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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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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…
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December Devotional–The Book of Luke
The Book of Luke “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.” Luke 11:28 “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.” Luke 12:31 It is important to spend time in the word every day. Some days are busy and just more challenging to get that accomplished, but that doesn’t mean on those busier days we can’t just spend more time in prayer. As we are in the beginning of December it is sometimes so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. This is the time…
