“And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
—Matthew 28:20
For this last day of 2023, use the following pages to reflect on what Advent has meant to you this season and to remember your time in the Word this year.
Thanks be to God that He is indeed with us always, in our deepest longings for His presence and our hope for Him to come again.
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45 thoughts on "The Last Sunday of the Year"
What a glorious study!! I loved it – especially that it pointed my heart heavenward ❤️. Come Lord Jesus, come!
♥️
@Catherine- Prayers, I don’t know that I had you in my requests, but you are for sure there now! Love “Believe!”
Donna–Wow, that is so very cool! I love that and bringing prayers to ALL those around the world in such a unique way. Where is your church, that is quite a mix of people.
@Shamra- reading your post made me pray for you instantly. I love that we can pray for the small and big things…because they all matter to our Father God! (although that doesn’t sound small! Anything that weighs on us like that slowly becomes big!
@Mercy- heart
SHAMRA, GAYLE, CATHERINE: prayers for your requests.
Happy New Year’s Eve dear sisters. SRT and each of you is a gift. May 2024 be more glorious for God’s Name.
“For the Lord giveth wisdom, out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous, He is a buckler to them that walk up rightly.
He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of His saints”.
Proverbs 2: 6-8 KJV
Wishing you and your families good health, joy and prosperity, abundant sound wisdom and understanding from God.
Be blessed dear sisters❤️✨✨✨
I am so glad He is with us always! I feel at the end of my rope emotionally right now. I haven’t been this close to a breakdown in years and I can’t even pinpoint the reason why. My emotions are on overload and I can’t get any alone time to process them. Thankfully I have a wonderful counselor who is agreeing to see me tomorrow. I have been short with my grandchildren, easily angered/frustrated with my family, etc. I don’t like being this way. This is the old me, not the healed me.
Today, my husband led the worship service. He wanted to do something different and to share the different backgrounds of our members. It was a service of carols from around the world. Some sung by our own members. YouTube helped with graphics of churches and countries. We sang in Latin, French and some members led us in Chinese, Tagalong, Russian/Ukrainian, we heard a native American carol, early chants from the 5th century all with visuals. We saw the little church in Austria where Silent Night was first sung to a guitar not organ. It was a beautiful service as we prayed to bring hope, peace, joy and love to those around us and to the world at large. He has come and will come again and has given us the task of sharing this Good News! Peace sisters ️ Gayle I hope your little grandson makes his appearance this weekend.❤️
Good morning She’s! Happy New Year’s Eve. This has been my 8th advent study with She Reads Truth and I think it was the best one. Love all of you and appreciate your comments and prayers. This year has been a challenging one for me with the cancer diagnosis but I am grateful for each of your prayers. I have my first appointment scheduled to begin my stem cell transplant in early February. My word for 2024 is “Believe”. Thank you for all your prayers and I’m praying for all of you. May you have a wonderful blessed year in Him. Come Lord Jesus ❤️❤️
Hello lovely She’s!
It feels my soul with joy and a smile to always read through the comments and hear what each of you have to say! Something special about being “shielded” by the screen to let your true emotions release from your heart to be seen and heard by others. It lightens our load, that honesty to yourself, others, and mainly our Father God. He wants to hear your authentic self, and I think sometime “in person: with others we can tend to shy up or put on a facade and only give the “curt” answers that we think we should. But we are all human and will go through all different seasons as we are on our individual path, and that is what makes it so intriguing and fun to do it all together! Like Tina said, when others can’t lift their arms, we are to hold each other up. And rejoice when others rejoice! Sharing in God’s great big tapestry! It sure looks zig zaggy and crazy, but turn it over and it’s a beautiful picture!
I concur with all you all have said with a thankful heart to SRT, it sure has grown me in countless ways! I too love that we study even the hard books of the old testament, and that SRT does such a wonderful job of making it all relevant!!
