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Welcoming a New Year
“For we are only of yesterday and know nothing, because our days on earth are as a shadow.” Job 8:9 As we close 2022 and look to 2023, may we be reminded of that each day is a blessing. We hope that you have enjoyed the many perspectives, thoughts and direction that we have provided to you this year. We have amazing things planned for 2023 and can’t wait for you to join us on the journey. Blessings, The Ladies of Rhubarb & Rubbish–Jessica Clemens, Liz Hunt & Carrie Guthmiller
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Christmas Devotional
Scripture: “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14 Thought: Immanuel means “God with us.” Stop for just a moment and think about the significance of that meaning. God with us. God isn’t somewhere out there. He is here, now, in this moment. Can you feel Him? Do you hear Him? Application: So often, among the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, we find ourselves without time to “be” with God. We are doing a lot, but not being a lot. We might have those brief moments of connection, a Christmas…
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Adding up the “It’s not that big of a deal.”
Monday morning. The beginning of the holiday season. My list is long. I sigh, already tired, and decide to grab a cup of tea while I decide how to tackle the enormous to-do list. As I look at my list, I decide to put an approximate time commitment behind each item in hopes that it will help me decide what to tackle first. Of course, the usual everyday items such as brushing my teeth, eating, and doing devotionals were on the list. But, in addition to those daily habits, there were items like ordering gifts, grocery shopping, decorating the house, finding time to take a picture for a Christmas card,…
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Singing Together During the Holidays: Musicians Make It “Singable”
I am a huge music lover. I have played piano since I was five and am a decent amateur church pianist. I look forward every year to hearing the sounds of traditional holiday music, both church and some secular. For years, I played with the church praise and worship team. One of my essential requirements for playing with a team was that the team chose songs with meaning and songs that the rest of the congregation could easily sing. What does this eliminate? Most of the radio versions of popular Christian music. Why does this eliminate them? Because most of the songs on the radio aren’t singable by average churchgoers…
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Preparation and Prayer: The Advent of Our Lord
Today I am home waiting out a winter storm that may bring us up to 18 inches of white fluffy snow. As I sit looking out the window, my mind has been absently thinking about the details of the upcoming holiday season. Have I ordered this? I should start working on that. Hmm, I wonder if so and so is going to stop by? As a woman and mother, planning is a big part of my life. And, I tend to over plan! However, this year my planning is taking a somewhat different perspective. I’ve been thinking more and more about advent. Christmas gets most of the attention, and for…
