Monday Monday and Tuesday 4: Christmas!

 Good Morning Everyone! It's another Monday Monday!! The last Advent Monday before Christmas! Hard to believe Christmas is just one week from today!  Our Tuesday 4 meme is all about Christmas, so I will save some of my thoughts to share within that format, which will follow my Monday thoughts.  I figure I might as well do both posts in one today because the rest of the week is going to get pretty busy and I probably won't have much time for writing.  

Here in Florida we had a humdinger of a kind of tropical storm over the weekend. Massive amounts of rain and wind moved onshore from the Gulf of Mexico and pretty well flooded the whole state of Florida all night Saturday.  By Sunday morning the rain had mostly stopped, but then the wind picked up and the gusts were quite strong.  Thankfully we didn't have any major damages, just a few dead tree limbs fallen to the ground and lots of leaves from the trees.  Still Waters Pond filled up nicely after the at least 4" of rain that we received in a 24 hour period!  Here are some sunset pictures I took last night after the storm had finally abated:

If you look at this one above, you can see where the water has come up above the grasses along the shore. That area had become fairly dry before the storm, so now the pond is full and happy again!

I loved how the skies went from fiery orange to gray in just a matter of minutes.

More clouds rolled in ...

And very soon we had a black and white sunset!

But I thought it was still very beautiful in a very dramatic way...

Thankfully by then the winds had died down and all was calm and still somewhat bright...

We give thanks to the Lord for His protection during this storm. With all the big trees we have around here it could have been much much worse. I know places down along the southwest coast of Florida did get a lot of tidal surge and damaging flood waters. We pray for those who have suffered in the wrath of this storm.

Meanwhile, yesterday morning the sun was shining enough for people to come out to church and give their thanks to God.  Unfortunately, my hubby has gotten a bad cold/cough and had to stay home. Quite a few people have had this "crud" around our church/community here lately...even our Pastor and his wife were sick for about a week. I am praying that I don't get it. Our son Benton also had it, but so far neither Rose nor I have come down with it. Please pray that we don't...Christmas is coming...and there's still too much to be done to get sick...and we have some very special guests joining us on Christmas day for dinner...someone that you may know, so PLEASE pray we are all well for Christmas!

Because my hubby couldn't go to Sunday School or Church yesterday, guess who got to teach our Adult Sunday School class?  Yep, yours truly!  I don't usually teach, but I do help and give support in our lessons each week.  Normally if my hubby can't go our Pastor will fill in for him, but because he's been under the weather all last week too, we didn't want to burden him with having to prepare a lesson on short notice. So I came up with a lesson that I've been wanting to do for a long time.  

I wonder how many of you are a fan of "Handel's Messiah"?  If so, you are probably aware that every song is actually a recitation of Scripture...Here is a list.  So for our lesson, we went through each of the scripture references listed (but only made it through Part 1 this week), and discussed their significance in order of the prophecies given in the Old Testament and prophecies fulfilled in the New Testament, in the birth of Jesus Christ.  It became a very interesting and enjoyable discussion. I was thankful that the Pastor was in our class to help give more insight and history when difficult questions came up.  As I said, we only made it through the first part, which is primarily the part of Handel's Messiah that pertains to Christmas, but everyone in class said they would like to continue this study next week to finish it if we can.  So I told hubby about it when I got home and he was happy with that...so we will continue next week.  Oh, one of our Christmas traditions here in our home is to listen to Handel's Messiah at some time during the Advent season.  We found the best performance on YouTube videos with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  

Speaking of choirs and music, yesterday morning in our church service was our Children's program. It was wonderful, as children's Christmas programs always are.  

Here is a "promotional video" of some of the music...you can listen to this if you want and get the idea of what these kids were singing and doing in the pictures below...

The group was a little smaller than usual, but they did a fantastic job. Here are a few pictures from their performance:

As children's programs go, you know this was super special and wonderful.  They definitely got a standing ovation at the end!

And so now let's move on to the Tuesday 4 meme, which is all about Christmas!

Christmas

 Hi there. It's time for another of Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4...

Christmas is next week...Let's talk a bit about it, okay?


1. Are you excited for Christmas to come?

Yes, I am always excited about Christmas, even if I seem to be a bit rattled from time to time about everything that needs to get done, I LOVE Christmas and everything about it.

2. What do you look forward to on Christmas?

Mostly the time spent with loved ones and friends.   And this year we will have some very special guests joining us for the day in addition to our immediate local family. Some of you may know our special guests, Linda and her hubby Dave from Just Simply Linda blog fame, so please keep praying we all stay well!  Linda and Dave live just about an hour's drive from us, and we have met several times in the past since they moved to Florida from NY about a year and a half ago. It will be a very blessed time together.  Also our local friend Pamela will be here, as she is a "snow-bird" from CT, and has no family here.