My word for the new year is “presence!” I want to know that He is present even though I may not always feel it in emotion. Like Mari V said, He says it and I believe it. God is the same God of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. I will start an additional study tomorrow in my other “in-person: group and on my FB page called “Unstuck-Stepping into the New!” It is written by one of my friends and I am looking forward to that as well if anyone wants to participate! You can find me on FB as Rhonda Johnson in Fort Myers Florida and you can find the book on Amazon.
@Indiana- Thank you for sharing that wonderful testimony! Beautiful, and congratulations on your baby boy!!
@Gayle- Prayers for a safe and healthy delivery for your daughter.
See you next year!
At church this morning two questions were proposed. 1) What are you going to put off today? 2) What are you going to put on? It was based from Ephesians 4. I need to read it every morning as a reminder of how I want to live.
I’m so thankful for She Reads Truth. Thank you Amanda and Rachel! It has changed my life. Thank you to all you lovely ladies. Thank you for your prayers and for trusting me with your prayer requests. Let’s move into 2024 renewed and full of God.
Happy almost New Year SRT fam!! Praying we continue to lean on and trust the Lord in this new year, and to grow in the knowledge of Christ every day. Sending lots of love to you all!
Many things to be great-full about, but I am always thankful for the struggles we have come through as a family. God Bless and enjoy the rollercoaster ride.
He is with us ALWAYS! I believe this promise! Even when we don’t feel Him, HE IS WITH US because He promises to do so and I believe Him! Good morning and Happy Sunday sweet She’s and happy New Year’s Eve! I’m having issues with connection this morning so hopefully I’m not double posting. I have ENJOYED this Advent Study SO much this year! SO MUCH! I have enjoyed meeting first of all with my JESUS and with all you. I had written more, but I keep having connection issues so hopefully this will post. I just want to say how much I love all of you and how blessed I am to have all of you in my life and can’t wait to meet you all someday.
This year has had many ups and downs, but I am incredibly blessed and thankful that this year has brought me close with the Lord. I pray that, not only myself, but everyone who is a part of this community continues to grow their relationship with Him and turn to Him everyday, in both positive and negative moments. Amen!
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I’m so thankful for God’s word this year! He has taught me over and over of His faithfulness and love. How He is continually reaching out to redeem us.
Thank you to each of you for sharing your heart and insights! You have been a blessing! See you in our next study!
This was my first year reading about Advent & I am so grateful! God always has a plan & he’s always with us. May we all grow nearer to God & have a healthy year full of abundance. Grandson is now a week overdue, pray for my daughter Nixon as she navigates through this time.
He is with us ALWAYS… no matter what 2024 brings.
Good. Bad. Whatever.
I am thankful that there are so many sweet she’s here, regardless of whether we know the names of them all or not. GOD knows all of our names and the needs that each of us has and our praises!
And in addition to inserting our names in TINA’s beautiful letter… if God had a refrigerator… our pictures would be on it!
Thank you SRT, Amanda and Rachael for guiding our reading and making us think about what we are reading.
Happy New Year, sweet sisters!
And, yay, INDIANA CHRISTINA!
If I made a comprehensive list, every sister’s name would be on it … (TINA ❤️ nailed it as usual) … those who comment and those who don’t, those who study with us and those who will join us this coming year, those who make their prayer requests known and those who have unspoken requests. Love to each of you, sisters. May we all strive to learn more about our Father God and our Jesus- to draw closer to Them, and may we be blessed in the new year with wisdom, guidance, patience, understanding, strength, endurance, love, forgiveness and comfort as only the Lord can provide.
Thank you to the SRT staff for creating and providing access to such valuable resources.
CEE GEE ❤️ thanks for sharing those verses and connections!
I am so blessed to be a part of this community. I thank all of you for your comments, words of encouragement & your prayers. I look forward to reading your comments & take note of all your prayer requests & regularly lift them to Jesus.
@TIna – God has truly gifted you with words of encouragement, I look forward to your posts everyday. Thank you for your prayer this morning for each of us – and right back at you!
Thank you Amanda & Rachel & all the SRT staff – I regularly lift you & this ministry to the Lord in prayer.
