Advent. Grace.

Christmas: in its own way
predictable.

We know what happened.
Our traditions are familiar.
Routines are kept from year to year.

Today, I was surprised by joy.
An unexpected gift has so gladdened my heart
that I cannot stop smiling.

Was it not so with Your coming?
YOU were expected, yet
we were astonished by the manner of your birth.

The warming of my heart
from those anonymous flowers
reminds me of Your grace.

Unexpected. Unmerited. Freely given.
Pure delight.

Advent. Connection.

In the heart of every man/woman/boy/girl
in the heart of every one
there is such a deep longing
that its depth cannot be measured.

We miss You.
We miss Your presence
with us
in us
beside us
alongside us.

May we know
experience
feel
You in our lives

Today. Tomorrow. Every day.

Advent. Rejection?

The time is coming. All creation
groans in anticipation
of Your return.

Yet it has already happened. Your
birth, noticed but not accepted
by those who 'matter'.

An evil king sought to destroy
the promised One. We recognise
his motivation.

But what of all those priests and teachers?
Did they not believe the Scriptures?
The written word?

Sometimes I, too, doubt Your promises.
Your words run over my soul
without soaking in.

May I know with deep deep certainty
that the tension in the waiting
is real. You come.

Advent. Welcome.

In the gathering of Your people
there were many friends.
Familiar faces
sprinkled around
the building we call church.

After hearing of your gift of love
and singing songs to welcome You
my heart rejoiced,
connecting with
dearly loved companions.

In the gathering of Your church
there were many strangers.
Friends I did not know.
Between conversations,
I stopped to talk.

In these random, unplanned, link-ups
I met searching hearts.
Feet, unknowing
had brought them here
to hear Your good news.

In the gathering of Your followers
I searched for old friends,
but found myself
stretched out to meet
new acquaintances.

I have a simple prayer.
That those who do not know
the joy of being
loved by You
knew Love last night.

Advent. Watching.

Once, there were shepherds.
Keeping guard with vigilance,
as if over prison inmates.

A job quietly,
so unobtrusively done.
Accepting of a humble life.

When they were alone
on that dark, lonely hillside
did they remember prophecies?

Living simple lives
of hardship and solitude
there was only obedience.

May I too keep guard
against selfishness and greed
so I, perhaps, might hear angels.

Advent. The Beginning.

Just a few days more. Christmas arrives.
Our celebration that the King has come.
Mary waited long for Jesus, but
this was just the Beginning of his time.

When a child is born, we look forward
to each new step in life development.
Smiling and laughing, walking, talking,
new teeth, learning, ever-growing, changing.

Christmas is not an end in itself,
but the start of a wonderful journey
in life with Jesus, talking, walking,
as new hearts turn towards the Lord of life.

As Jesus grew in stature, wisdom,
in family, with friends, community,
so we, too, continue in his steps
learning to live life and love as he did.

Advent. Familiarity.

Christmas ornaments

surround me 

with their familiarity.

Cherished memories

shout from the tree,

nestling in my heart.

Long-established routines

remind me

of their presence and demands.

The Christmas message

Christ child coming

has become too comfortable.

Oh Lord, may I never

lose the wonder

of your audacious love.

Shock my heart, open my mind

to  see and feel

this marvel beyond understanding.

My tongue is stilled

in wonder

at this unimaginable event.

Advent. Seeking.

Deep in my longing heart,
constantly, continually,
I seek Him.

Deep in the busyness
of a hectic life,
I seek Him.

Smothered underneath
my Christmas shopping
I search for Him.

Hidden among
familiar carols
I listen.

Beneath the fluster
of decorations
I glimpse Him.

Stilling my heart
in the midst of hurry
I find Him.

Wise men still seek Him.
I AM wise when I
stop to look.

Advent. Confusion.

In the dark of silence and waiting
my heart flutters
with second-guessing and anxiety.

In this eager time, looking forward
to Your coming
I am set about, bothered, hard-pressed.

