On the First Sunday of Advent...(Updated)

New Update, November 30, 2025...I haven't had time to do a new post for this yet, so will share this from the past. Let us prepare our hearts for the celebration of the Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Good Morning everyone...and welcome to Advent!  Today is the first Sunday in Advent.  Some of this is a repeat of previous years, with maybe a few edits here and there to bring it up to date.

So, without further ado, let the 2021 2025 Advent Adventure begin:

(Our home Advent Wreath, 2018)

Note: This post was originally written several years ago from our home in Salt Springs. At that time we were having a small group meet in our home for Sunday morning worship services, and the majority of this post is from that season of time in our lives. We have since moved from that location to a new community and wonderful little church that we dearly love. Below are a few pictures from our worship service this morning in our church:

11/28/2021:  Here is the lighting of the first Advent Candle this morning in our church service 

On this first Sunday of Advent we begin with the lighting of the first candle on the 

Advent Wreath:

As we light the first candle we read:

"This candle reminds us of the promise of the prophets that a Messiah would come.  The prophecy candle is symbolic of long years of waiting during which the prophets, inspired by God, kept alive the hope that the Son of God was coming to redeem us."

Then we read the following scriptures:

Isaiah 7:14

"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign:

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall

call His name Immanuel."

Isaiah 9:2-7

"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;

Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, 

Upon them a light has shined.

You have multiplied the nation

and increased its joy;

They rejoice before You 

according to the joy of harvest,

As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

For YOU have broken the yoke of his burden

and the staff of his shoulder,

the rod of his oppressor,

as in the day of Midian.

For every warrior's sandal from the noisy battle,

and garments rolled in blood,

Will be used for burning and fuel of fire.

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.

Of the increase of His government and peace

there will be no end,

Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,

to order it and establish it with judgment and justice

from that time forward, even forever.

The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this."

The scene in our front yard as of last night

And then we sing together  "O Come, O Come, Immanuel"

I will continue the Advent Candle series each week when we light the second candle.  If you have never experienced the lighting of an Advent Wreath before, here is a little bit of the history:

"The word "Advent" comes from the Latin, "Adventus", meaning "coming" or "coming in", and the "coming in" of Christ has been celebrated by man on many different levels, both spiritual and social since the first years of Christianity.  The traditional Advent Wreath, like most Christmas and Advent customs, has been passed on from generation to generation.  In the Advent Wreath's evergreen boughs we are reminded of the eternalness of God.  In it's perfect circle, His all-encompassing love is symbolized.  Each week, as we add the glow of one more candle, we meditate upon another facet of the life and role of our Lord.  Candles, which are living flames, are symbolic of Christ, the Light of the World, Whose coming is nearer as the light of the candles is increased.  The purple candles represent the royalty of Christ.  The pink candle is the purple fading into the white candle, which represents Christ's birth and His purity.

Jesus said, "I Am the Light of the World...Whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness."  (John 8:12)"

 

(Back to the original post:) Our special antique table that we have been using for our home Communion Service (click HERE for more about that story) is also a perfect place to hold the Advent Wreath.  Little did my husband's grandfather know when he built this little table so many years ago how it would continue to honor the Lord in the homes of his future generations.

If there are times in your life that you are unable to attend worship services at a local church, there is no reason why you cannot have a home worship service.  Although for me it is unique because my husband is an ordained minister, but one does not have to have a seminary degree to lead your family in a time of worship.  You primarily need your Bible, and ask the Lord to guide you and give you insight into His Word.  The Bible tells us that "where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."  I am not suggesting that this should be the norm, but there are times and seasons in life when it may be necessary for reasons beyond your control.  And, even if you DO attend church regularly, there is still no reason why you cannot have times of home worship and prayer as a family or with your neighbors and friends. As a matter of fact, it could be a true blessing for your family as well as those around you. 