3. What will Christmas Eve find you doing?

On Christmas Eve morning, which is a Sunday, we will be in church as usual. Our choir will be performing our Christmas Cantata, which is entitled "The Christmas Story".  We will have our dress rehearsal this Tuesday night and it will be recorded, but the recording won't be available until Sunday, so hopefully I can share it with you then. Please pray for our singers that we will all stay healthy and be able to sing!!   And then on Christmas Eve night we also a have a Candlelight Service at church, and so we will be there for that, Lord willing.

4. What will be on the menu for Christmas?

This year we are doing something a little different, but not really. We have done this before and it is always a hit...we are having lasagna for Christmas dinner! This was a suggestion by our guests, who said they wanted to bring it with them...and of course we all thought that would be wonderful, and we will also be making a pan of lasagna here, along with salad and garlic bread.  Dessert? Well, I don't know yet...we'll see what we come up with.  After eating a lasagna dinner I never have room for dessert, but I'm sure we can't get away with no desserts...so there will be something I am certain...LOL.

From Annie, our Tuesday 4 Hostess: "Since Christmas will come before the next Tuesday 4, I wish you a blessed and very merry Christmas."   (This picture is one of our Tuesday 4 hostess Annie's creations...isn't is lovely? She is very gifted)

"Angels say what???"

Luke 2:8-14

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 

9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 

10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 

11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 

12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

14 “Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

Let the ADVENTure Begin! (Revisited)

This was originally posted on 12/3/2013, while I was still a "working woman"...but I love what happened on this particular day, and wanted to share it with you again! I hope you are eagerly anticipating the celebration of Christ's Birth...Let's open this Advent Window and see what message is waiting for us today...


Original Post 12/3/2013:

The Advent Calendars are now being opened one day at a time...Did you have one of these as a child?  I can remember having one that we eagerly opened each day as we counted down the days until Christmas...each little "open window" on the calendar gave us a new glimpse into preparing for Christmas...getting ready for the Baby Jesus to appear....the shepherds watching, the wise men traveling from afar, the angels singing, the star shining, the cattle lowing, Mary and Joseph preparing the manger...and finally the Baby Jesus making His appearance on Christmas Day!

Of course, we were also looking forward to all the other fun adventures of Christmas: Making up our lists for Santa...decorating the house, putting up the Christmas tree and hanging our stockings with care...baking cookies and candies, drinking hot cocoa with marshmallows, hanging candy canes on the tree and lighting candles in the windows. Singing Christmas carols and listening to choirs sing, watching special Christmas pageants. The sights, smells, and mysteries of Christmas...."I wonder what Santa will bring me this year?"  "I wonder if we will hear him and his reindeer when they land on the roof and come down the chimney?"  Yes, I believed in Santa...still do...It's a magical, wonderful time of the year...

Well, yesterday, as I was driving home from work I was thinking about all the things I need to do to get ready for Christmas...I haven't even started my shopping...not one decoration is set out...and except for the Christmas music playing on my car radio I haven't heard or sung any Christmas carols yet...  I mean, I'm still recuperating from Thanksgiving and all of the joys and memories of that special time with family and friends...and still cleaning up from that.  I just can't jump right in and get ready for Christmas in one day, like turning a page in a book and all of a sudden it's Christmas and everything is in place.  Last year I wrote about this experience here:  "Easing Into Christmas".  

But as I was listening to the radio on my way home yesterday they were playing all Christmas music...and suddenly the music from Handel's Messiah was flooding my car with joy and majesty!  I found myself singing along with the music...and a few tears started running down my cheeks as I remembered that we hadn't even gotten out our Handel's Messiah CD at home yet...one of our family traditions ever since we've been married is to listen to that glorious music as we get ready for Christmas.  I was feeling extremely nostalgic and a little sad as I sang along with the chorus of "For Unto Us A Child is Born...unto us, a Son is given...(Click here to listen to this song)  and then, when I pulled into my yard, what to my wondering eyes should appear?  No, NOT Santa and his reindeer, but this:

I was so astounded, I just broke into tears, and started laughing, crying, clapping, rejoicing!  God knew  what I needed...and He placed this thought into my son, to create this particular sign on this particular day, and surprise me by having it sitting out on our front walkway when I arrived home!  Only God could do that in just this special way!

So now Christmas Advent has officially begun at our house!  It's like opening a new window on our Advent Calendar each day... to see what new thing will happen to prepare the way for the Christ Child to enter in this Christmas.   What special things are you doing to prepare the way in your home...your heart...your life?

Remember:  

So let the ADVENTure begin!!

Isaiah 9:6:

"For unto us a Child is born, 

Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon 

His shoulder.

And His name will be called

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Advent Rest - Revisited Again!

