Advent Calendar Day Four

In the fourth box in the Advent Calendar there is an angel. 

Matthew 1:20
"...an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.'"

In the previous verse it says, "Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly."  Joseph was a righteous man.  During his time of engagement to Mary he anticipated their marriage.  But how could Mary be pregnant?  He knew the child was not his and so he sought to "divorce her quietly" rather than the alternative for her - death.  The visit from the angel opened his eyes to the truth.  Mary was chosen by God to carry the Messiah into the world.  

Advent Calendar Day Three

Day Three brings us to Mary's Song...

 In today's box we find some sheet music to remind us of Mary's Song...

Luke 1:46-55

"And Mary said:

'My soul glorifies the Lord

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has been mindful

of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed,

for the Mighty One has done great things for me--holy is his name.

His mercy extends to those who fear him,

from generation to generation.

He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;

he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

He has brought down rulers from their thrones

but has lifted up the humble.

He has filled the hungry with good things

but has sent the rich away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel,

remembering to be merciful

to Abraham an his descendants forever,

even as he said to our fathers.'"

Mary's life was forever changed by the announcement the angel made.  Her response is one of praise and worship of God.  She knows Who He Is and what He has done and she offers Him her praise.  How can we praise Him this season, not for what we want or what we are expecting, but for Who He Is alone?  

Advent Calendar Day Two

On this second day of Advent, we are one step closer to the Savior.  In today's box we found rings as a symbol of the engagement of Joseph and Mary.

Matthew 1:18

"This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about:  His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit."

I wonder how Mary felt.  She had been visited by the angel Gabriel and told of God's plan.  But now she would have to walk a difficult road in her love and obedience to God.  Others would talk and question, but Mary trusted God and submitted her heart to His plan.  And I'm so glad she did!

What challenging road does God have you on right now?  Can you trust Him with your heart, as Mary did so many years before?

Advent Calendar Day One

Each year we have looked foward to Christmas with an Advent Wreath.  This year, we have added an Advent Calendar, with each box filled not with treats, but the best treasure of all...the Christmas story. 

Last evening the children looked all over the house for the items needed to fill the advent calendar.  Then we opened box number one to find an angel and the following verse:

Luke 1:26-28, 31

"In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David.  The virgin's name was Mary.  The angel went to her and said, 'Greetings, you who are highly favored!  The Lord is with you...You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.'"

I hope you are blessed as you focus this advent on preparing your heart for the arrival of the Greatest Gift of all!

*I found the wonderful idea for this advent calendar (and all the instructions for it) on another blog

Here is another spot where you can go to get ideas to celebrate the season of advent!

Wasted Prayer

In September life was busy with getting things ready to send Courtney off to college.  A haircut got put on the back burner until I was desperate.  My hair was driving me crazy!  I called to schedule an appointment hoping that I could get in immediately.  Nothing was available until the next week but I said, "If anyone cancels today give me a call and I will come right in."  My day was pretty open and I was desperate.

I found myself praying frequently throughout the day, "Lord, will you please allow a time slot to open up.  I really need my hair cut."  In the morning I had peace that my request would work out.  In the late afternoon however, I realized my request probably wasn't going to work out so I intensified my prayers.

God got my attention while I was praying and doing dishes by the kitchen sink.  All day long my prayers had been about me.  They had been selfish, wasted prayers.  How I could have spent that time praying fervently for my son and his friends at school, for the needs of others, and so many things and I had wasted all that time ON HAIR!  How convicting! 

God does tell us to "pray continually" but the context is "Be joyful always, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18  God certainly got my attention through a missed haircut and now I am hoping that my prayers will reflect more of His will, rather than my own selfishness.

A Season of Advent

advent (ad'vent) n.

1. arrival or coming into being

2. the coming of Christ into the world

A Different Kind of Labor

Over 18 years ago I had the joy of bringing my oldest into the world. It was a painful process, but there was joy at her arrival. Last weekend I had the privilege of taking her to college. From the day she was born she was destined for this, and I as her mother, had to undergo another kind of labor...the labor of letting go.

It was a new kind of birth...Courtney spreading her wings and finding out what God has designed her to be. There is joy in seeing her try out her wings and succeed. But there is death in this process too. The pain of childbirth has returned, not the physical contractions to bring new life into the world, but the emotional ones of letting go and trusting God to continue to do His will in her life. At the end of labor I had a child in my arms. At the end of this new kind of labor, my arms are empty of her embrace.

Isn't this what motherhood is all about? To give them wings so they can fly-to become who they were designed to be...but just as a kernel of wheat must die in order for new grain to grow, the season of mothering Courtney is also dying...to create new life in her. Oh, the dying is painful but I know that joy will come in the morning!