In many nations of the world, this is the only form of church worship available, and that is often in what is considered "underground"...hidden and in secret, due to government restrictions and anti-christian leadership.  I pray that America never has to find out what that is...Pray for our nation. I look forward to the day when the fulfillment of the Isaiah prophecy will be complete:

"Of the increase of HIS government and peace 

there will be no end..."

Isaiah 9:7

"O Come, O Come Emmanuel..."

Stay tuned for more ADVENT Adventures in the next few weeks as we prepare our hearts for the Advent of our Lord...The first advent was when Jesus came to earth as a baby in the manger in Bethlehem to offer Himself on a cross for our salvation.  His second advent will be when He returns to earth:

"Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads,

because your redemption draws near."

Luke 21:27-28

"But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that DAY come on your unexpectedly.

For it will come as a snare on those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.

Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape 

all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."

Luke 21:34-36

Are YOU Ready?

If you would like to hear our Pastor's message from this morning's worship service, here it is for you:

Have a blessed and wonderful Advent Season!

Thursday Thankfulness and Friday Foto Friends

Tonight I am feeling such a sense of thankfulness and blessing.  Just a lot of little things, but they add up to big blessings.  Today it was a cloudy and kind of drizzly day, but it was peaceful and restful and pleasant, so what more could one ask for? 

This morning we rode into town to Walmart to do a little bit of shopping and mostly to get some exercise since we couldn't take our regular walk in the rain.  That worked out good.  When we came home I took these pictures on Still Waters Pond, around noon:

Even though it was a gray kind of day, it was still beautiful outside, and very peaceful.

A few days ago "Your Friend From Florida" Terri D'Orsaneo, shared a portion of the lyrics of this hymn in her closing thoughts. I had to go look it up to find out which hymn it was because I didn't recognize just that short portion of it, but I found it and said in my comment that I may have to use that hymn in one of my blogs. I'm sure Terri doesn't mind that I borrowed that idea from her since the hymn is very old and in the public domain, but still I wanted to give her credit for making me remember it and share it here with you.

I Sing the Mighty Power of God

1 I sing the mighty power of God

that made the mountains rise,

That spread the flowing seas abroad,

and built the lofty skies.

I sing the wisdom that ordained

the sun to rule the day;

The moon shines full at God's command,

and all the stars obey.

Tonight God blessed us with this beautiful sunset, even though it was still drizzling rain!

2 I sing the goodness of our God

that filled the earth with food;

God formed the creatures with a word,

and then pronounced them good.

Oh, how your wonders are displayed,

where'er I turn my eye:

If I survey the ground I tread,

or gaze upon the sky!

I enjoyed a walk around the yard and garden this afternoon in between rain showers:

The Butterfly Garden...Yes, I'm "needin' to be weedin'"  Anyone interested in helping?? And I still haven't gotten those plants planted in the ground. I need a hole digger to come help me. At least all this good rain is keeping them alive.

How about just some tea time in the garden instead?

Milkweed flowers blooming

These are what the Monarch Butterflies love. Haven't seen any yet, however.

Cape Honeysuckle

Pentas

I am not sure of the name of these wildflowers that grow along the shores of the pond, but they are growing and blooming all around:

And with all of the rain we've had lately, the little "fairy toadstools" are popping up again. This ruffled one was especially pretty:

3 On earth there's not a plant or flower

but makes your glories known.

The clouds arise and spread their showers

by order from your throne.

All life is but a gift from you

and ever in your care;

Wherever people gather, you,

O God, are present there.

This was the sunrise this morning...can barely see it behind the trees.  But even so, there was great beauty in the clouds as they brought us this gray cloudy rainy day that inspired me so much.

After all of that walking around the yard this afternoon I came back inside and had a cup of tea, since I couldn't have tea time in the garden, I had it inside the house:

Say Hello to Rocky and Bullwinkle again:

I used this tea set because it says that it is the teacup and saucer for September!

And I've been enjoying this "Soothing Turmeric" tea by Twinings. It is an herbal tea that says it supports healthy digestion. It also contains Orange and Star Anise. It's actually quite good, and hey! If it can help my digestion, then bring it on! LOL.