This is another repeat Advent message, written in 2017 (and repeated last year too). I will leave it just the way it was written...it is still very much applicable today. I still need to learn about "rest"...  I hope you will enjoy this message and be blessed by it.

Original Message:

In preparation for the beginning of the Advent season we read in our devotions the following passage from Ezekiel 34:11-16:

Ezekiel 34:11-16(NKJV)

God, the True Shepherd

11 ‘For thus says the Lord God: “Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. 

12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day. 

13 And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land; I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the valleys and in all the inhabited places of the country. 

14 I will feed them in good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel. There they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 

15 I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down,” says the Lord God. 

16 “I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong, and feed them in judgment.”

After reading this I couldn't help but think about this following passage in Isaiah 40:11, followed by Christ speaking to us in Matthew 11:28-29.  I have inserted a video excerpt from Handel's Messiah with this beautiful message.  

Isaiah 40:11(NKJV)

11 

He will feed His flock like a shepherd;

He will gather the lambs with His arm,

And carry them in His bosom,

And gently lead those who are with young.

Matthew 11:28-29 (NKJV)

28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 

29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Listening to this helps me to calm my spirit and prepare my heart for the Advent of our Lord...yes, as a babe in the manger at Christmas...but also as we look forward to His soon return to redeem His beloved sheep..., for "WE are His people, and the sheep of His pasture"...

Psalm 100 (NKJV)

A Song of Praise for the Lord’s Faithfulness to His People

1 Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

2 

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

3 

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

4 

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.5 

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

As we approach this Christmas season, let us pause to reflect on the true mission of that babe in the manger...it was not to give us a reason to go out and buy expensive gifts and shop til we drop and do all kinds of crazy things in the name of Christmas...but to celebrate the One who came to seek His sheep as the True Shepherd, Who came to "seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick;", and to "feed His flock like a shepherd;

He will gather the lambs with His arm,

And carry them in His bosom,

And gently lead those who are with young." 

and to "give you rest."

As we approach the end of this year it is fitting that I should be reminded of the One Who came to give me REST...Yes, rest for my body, my mind, and my soul...

If you recall, my "One Word" for 2017 was "REST"... and I am not too sure that I followed that admonition too well all year long...but I have learned that when I am weary Jesus is always there to give me rest...I just need to allow Him into my busy-ness...and take His yoke upon me, and learn from Him.

My prayer for you and for myself as we enter this busiest of all seasons of the year, is that we will indeed let Jesus give us "REST" in the midst of our celebrations and joyous activities with loved ones and friends. Take time out to spend time alone with Him, reading His Word, meditating upon Him, and enjoying all the beauty and wonders of the season around us.

Have a blessed, peaceful, restful Advent Season!  

The Angels Were Talking...Third Sunday of Advent

Today is the Third Sunday of Advent...and as we prepare for this day and the lighting of the third candle on our Advent Wreath, the question is asked:

"Why do we light this candle?"

The response:

"Today we are lighting the Angel's Candle.  Angels spoke to Mary, to Joseph,

and to the Shepherds.  Angels are still working in the presence of God and in our midst, protecting, guiding God's people along the way."  

"Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.  The virgin's name was Mary."

"And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"

"But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.  Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.  And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."  Luke 1: 26-33

And to Joseph an Angel of the Lord appeared in a dream and said to him,

"Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.  And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."  Matthew 1:20-21

And then the Angel spoke to the Shepherds, who were out in the fields, "keeping watch over their flock by night.  And behold, and angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.

Then the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be a sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill to men!"  Luke 2:8-14

(click the YouTube video below to listen to Handel's Messiah message from the angels)

I believe that Angels are still at work in our midst....oftentimes being sent on special missions on our behalf directly from the Throne of God...

We will someday be surprised to meet the angelic ambassadors who may have rescued us from many a fall and who stood in the path of danger for us so that we would be safely  protected from the onslaughts of the enemies of God's precious children.





We may be surprised to meet them as they come to carry us heavenward someday....

and realize that perhaps we had been entertaining angels unwittingly...."Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels."  Hebrews 13:2

Today let us give thanks to God for His angelic messengers, 

but most of all for the "good tidings of great joy" that they

brought to the world so many years ago...

and let us rejoice and sing along with that heavenly host:

"Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth, Peace, Good will toward men!"

Previous Photos from my Christmas Tree and Nativity Scene, 2014

And below are the newest little angels added to our tree:

New little angel playing the violin, added in 2015 in loving memory of my mother
Dorothea Tedlie Mursch

Another new little angel playing the violin, a gift from my sister in law last Christmas

"Angels are often disguised as sisters"
A gift from my sister last Christmas!

Our "Angel of the Woods" atop our Christmas Tree, 2017

Have you heard the Angels talking?

Have a blessed and Holy Advent SONday!