As I strive to follow your calling
I realise
I fail. Over and over again.

I slip and slide backwards, not ever
achieving 'goodness'.
You have done that. You save me from myself.

Perhaps, then, preparing my heart today
just rests alone
on giving all my needs, wants, rights...to You.

Looking to You, stills my anxious heart and
dispels confusion.
You ARE my lord and I am your servant.

Advent. Success.

Straining ahead, ever looking forward
to achieve, we run, walk, stumble, crawl
life's race.

This season, even so much more.

And I wonder, on that journey so far
to Bethlehem, how did Mary think, dream, ponder
her aims?

That season, waiting for her child?

Surely she, beautiful with God's grace
and blessing, went heart-skipping, soul-dancing
forward.

That season, resting in his love.

So I take heart, on this God-given day,
with hope, and faith and love,
I laugh.

This season, I smile at the future.

I leave all behind, for that which truly matters
for success, can not be striven for
alone.

This season, God is my Saviour

and Heather Rasmussen says:
Scripture: "He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him."(Psalm 91:5)

"...we need expectation in our God. We wait on Him for life. We are going through the winter season, which visually teaches us something spiritual. When everything is dark and cold, it is the Christmas lights and the home stove fires that we draw near to--the comforting warmth. This teaches us that during spiritually dark times we need a light from God. A light of hope, deliverance from the darkness. The light that keeps our spiritual blood pumping. Our God is called creator, healer, protector, provider, and many others. ...our one God, has many names, all of which will assure that He will meet our needs, the aches within us, and our struggles. One of his names will provide for that need and be a balm for that wound.

The name of God I'm going to focus on is Yeshua. Yeshua in Hebrew is verbal derivative from "to rescue", "to deliver" (Brown, Driver,Briggs Hebrew and English lexicon). In Psalm 91 God says of us, His children, "He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him."

It is God's character to rescue us, HIS children. Since the moment before he created the world, your name was in his Spirit--to be his child, his possession, a part of him, a part of his blood veins. You are in his mind and heart, and he will rescue you. I want to propose to you, in addition to the obvious way of rescuing, delivering, which is also included- a couple different 'out of the box' ways that God wants to be Yeshua to you.

1) Sometimes he wants to be quiet in the moment with us, in trust, and his companionship rescues us.
2) Sometimes in a painful moment he wants us to acknowledge him, and welcome him to share it with us--and sharing rescues us.
3) Sometimes he wants to tangibly, physically deliver us and rescue us. And in this instance he is showing us his mighty, rescuing, championing God-self where his character and actions deliver us.
Yeshua is our deliverer. Yeshua is our friend. He's our Lord. He is walking this life with us.

And just to enhance, to seal, to assure our trust in him, our friend David who wrote the Psalms that so many of us bleed with, who always calls out to Yeshua over and over for rescuing, help, answers, with a bleeding heart—just like the spirit of so many of us. Well, we hear David, as an old man, when all his life has passed, when he is looking behind him at the path he has walked, stumbled, climbed and run with the Lord, we hear him say this on his DEATHBED, included in an oath he gave his wife: "the Lord, who has delivered me from EVERY trouble," (1 Kings 1:29) and he continues his oath to her. The Lord will always rescue us. His name is Yeshua.

Advent. Light.

In the midst of the darkness,
hearts craving for light,
we hear You.

You call to us from above,
sending THAT bright star
to tell us.

Your light comes into our world,
giving us such hope
in our gloom.

You, Lord, are the One who saves.
Our eyes are dazzled
by your brightness.

Now we can see by Your light
there is no return
to darkness.

Hearts steadfast on you
lead sombre thoughts
out of sorrow.

In the midst of the darkness
our soul eyes see you:
we rejoice.

Advent. Darkness

In the darkness

of the late afternoon

a heavy sadness

comes upon my soul.

This Advent is a lonely time.

Loved ones so far:

my heart longs to see them.

I am so burdened

by this sense of distance.

This Advent, I long for peace.