May each & every one of you have a blessed, happy, healthy New Year. A year of new beginnings & everything new staring tomorrow. My prayer for myself & each of you for this new year – that we may press on, forget what is behind, & look forward to what is ahead – pressing on to win the prize for which God has called us to. (Philippians 3:12-14)
Love & prayers to you all – Happy New Year! ❤️
My prayer for all of you sisters in Christ is that you have a blessed 2024 and continue to follow Christ and walk with him daily in your life no matter what life puts in your pathway. Happy New Year!
Amen! Love and prayers for each and every “she” for a blessed New Year!!!
Amen
“I am with you. There’s a touching echo of the beginning of Matthew’s gospel here.
(Matthew 1:23 NLT – “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanual”)
Immanuel, which is translated, ‘God with us’ – remains “with” us “even to the end of the age”— i.e., until He returns bodily to judge the world and establish His earthly kingdom.” John MacArthur Study Bible
I have to share verse 19 as well because as I reflect on the things God has shown me in this year’s study, I remember that I am commanded to share that with others. He teaches us so we can teach, not just horde up the blessings for ourselves. This is where I, once again, am challenged.
19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” I love the word “even” in some translations.
Immanuel – GOD WITH US EVEN to the end of the age!
TINA, Your personal letter is so sweet and every one of us could put your name in the blank, too!
SHE READS TRUTH is a blessing beyond words. Praying for the staff and for each of us as we enter a new year of study together! Love you all!
Being centered in His Word here with a purpose and plan daily, seeking His wisdom, I am so grateful to be His child in whom He is well pleased! Happy New Year sisters in Christ!
Each new year I choose a word that helps me stay grounded and apply it to my day. This year, I am choosing RENEW. The advent really helped me see that although I am broken, I am able to renew and grow.
Love this, Wendy!!
What a wonderful journey! My first time celebrating Advent. I’m so grateful♥️
I am so thankful for the daily readings and perspective! I look forward to it everyday. I am eager to study the community reads for 2024!
Dearest Tina, thank you for the many times you have brought words of hope, wisdom, understanding and love to me and this wonderful community of Shes. This year has been one of the hardest years I have faced. So many times coming to this community and reading your comments and comments of Shes has been a blessing. I know that God has led me here to be with all of you. I am grateful. May God bless you and may God grant you a year of joy, peace and love. ❤️❤️
Amen to @Tina and @Kelly Neo – thank you SRT staff for your hard work. ❤️
Love you ladies. Happy New Year ❤️
My takeaway from this Advent season is Jesus’s return is soon and we must prepare the way of the Lord. ✝️
Advent reminds me that God is faithful to His promises. I can trust Him when He says, “I am with you always.”
I loved being in the OT so much this year. Remembering how God has worked through flawed and broken people, encourages me to press on.
I also want to thank AMANDA, RAECHEL & SRT team. Praying the Lord will abundantly bless you in 2024.
Waking up to a cold, overcast morning in Maryland only to be brightened by the encouragement and love of all you She’s! Thank you for your commitment to staying in our precious God’s word. You have blessed me – and so many – by your love and grace and comments. May 2024 keep us together even more as we journey together in our Bible.
So blessed by each of you and thankful for you ladies! May we go into 2024 desiring to know more of our Savior. May we draw near to God’s word and be bold about telling others the good news of the first Advent. I pray that I would prepare my heart and mind for the second Advent and that I would continue to run the race with perseverance until that day comes. Hope everyone has a safe and happy new year!
For me, Advent meant being present in a way that I helped me focus on the true meaning of the season. But I also think that what helped me see it in a new light was the studies we did all year. The deeper dive we took into the Old Testament paved the road to Advent and to me stopping and taking account of our own condition. In the OT studies so much seemed like today, and so the heart felt so heavy. And all year, the more we studied, the more the heart was like “COME LORD, JESUS.” So I am so thankful for all the work that She Reads True put throughout the year to encourage us to keep opening our Bibles and holding on to God until his coming. I am also so thankful for all of you, She’s. Happy New Year!
