lord brings would have been the same...Christ! Hope that is focused and anchored in Christ never fails!

I remember talking to Hannah about the outcome of the test a week ago. I noticed she was very anxious and tense. We talked about what did she fear...she said "that the test would show something bigger". I told her nothing is bigger than God! Whatever came our way, He will be faithful to us...to walk with us and comfort us. I asked her to recite what she knew of God. She began "I KNOW He will never lave me or forsake me".

"I KNOW He will never give me more than I can bear"

"I KNOW when I am weak, He is strong."

"I KNOW He is the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort"

Every time she began with "I KNOW".

The things she knew about God Himself became the Hope in which she anchored her faith.

That is how all of us should take hold every thought...begin with "I KNOW..." Not just "I wish" but the things you know, based in His Word...then every anxious thought will be calmed. Every fear will subside.

A great Pastor once said "The difference between a wish and a prayer is that the prayer Holds God's attention and it is based in His Word"

Practise this yourself this week....when it seems as you have lost hope...go back to what you KNOW of the real HOPE that will never let you down. Jesus is the answer to the hope we have.

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SOMETHING FOR FUN...

I am going to try a web Christmas Card exchange. I know...I am treading on thin ice because if the response is low...lets be honest, the idea goes nowhere...but if you can send me your Christmas Family picture with a message and I will post them for the next few days....

Let's try it...now don't let me down!

A daily devotion

Christians are called to a daily devotion of following Christ. Often though, we tend to think of starting the day with prayer or reading a certain passage then off we go to start the day. Sometimes we even feel like, "OK that is done" and an hour later may have forgotten what we have meditated on and find ourselves wrapped up in the day's events. Can I say to us, we need to look at daily devotion as a way to live rather than a segmented hour we can give to Christ.

This morning as I was praying, I felt there just was not enough time. I thought "Lord, I don't want to start the day...I just want to sit with you. Could you make time stop?" Have you ever felt like that? Have you ever just wanted to sit there, meditating on Him, reading His Word or just enjoying His presence?
This day holds a lot for me to get done. Hannah our youngest daughter has to have a colonoscopy tomorrow morning. Today is a day of preparation for her...a day that she will need Mom by her side to comfort and encourage. As I was praying, I just wanted to stay in His presence all day dismiss the events of the day that lay ahead for me. But the truth is, that this fellowship we are to have with Him, is a constant fellowship. He never leaves us or abandons us to our troubles.

In Matthew 11:28 Jesus says "Come to me". Every day Jesus calls out to us the same way. His words are gentle, encouraging. His arms are outstretched encompassing all time, all events, all circumstances. When He spoke these words in the Gospels many responded. The leper came. The blind came. The tired and weary came. Anxious men and women came. And they all found rest and fellowship with Him from that moment on.

Christ calls us to "Come"...every minute, every day. He will always be with us, urging us to follow Him. He will always lead, paving our way and clearing our path. As we follow Him every hour, we will hear His calming voice and know His gentle ways.
I need to hear Him today...and tomorrow and the day after. I need a devotional life...minute by minute walking with Him .
In Genesis we are told, "Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him" that is how I want to live. Walking hour by hour until I am no more.
I heard it this way... Enoch was walking with God . And they walked and walked. Then it was the end of the day and God said to Enoch "we are closer to my home...lets finish there".
What a wonderful response to His calling us to "Come" . Our response should be to say "yes!"
Spurgeon in his book "Morning and Evening" says
"...if you are a believer this is your cry to Christ "Come! Come!"...you say it with John "Come quickly Lord Jesus" you crave closer fellowship with Him."

Our response to His "Come" should be yes! Live with me Immanuel...Reign in my life...without a rival. My life devoted to you and you devoted to me.

Any thoughts? go to Girlschat@gmail.com

The Language of Love...

Language is basic to us all. It is the way we let others know who we are and how they tell us. Don't you love when someone shares their heart with you? Or when someone recognizes something about you and is able to express it so clearly that it blesses you? Or even when a friend tells you something and though it is painful to hear you receive it in such a way that it helps you? So is the Language of Love from God.

Today many Pastors and scholars have devised "Love Languages" they encourage us to find our "love Language" and then speak to others in their "Love language". Can I tell you there is someone who knows all of our "love languages" and speaks to us clearly, lovingly and powerfully enough to change us. God's language is Christ. He is the Word or in Greek Logos

In John's Gospel he begins "in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God" John 1:1
The "Logos" or Word here in the original language of Greek means intelligence and "word" as the expression of that intelligence. It comes from Lego which means to speak. Jesus in His preincarnate state is called "ho Logos," The Word, "Meaning first, immaterial intelligence and then, the expression of that intelligence in speech that humans can understand" (from the Key Word Bible #3056) Christ displays the mind and heart of God The Father so we can understand.
It is important to see what does John means by "beginning"? ...when does that take place? In the original Greek there is no definite article it is more like "In beginning". What beginning does this mean?....we can think of many beginnings here...beginning of the world (Matt 24:21 or Gen 1)) ; the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus (Mark 1:1) or maybe the beginnning of creation...but really because there is no definite article it is designed to carry us back to the most remote point that can be imagined. Before creation there was the Word. Jesus was before there was specific time. He was there in eternity.

The Father began creation as He spoke (Logos)...He said "let there be" and "all things were made by Him". Who is the Him? Christ brought form and substance to The Father's creation. As God the Father chose to express His creative character, the Word became something conclusive and established. Christ reveals to us the mind of God. He has made the incomprehensible God intelligible.
That is why He says "If you have seen me you have seen the Father". Hebrews tells us "God who has spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways in these last days has spoken to us in His Son" Christ not only was the first, the Alpha but He is also the last, Omega. Those are the first and last letters of the alphabet. Jeus is the A through Z...He puts God's mind, thoughts and power into language that we can undestand and see.

The Word, Jesus Himself, is God's language to us...that is how we hear God's words, we see Him, we can relate to Him and it is the way God chose to manifest Himself to the world.

What are the Scriptures ? "They are the Word of God". Jesus said the Scriptures spoke about Him! Scripture tells us of Christ's coming, His life and His return. The Scriptures: reveal God's mind to send the Son, express His will for the perfect sacrifice and proclaim His Son as Lord of all. As Christ lay in the manger God's Love Language was clearly seen and at the Cross it was fully expressed. He held no words back!

How well do we know God's love language? Experts who are trying to match love languages between people, do it with the goal of communicating better. Their hope is that we find each other's love language and speak to each other more clearly and lovingly. But there is One who speaks the true love language and it is perfect and He speaks with power and gentleness. He is Jesus...the Alpha and Omega...the One who speaks to you from the manger and from the cross...He is the living Word who can speak to us...are we listening?