For the remainder of this reading plan, we will spend the Sundays before and after Christmas lingering in the longing, waiting, and expectation of the season by reading a short passage from Scripture.
The wilderness and the dry land will be glad;
the desert will rejoice and blossom like a wildflower.
It will blossom abundantly
and will also rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon.
They will see the glory of the LORD,
the splendor of our God.
—Isaiah 35:1–2
In the book is a song titled “Lo, How Rose E’er Blooming”, until today I had never heard of it. I googled it to listen to it and it is a beautiful song but very mellow and slow. It reminds me I need to slow my life down.
Be blessed and slow down and “take time to smell the roses,” sisters.
I love that God can bring fruit and his purpose out of the driest of seasons.
Good morning, Happy Sunday She’s!
Church was really good today for the second Sunday of Advent! It was on the “Gift Given.” Today was the Peace of the Savior Jesus Christ. The peace was taken away in the Garden, the Paradise, after the first sin. It caused the peace to be disrupted, the paradise to be no more. It is often so hard to have the Peace of Jesus but is the one thing that can not be taken away. We have the longing for that peace in other things, but all those can quickly be snatched away so suddenly. We strive. We are anxious, we search for all the wrong things. The Christmas season will end, our job changes, a relationship crumbles, our home gets destroyed by a hurricane. The things we think are our Paradise, our peace, is forever heartbreaking in the reality…..the dry land. BUT GOD, oh but God, He sent his Son to redeem the lost, to bring us to the paradise that He wants us to have…how amazing is that. This Christmas, as we long for a paradise, the perfect Christmas, the perfect gathering of family, the perfect Christmas feast….turn our eyes to the Prince of Peace. Amen and Amen.
@Heidi- Prayers my friend, you got this. Take a deep breath, enjoy the transition, it is going to work out for you. God has great things ahead beyond the cloud and storms. I still think of how you were ferociously there for your niece, so we know you have a lion’s spirit, well, you have the HOLY SPIRIT in you! You don’t back down and get tangled up in the devil’s ploy for your loved ones, so the same applies to you. The devil is just trying to attack you now to disrupt your plans for emerging yourself for the Glory of God, he is not liking that! Roar in his face, he is nothing compared to what God is going to do!
❤️
Sitting in my Jesus room praying for restoration in my family. May He establish the joy that only comes with restored hearts full of Him.
@Heidi I can relate to your post so much. I’ve definitely been “there”. Ten years ago everything I’d built up just kind of didn’t work out (from relationships, friendships to career and investments). It was during this time that I felt “pruned” by God. One of the verses that helped me was Isaiah 40:31. He WILL renew Your strength. Yes, times like these can be tough and the picture isn’t always clear(some of mine still isn’t). However, that season allowed me to lean and trust in the Lord like never before in my life. I believed in God and trusted Him – yes. But the past 10 years have built this unshakable trust and belief; I KNOW Him like never before. So, while I don’t know your exact situation, I do know that it can sometimes be disorienting when we can’t see where things are going. The one thing that brought me peace is knowing that if God is for us, who can be against us?(Romans 8:31). He’s got you! And when nothing seems right, just exhale and say “I trust in you God”. Sending prayers and love! ❤️
@Sue D Just prayed for you, your son and his family. ❤️
Thank you all for sharing…I love the testimonies of what God has done – and the ones of waiting for what God has not yet done. We wait in hope with you, and we appreciate your raw authenticity. xo