Advent this year has been very special as has been this entire year. I don’t know if anyone remembers this, but I started out the year asking for prayer because, at age 40, I found out I was pregnant with my first and only child. I was so scared because I was not only an older first-time mother, but I also had and continue to have lupus. All of those conditions put me at high risk for miscarriage and complications. I remember many of you encouraged me to lean into the psalms we were reading and rest in God’s capable hands. It was tough, but I did so and continued to do so during the many months that passed by. Fast forward to the end of September, my son was born, full-term and healthy, despite all of the risks.
Having experienced the miracle of my son’s pregnancy, his birth, and his miraculous little self, the miracles of Elizabeth’s and Mary’s pregnancies took on new meaning. My soul connected to the Magnificat in ways it never had before. Knowing how it feels to have your baby kick and stir inside of you made the leaping of John the Baptist in Elizabeth’s womb even more joyous and exciting. Experiencing the great anticipation for my son’s arrival helped me understanding even more the longing for the arrival of the Christ child that first Christmas. And finally, after his arrival, the great joy and life transformation that ensued brought new light to the Christmas story. This has been a truly magical and blessed Advent for me as a mother and follower of Christ. Thanks be to God and to you all.
Indiana, what an amazing testimony! I am sure the Christmas story was even sweeter for you. Many blessings in 2024!
This is a personal letter, from me to each of you..❤
Just put or say your name as you read..
Dear…..
Hello, how are you? Hopeful this will find you well and filled with the goodness of God.
Emmanuel God with us.❤
YOU…. have pretty much carried me through this year.. Your caring comments of encouragement, and your presence here each day has helped me to forge forward, when life threw me lemons. Your words of comfort and joy, were always like a letter from home, soothing and encouraging and always covered in love..
Thank you!
What a year we have had.. travelled, grown in, encouraged, loved on and walked together. Weeping with those that weep, and joyful with those in joy! Walking alongside those who are struggling, by raising their arms, when they couldn’t.
BUT GOD..
As this year closes and we welcome in the New year, my prayer for us is that we do much the same, only harder, read His Word more, do a little more of the journeying together, holding each other up as and when needed.., Remember and pray for our sisters here, that we have not ‘seen’ in a while, and be hope-filled God, is holding them close wherever they are..
I have totally been blessed here, always have, from the early days to present day, SRT, has been a safe place, and I get to hang out with sisters from another mother, but one Father, God!
Thank you, precious sisters that sit around the table of God’s word each day, and might I say, your ‘smiles’ encouragement and love, make my life more beautiful, so,THANK YOU..
BUT GOD..
I could not end this letter without giving a shout out to the ladies, and team, that make our ‘gathering’ possible.. AMANDA BIBLE WILLIAMS.. ❤, RACHAEL MYERS ❤, THANK YOU SO SO VERY MUCH, for everything. I absolutely salute you, and Thank God for you…always..❤
Happy and God blessed 2024 to you and yours!❤❤❤
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Amen to the previous comments. So much truth!
Advent reminds me of His first coming, all the preparation through the years …prophets and prophecy, so many signs leading to Him and now we await His second coming!!! I eagerly await it and Him! If He can do everything we see in the Word, all pointing to Jesus, what can’t He do?!?
I agree with Karen. Advent helps me to focus on the real meaning of Christmas. It helps me to think about God’s plan for salvation, how willingly Jesus came and all he gave up to do so, and the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
May God bless you all as we head into 2024, may you hold onto his truths and promises for whatever this year brings, and may you faith grow and deepen as you rely fully on Him.
Good Morning Shes.
May we go lightly into the New Year.
Unbothered.
Unburdened.
Without bewilderment.
Because we know the One who has come into the world.
The One who is for the ages.
Bound not by
Clock.
Calendar.
Condition.
May we fall more deeply in Love with that One.
Over and over and over and over and over…
Love this!
Advent just brings me closer to my Savior and helps me reflect on my inner self to be better.