Speaking of "digestion", we actually went out to eat tonight, but not to a restaurant. We were invited to come to the Senior Community Center for a pot luck dinner and also a "dance".  Actually, we were invited because one of our very special church members is turning 91 tomorrow, and so we were going to surprise her.  Funny thing is, she sure surprised us by being one of the most active people there!

This is our "Dottie".  If you ever visit our church,  you will be greeted and hugged by Dottie. No matter who you are, you will be hugged by Dottie. She is one of the most beautiful and Spirit filled women I've ever known, and she is such a blessing and joy to us all.

And yes, it was a dance!  And here's our Dottie dancing (with permission) with one of  our dear friends. His wife didn't mind at all, as Dottie is like a dear Mother to all of us.

We had never been to this community center before, and really didn't know what to expect, but apparently they have this Senior pot luck dinner and dance once a month and there's a fellow who does the singing/karaoke for all the music (who is also a member of our church).  It was so much fun. We mostly just watched all the action, but finally my favorite dance partner asked me to dance with him, and I was in 7th heaven:

I can't tell you how long it has been since we slow danced like this, but my hip joints will probably remind me in the morning!  LOL.  We really need to do this more often, as it was good exercise and a lot of fun.

Oh, did I mention that Benton and Rose were there too? I know, they aren't "seniors", but they were invited to come along, and they had a good time too.

Dancing isn't one of their areas of expertise either, but they finally got up and enjoyed a sweet dance together.

Here's Rose with Dottie, while Dottie was opening some gifts. Rose crochets (or is it knits? I'm not sure which) those nice washcloths, and she gave Dottie a lovely set of them. 

Oh, we weren't the only ones there from our church. That's our Pastor and wife on the end, and in the front is another "nonagenarian", who also will have a birthday at the end of this month and he will be 94! He's another amazing person who doesn't show his age!

And here's a few more of our church family.  I didn't get pictures of everyone that was there, but our church probably made up half of the whole group that was there tonight.  It was a lot of good clean fun, and when we were leaving, these nonagenarians and some octogenarians along with a few other "youngsters" were all in a circle doing something called the "chicken dance".  

I was sad we were leaving. It looked like so much fun!  Maybe next time! IF I can talk hubby into going again. I think it would be a great way to get some exercise...they do a lot of line dancing, which is great for the heart! So we shall see what next month brings. I won't hold my breath, but who knows? Who says you can't teach an old dog a new trick or two? LOL.

Hubby, trying to relax and have a good time. LOL. 

The scripture verse I shared earlier today on Facebook was this:

John 8:12 

"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Amen and Good Night.

 

The Secret Garden Chronicles ~ What A Difference The Light Makes! - A Lenten Devotional -Revisited

Currently: I got to thinking about the fact that I have not posted much about this Lenten season we are currently walking through.  It's been a kind of crazy month...just a lot of  "stuff" going on, little things that have thrown us off track and have kept us from focusing on the full meaning of this journey toward Easter we are currently treading.  Palm Sunday is this coming Sunday already! Wow!  Perhaps the "little things that have thrown us off track" have actually been a part of our learning to trust in the Lord and lean not unto our own understanding so much. (Proverbs 3:5-6)  That is a big part of Lent. Learning to follow what it says here in Hebrews 12:2 (NKJV)

2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, 

who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, 

despising the shame, 

and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Here is what I wrote a few years ago:

3/7/2019

Here is another reposting of a previous devotional for Lent.  Many of you have already seen this and commented on it a couple of years ago.  The message is still shining through for us today, just as God's Word continues to SHINE in our hearts and lives forever...because His Word is truth and is eternal.  Let us let our lights shine for Jesus each and every day...not just during Lent, but always!!
May your day be filled with the SONshine of Christ...so much so that it brightens your path everywhere you go, and draws other people to that Light.

Original Post 3/2/2017:

Yesterday morning as I was taking a walk, I couldn't help but notice this palmetto standing tall  and proud and actually glowing with the sunlight shining through, giving it a radiance that could only come from the sun.

