(This post is part 4 of our Enjoying Advent! series. Here’s part 1 on Hope, part 2 on Peace, and Part 3 on Joy if you missed them.) I pray that reflecting on the hope, peace, and joy of Christ’s Advent has made this Christmas season more meaningful to you. This week, we turn our […]
Christmas
Enjoying Advent! Week 3 – Joy
(This post is part 3 of our Enjoying Advent! series. Here’s part 1 on Hope and part 2 on Peace, if you missed them.) I pray that reflecting on hope and peace during the last two weeks filled your heart so that now you can rejoice in God from the overflow of what he has […]
Enjoying Advent! Week 2 – Peace
(This post is part 2 of our Enjoying Advent! series. Here’s part 1 on Hope, if you missed it.) I pray that reflecting on hope during week 1 filled your heart with the anticipation of the time when every wrong will be made right and all God’s promises will come true! This week, we turn our […]
Enjoying Advent! Week 1 – Hope
Advent, by definition, is a coming into place, or an arrival. Knowing something is on its way creates excitement, longing, expectation, and joy. This was true for the people of Israel as they waited for the arrival of the Messiah. But even though they watched and waited, longed and anticipated, many missed the event when […]
Gift Ideas for Nurturing Intimacy with Jesus
*updated for 2019 I’m typically one of those die-hard “don’t celebrate Christmas until after Thanksgiving” kind of people. And, while I’m still holding out this year, I do find it’s getting harder! It probably has to do with the fact that stores were displaying Christmas items in SEPTEMBER this year. What? Or maybe it’s the […]
Christmas Longing: Made for Something More
Christmas! The season brings to mind words like celebration, joy and delight. And yet, celebrations can fall flat, joys can be short-lived and delight can be overshadowed. Nostalgia floods us with wonderful memories. It can also leave us longing for the way things used to be. We miss family, home, traditions. We feel deeply the […]
Emmanuel, God with Us
It seems everywhere I turn this Christmas season I am bumping into this name – songs, Scripture, sermons, posts. I’ve learned that when something comes up repeatedly, it’s usually because God has something to speak into my heart. So, I’ve sat with this word. This name. This essence of Christmas. And my heart has been […]
5 Ways to Be Still and Enjoy God’s Presence this Christmas
It’s now, officially, “the most wonderful time of the year”. Or, as many would agree, the BUSIEST time of the year! I don’t know about you but the last 6 weeks or so of every year is a whirlwind for me. This year is shaping up to be no different. Those words, wonderful & busy, […]