Mary, without

mother, sisters or friends

waited all alone

for the coming babe.

This Advent is a waiting game.

In the darkness

of the late afternoon

I give Him my pain

and look up with thanks.

This Advent will be a joyful time.

I keep my eyes

fixed hopefully on Him

who is my Saviour

in these troubled days.

This Advent, I choose to praise.

Louie speaks of waiting.  Lisa writes so beautifully of waiting in the dark:

There is a time
in that long last hour
we begin to believe
it will always
be night

In the spreading pool of dark
there is a silence
so profound
it carries
weight

And cold?
It fills us

Immobilized by
this invading
lack of
light

We are numb

Speak to the night
my heart

Speak to the night
a word of hope

This bitter blackness
This copious and
convincing cold

Cannot
Will not
Shall not
last

Hold on
to this

Salvation
comes

-lisa, 15 December, 2013

Advent.Interlude

Seeking true meaning
I am enthralled
by others' words.

Bob's "42 Days 
of Expectation"
offers such nuggets.

Day One: Jesus is alive and active every day. He is always intervening in our lives through the Holy Spirit. He provides and protects in ways we sometimes fail to notice. Our desire in these days of journeying together is to heighten our awareness and stay alert to what He is doing. We want God to be pleased by our attentiveness to His kindness. Let’s stay awake and watch!

And so, my hope is to see God's glory in my life.

Day Two: “By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life” (Prov. 22:4)
God calls us to keep our focus on Him. Walking humbly with God is always appropriate for any season. The people in our lives are a priority worthy of our time. Listening to God and to others is the best gift we can give.
Our prayer is to stay mindful of His presence. May we not be tempted by any plan or purchase which would dethrone Him. 

Hebrews 12:2 - my 'go to' verse: Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith...

Day Four: Dec 13, Meeting God in solitude
Scripture: “But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Lk. 2:19).
Joseph and Mary were in the middle of the greatest and toughest transition in their lives. Think of it: A visitation from an angel. A prophecy of a virgin birth. Arduous journey while pregnant. Humbling accommodations in unfamiliar village, with exuberant visitor-shepherds! To Mary, the way to cope with it all was to meet with God privately in her own soul. All she could do was mull over all this chaos with the God who asked her to take this journey. And for us, the best or only place we can encounter God is in the solitude of our heart. Find some time today to ponder the path God’s will has led you on. As you still your thoughts, let the Spirit of God remind you of your calling.
Prayer: God, though the world around me is confusing and changing, and though I do not understand what You are doing, I cling to You today. Let my heart be still, for You are my God. Amen.

What a timely post! In transition - and this again one of those times - I look back on how God has brought me through difficulties in the past, remembering that, however uncertain things might appear, God loves me and has good plans and purposes for my life.

Day Five: "You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance." (Psalm 32:7)
God is a safe place in difficult times. This is not limited to physical safety but includes the emotional and spiritual arenas as well. Have you considered lately that the One proclaimed ¨Wonderful Counselor¨ is the safest place in the world to pour out all your stuff? He can take it all – unedited, unrehearsed and raw. But what also makes Him a Wonderful Counselor is that He is also in the business of deliverance. However, we must get ready to pay attention because His idea of deliverance can look very differently than ours! We are generally anxious ¨to get it over with¨. We would love Him to rush in with strength and a sword and cut our troubles away! It may seem strange to you that one of His tools of deliverance could be the beauty of songs. Yet God knows there is an important process to be journeyed through that must be gently sung over and not quickly cut off.
Be listening expectantly these days for His songs of deliverance over different areas of your life. This Scripture proclaims that they surround you. He will sing songs that are perfectly suited for you and your situation. These songs deliver your very soul. Listen for them.
Written by: Pam Sider of OC International, Spain. Follow Pam at: http://www.alifeofinterest/[dot]com

Day Six: “ and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:4-6, ESV).
... in the midst of this season of expectancy, as we celebrate the coming of Jesus, we often forget that sweet and gentle whisper that God sings to us in our ears when our world is filled with so much noise and distraction- “I love you”. Out of God's mouth speaks those precious three words. We hear that God loves us so often, that we forget that simple truth. The New Living Translation writes, “For we know how dearly God loves us” and thus hope does not disappoint us and we can rejoice in the midst of our problems and difficulties.

