Advent is a season to intentionally slow our pace, contemplating and celebrating the first coming of Christ while also anticipating His promised return. Take time today to pause from the busyness of the season to catch up on your reading, make space for prayer, and rest in the presence of the Lord.
Revisit “Advent Rhythms” on pages 18–19 to help reorient your rhythms of rest and celebration.
On that day it will be said,
“Look, this is our God;
we have waited for him, and he has saved us.
This is the LORD; we have waited for him.
Let’s rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”
—Isaiah 25:9
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46 thoughts on "Grace Day"
Lord you are good I shall rest in you!
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Amen! Praise Jesus for saving sinners like us! Be strengthened by Him and by His vast strength!
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Dorothy~ What a wonderful idea to help keep a loved one that had to leave close. Merry Christmas. ~ In His Care
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What a special idea Dorothy! ❤️
I wait for You, Jesus, forever!!
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Thank you for sharing Dorothy- I hope you have a Merry Christmas, I’m going to use this idea to write letters to my
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Let us all REJOICE this Christmas!!! Yes, I know from experience it is hard to rejoice the first to few Christmas after loosing a loved one — and it’s been even harder the last couple of years because of COVID — but one thing I learned from a grief group I attended is have family members write down memories of the one who you are missing. The first Christmas after my son died I handed out special paper and asked family members to sometime during the day to go somewhere alone and write a letter to my son. After they wrote the letter they stuck them in his stocking, I had asked my mom to hang it for that reason. I will let you know it took me until New Years Day before I could start reading them. My younger son couldn’t even write his at first; I didn’t get his until after the first of the year. Another suggestion was to make or buy some ornaments that family members can write on — foam and wood ones are good for this — and have them write the persons name and something special or a special memory.
Yes, rejoicing can be hard at times but think about it would your loved one want you to be sad during the holidays and What is the true reason for the celebration. One day you will be celebrating and rejoicing in Heaven with them.
Be blessed and rejoice because one day you will meet Christ, God and your loved face to face.
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O Lord my God, I will glorify You; I will sing a hymn to Your name, for You have done wonderful things, an ancient and true counsel. So be it O Lord. (Isaiah 25:1). The prophet calls me to respond to the Ancient of Days with total obedience. I too can respond with “So be it Lord” held in the hands of my prayers for mercy. I yearn for Him. Humble and trusting, I bow to Him in the face of hard things. I bend my heart in obedience and say thanks for the mystery of peace that comes in the chaos. Sometimes my heart hurts when the bending of obedience pushes hard against my pride. Sometimes life just doesn’t seem fair. Why this, or why not that? Why me, or why not me? My independent soul often wants its own way. Lord have mercy on me, a sinner. This humble prayer gets me back into God’s rhythms of grace every time. I am no better, no more perfect, no more deserving than anyone else. Yet Christ gives me all that I need. More than I need. Enough to give away. Waiting on His provision is not in vain. He does give, and give, and give. All through the Bible we read of thirst, calling out to God for help, hard things. There was much waiting, and there was much fulfillment in prophecy when Christ came. “Then it will be said that day, “Behold, this is our God, in whom we hoped and rejoiced exceedingly; and we shall be glad in His salvation.” (Isaiah 25:9). Christ came, and He is with us now. And there is still waiting for the final prophecies to be fulfilled when He will again “wipe away every tear from every face.” Once and for all. (v. 8). Today I can say Christ IS born. He IS with us. And He IS my true hope that I hang my desires upon because of His mercy and love that never fails. I will wait on Him. I will keep coming back to Him. I will turn my whole heart to Him. Until He comes back to catch me and heal all things in me fully. Until then… my heart will cry out, “Maranatha!”
LANI H – Hang in there! ;) Sorry about those typos!
LANI H – Hi, I live in the northwest corner of South Carolina. I am retirement age, but I, too, identify with you and Michelle. We moved s lot because of my husband’s job and it was always hard to break through with new friends (beyond the superficial). Hand in there!
Let us rejoice and be glad. Happy Saturday! It is a “wet” day here in Sunny California. Please pray as I’m going to take Exam #5 and then I’m going to study for my FINAL which is already open to take, but I’m going to STUDY and take it on the last day which is Friday the 16th. GOD is good and I got the OK to come into work later that morning and I will be taking the EXAM. I have more energy and my mind works better in morning. Praying for you all sweet sisters.
Let us enjoy our rest.
