-
Advent: Hope
I am writing this as we are entering into the first part of December. We are anticipating our first winter weather storm of the year with a few inches of snow and strong, blustery winds. Sounds dismal to many and yet, I always embrace this wintery weather with an opportunity to rest and relax. During Advent, we anticipate celebrating Jesus’ birth on Christmas but we also are reminded of the coming of Christ’s return. The hope of advent is also the promise that Christ will return. It is a time to reflect on the future and all that it will bring. Isaiah 9:2, 6-7 reads “the people who walked in…
-
Waiting in Expectation: The Advent of Our Lord
We are just a little over two weeks away from Christmas. Are you waiting in expectation? The commercialization of the holiday season has caused so many of us to skip the Advent season and crash into Christmas exhausted from planning, preparing, and attending events. I know I am guilty of that most years. However, probably for the first time in years, I have been able to set aside the anxiety of preparation and have been able to sit in quiet expectation. How? I’m intentionally taking moments to remember who He is, why He came, and what He has done. Expectation is a “strong belief that something will happen or be…
-
Christmas Faith Traditions
I have many fond memories of Christmas growing up. There were all the decorations and getting to help my mom set them all out, the Christmas program at church, getting together with both my mom’s family as well as my dad’s family, and the holiday baking. The one tradition that I remember well was going to Christmas Eve church service and getting to sing all those traditional Christmas songs (What Child is This, Silent Night, O Little Town of Bethlehem) to name a few. We did have presents which I remember but to me, that’s not what sticks out in my mind. My parents did a great job in their…
-
December Devotional: Keeping the Faith
Scripture of the week: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4 Devotional Thought: In life, it gets hectic and chaotic and our faith can easily be put to the side. We may have a hard time keeping our faith through the hard times and we often say to ourselves “I’ve got this.” The scripture in Matthew clearly states that we shall not live by bread alone but by the word of God, therefore we need to always remember to keep our faith strong and instead say “With God, I’ve got this.” Thought/Action Point: There are many ways…
-
From Joy to Defunct????
Literally! This month we have focused on joy. Joy in family, hobbies, self, work, and faith. We often go through our days forgetting to find joy and are always looking at the glass half empty instead of half full. However, we are days after Thanksgiving heading in the Christmas craziness and we easily can be derailed with decision fatigue. There are decisions around every corner. Our lists are endlessly long. Events are never-ending. Gift-giving is a challenge these days as it seems like everything has to be so grandiose. Shopping this year has been a challenge as well with out-of-stock items. We wake up each morning seemingly trying to put…
-
Thankfulness
I write this post with Thanksgiving being tomorrow. A day that will be filled with an abundance of food and gathering with our family. I am thankful for my family, health, and all that God has given me throughout the year. We especially are mindful to be thankful during the month of November and on Thanksgiving, but we should always have a thankful heart. God has done so much for us and has provided for us as he sees fit. Maybe not in our timing but when he knows it is the right time. God truly has blessed us with his endless mercies. I often tell my children to be…
-
Finding Joy in Your Work
As the verse in Ecclesiastes 3:22 says we should rejoice in our work. God has given us our lot (work) to do and as long as we have God at the center our work should be joyful. There are days that it is hard to be joyful about our work. Trust me, being a farmer this summer with no chance of rain in the forecast or when there was a chance of rain it didn’t show it was hard to find the joy in work. That is where I had to have a child-like faith that God will provide. Indeed he did a little too late perhaps for this year’s…
-
Finding Joy in Hobbies
We continue our series of finding joy today with our focus on hobbies. Early this year we discussed the lost art of hobbies and finding hobbies to do as a couple. Both of our articles expressed the importance and value of having a hobby and being open to a hobby to enjoy with your spouse. Today I am missing my niece getting confirmed as I have a sick kiddo and am having a hard time missing such a milestone. However, it has given me an opportunity to do a hobby that I love… sewing!! However, I did not set out with utmost joy or look at it as an opportunity.…
-
Finding Joy in Family
As I am writing posts today, I am keeping close to my sick kiddo. So many bugs are going around, who really knows which one he has. He kept me up most of the night tossing and turning, and the “cuddles” he wanted were more like a spinning, sweaty tornado. However as I sipped my cup of coffee this morning, all I felt was blessed. Blessed that I had a kiddo to watch over. My husband and I were unable to have children for 14 years. We became just two old shoes who answered each other’s sentences. And now we are a trio of endless possibilities! Family for me is…
-
Finding Joy in Self: A New Creation in Christ
Contributed by Liz Hunt From the title of the post, you might be thinking, “How does this fit with living a humble life for God? Doesn’t this put our focus on us?” I will use part of an Oswald Chambers quote to begin my response, “Stop being self-conscious, stop being a sanctified prig…” and rejoice that you belong to the Lord! Having joy in self has nothing to do with self and everything to do with what Christ has done for us and in us. As I said in the last post, I have long struggled with living a life of ceaseless joy. I have good intentions, but I often…