Advent. Choices

Zechariah chose to listen - eventually.
Obedience brought true a promise.

Mary chose to listen - immediately.
Obedience fulfilled the Promise.

Joseph chose to listen - while dreaming.
Obedience provided for the Promise.

Wise men chose to watch - stargazing.
Obedience brought precious gifts to the One promised.

Shepherds chose to visit. Watching
the coming of the Promised king.

Good choices, wisely made.

I think of choices. I think of Daniel, who chose to worship. He chose to recognize that God loved him. He chose to keep community with others and to serve his oppressors, even when everything had been taken from him. Even his name.

This, then, is how we live. To choose God. Every day.

"choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve...but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

Advent. Silence.

It was a long time in the coming.
Hundreds of years, not being exact.
Promise upon promise, yet nothing doing.
For four hundred years, there was Silence.

Then, suddenly, it all began happening.
In nine months, or thereabouts, there were
angel appearances in dreams and daylight.
Miraculous pregnancies. The Promise kept.

In this Advent season, I, too, experience Silence.
Nights are dark, quiet, lonely. I hear nothing.
I cling to promise upon promise, hoping in faith.
My heart strains to hear His voice again.

Advent. Excitement.

Christmas came to school today.
Christmas decorations. Hats.
Party lunch. Delicious food.
Pretty clothes. Children's excitement.

In my heart it was too early
to celebrate. Your arrival
is yet to come: remembering your coming
now, and later for eternity.

But I smiled and laughed,rejoicing
in the children's happiness
and sense of fun, eagerly anticipating
presents and yet more merriment.

And in it all, I strove
to bring them close to you.
We watched Nativity films, presenting
You to the whole world.

There is no Christmas without Christ.
Jesus is the Reason for the Season.
The Saviour comes to save us ALL.
Let Christmas party hearts receive Him.

Advent. Humility.

I turn my eyes to You
in the quiet dark of the morning.
You bring me peace.

I look back 2000 years
to the noise of your arrival.
You make me wonder:

I hear the sound of animals,
while cosmic explosions
announce your coming.

I am stunned.
You, the Prince of Heaven
show me such humility.

The inferiority of your birth,
a life lived focused
on your purpose.

A death at the hands
of evil men, your
rights surrendered.

I turn my eyes to You
who gave me life
by giving up Your own.

Advent. Distraction.

This Advent, as with many other Advents,
busyness
crowds out anticipation from my heart.

This Advent, unlike some other Advents,
worry
crowds out expectation from my mind.

This Advent, I decide I will
choose
to fix my eyes on the One who is my Saviour.

Who rescues me from preoccupation with busyness
and delivers my mind from worry.

This Advent.

Advent. Exhaustion

Your coming should not be like this.
This long-awaited event
accompanied by exhaustion.

A bone-wearying tiredness
arising from illness
and busyness and mental stress.

Yet in all this confusion
one thing remains clear.
That YOU are LOVE.

Advent. Family

This season, this season

of expectation,

so many look forward to family reunions.

My heart saddens. I do not have

these wildly wonderful extended families

beloved by many.

And while I thank Jesus

for my own little family

which I love to talk of

I know that for so many others

there IS no family. Brothers,

sisters, parents are far-flung – or not even there.

So why do we talk so much of FAMILY

when Mary was alone, shunned,

disgraced by the news of unwed pregnancy?

No relatives took her in.

We do not hear of visits, except from strangers.

Not for her the cosiness of a warm, welcoming home.

Let us be sensitive. This is a joyous season

for this only one reason: HE comes.

Our saviour, our rescuer, our friend, our brother.

THIS is the cause of our celebration.