My younger son has become more and more like his abusive father, blaming me for the divorce. (His father refused to work for years before walking out and then suing me for alimony, seeking half of my inheritance. He also stole more money from me over the years than I will ever know and abused my son. He grossly favors his daughters.) Because my son is grown and has continued in this pattern of disrespect towards women and me in particular, I have told him that he is not welcome in my home this Christmas. It is breaking my heart, and I am really struggling; my son shows no reaction whatsoever. Please pray for my son’s heart to turn towards God. (He is quite religious and judgmental; it’s Jesus he needs to know.) Thank you.
g r a c e & REST
g r a c e & REST
May we find rest in Him and thank Him for calling us his daughters ❤️
Anyway to see the advent rhythms from the book mentioned in the reading?
Anyway to see the advent rhythms from the book that is mentioned ?
@Michelle, I am just now reading your comment from yesterday. You don’t happen to be in the upstate of SC do you? Because wow. Hi. It’s me. I feel the same way. I am also 30, wanting to make new friends in my town, but at the same time thinking, is it worth the effort because I might move… I am an enneagram 4 and I think you just explained every enneagram 4s heart lol. The longing for deep meaningful relationships, but it takes a lot of energy out of you, so maybe just wait til the next move, the forever home. God has been speaking to me quite a while now to “grow where I am planted”, aka make the effort here. I want to join an in person womens bible study group up here, but again, I haven’t made the effort. So, if not you Michelle if any other She’s live in my area let me know!
Thank you Kelly NEO for remembering my nephew Brandon in your prayers. My sister has no updates but had a fun time with little James last week at a park. He’s thriving with his Mimi who has raised him since infancy. I love this advent study especially Thursday’s scriptures and devotional on rest. God blessed my daughter and I with rest as we got thru covid for the first time. It was 2 weeks of feeling tired and coughing but also resting for me with the Lord. Angie Mills,I loved what you posted on Thursday. Praying for many requests and for your loved ones.
Let us pray that we will be able to say we have faithfully waited for the return of our Lord. May we not grow weary. May we not become discouraged. May we daily see the goodness of the Lord who never leaves us or forsakes us. May we hear His still small voice more clearly in the waiting. May we be still and know that He is God, reigning over all. Yesterday, today forever.
Love it! Thank u sooo much! I’m only 12 but I’m really enjoying it
Happy Saturday she sisters! The Advent study book has a lovely quote from Dietrich Bon Hoffer that I thought I would share, “The Advent season is a season of waiting, but our whole life is an Advent season, that is, a season of waiting for the last Advent, for the time, when there will be a new heaven, and a new earth.“
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Kelly ❤️ you are faithful. May God bring wisdom and peace to all who you listed.
@Searching– may the Lord guide you step by step, day by day. May you do your best and trust Him with the rest.
Thank you everyone for the prayers yesterday! I spent a lot of time with the Lord. Nothing has “changed” but I am trusting God a little more in this area of my life. I felt some tangible love from Him, as well. So thank you and thank God ❤️<3
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Thank you Kelley for remembering and listing the list if SHES family and friends that need praying for,for their salvation and their eyes to be opened to the goodness and glory of the Lord.. I would like to add my son Brandon and daughter in law Angel to the list.. I join all of you as we gather as a community of believers in prayer knowing and trusting in our mighty God.
@Kelly, thank you for listing these prayer requests for salvation. Praying Jesus over each person. May He remove the blinders from their eyes and open their ears to the truth of salvation.
Katherine Morgan – Praying for you that your travels cross country have been safe; that you have blessed time with family; and know that you are loved by the one most high!
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Amen ❤️
Amen!
Amen
My ❤️ is happy because of baby Jesus! Let us rejoice for His love for us is so big and wide we can’t comprehend!
Rest in him my sisters
“Let’s rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”
For it is only by the Lord’s kindness that we have been saved from our sins.
Praying for the requests of Shes for salvation of loved ones and friends. May they turn to the Lord’s call.
BRANDY SMITH (husband and son)
HALEY BAIN (husband)
ASH H (Tori)
VALENTINA (Victoria)
MICHELLE (Bernadette)
RHONDA J (Savannah)
JIMIN LEE (Daniel)
EMILY DAFO (Becky and Bill)
SKY HILTON (mom and sister)
KRISTON (dad)
LIZZY BUTTERFIELD (sister)
POPPY WASKETT (Rosie and Amy)
AZ WALKER (Brandon)
TRICIA CAVANAUGH (children)
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MICHELLE PATIRE – praying for guidance as you seek the Lord’s path & timing, and for trustworthy friends to walk with you.
Trying to not get swept away by thoughts of all that needs to come together in the next two weeks. Or does it “need” to? Lord, guide me on what will bless others and what would be a waste of valuable time.