Today I walked past that same palmetto and was astounded by the drab and dreary difference in this once glorious palm...why?  Because there was no sunlight shining through.

I couldn't help but think about what a difference the sunlight makes, not only in drab palmettos, but in our lives as well!  But now I am thinking of a different kind of LIGHT...the SON-LIGHT of the world...Jesus Christ, the SON of God!

Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees in John 8:12 when He said:

"I AM the Light of the world.  

He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness,

but have the Light of life."

In John 1:3-5, we learn more about Jesus Christ, the Word of God:

3.  "All things were made through Him, and without Him

nothing was made that was made.

4.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

5.  And the light shines in the darkness, 

and the darkness did not comprehend it."

And in verse 9, we understand that Jesus Christ was that true Light...

9.  "That was the true Light which gives light

to every  man coming into the world.

In Matthew 5, Jesus' great "Sermon on the Mount", He tells His disciples:

14.  "You are the light of the world.  

A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

15.  Nor do they light a lamp and  put it under a basket,

but on a lampstand,

and it gives light to all who are in the house.

16.  Let your light so shine before men,

that they may see your good works and 

glorify your Father in heaven."

As we continue in our Lenten journey toward Easter, let us focus on letting the SON Light shine through us, shedding His glorious Light on everyone we meet.  Don't be drab and dreary like that palmetto was this morning...let Christ's Light shine through you and light up the world!!

Christmas is Coming!

Christmas is coming!

I have to tell you I really didn't think I'd be able to get the tree up and decorated this year. But yesterday our son Scott came home (after working for several hours in the early morning and then driving an hour to get here) and by the time we got home from lunch after church he had the tree already standing in the living room with the lights on it! That was a miracle to me! (And we brought him a nice hot cheeseburger and fries from the restaurant for his lunch too). As the afternoon progressed, I did manage to start putting the decorations on it, and by evening it was looking pretty good!

These pictures are a realistic view into our living room when the Christmas boxes come in from the storage shed...again, thanks to our son Scott.  He dodged a little bit of rain to get everything in just in time before it really started pouring.

Then, since he was still here with us, we called the other "kids" to come over to visit and have an impromptu "breakfast for supper"...bacon, sausage, eggs, and biscuits. It was pretty good and fun to be together before Scott had to hit the road to get back to Jacksonville.

Our grandpup Sugar was enjoying sitting in her Daddy's lap and stretching her head backwards to look at the pretty tree...

It did look very nice. I love the lights most of all, don't you? There's just something about lights at Christmas...

We didn't try to put up the train/village last night as we were all a bit too tired to start that project. Still not sure if it will happen this year or not...time will tell.  If I can't get down on the floor and back up again, then it probably won't happen, unless the kids want to come back over and spend another evening playing with the trains. However, I must say, I truly believe I am starting to turn the corner with this arm/shoulder/back pain...little by little, day by day, I believe it's getting better...but I still have to pace myself and not overdo it. I do give thanks to the Lord for the improvement that seems to be happening.

Today I did a few more things...the Tea Cup tree is ready, 

along with the angels singing...

And tonight I had my first official cup of hot cocoa of the season (hot ovaltine,  actually...my favorite!)

It's always fun to sip a cup of hot cocoa while watching the skaters and the sleds on the little pond...(lol)

Poinsettias and candles and the little white church make the table look pretty and bright...

This little white church was a Christmas gift last year from my sister in law. I love it.   I love how it lights up and shines so brightly.  

It reminds me of our own little white church, and it "shines so brightly" as a light in the darkness around us.  

Yesterday we sang this song in the choir..."Christmas is Coming, let the church bells ring...people celebratin' the birth of a King...shoutin' hosanna 'til the heavens ring! Christmas is comin', let the church bells ring..."    You might enjoy listening to the song...this is not our choir singing, but we did our best to sound this good...

 Do you ever wonder why we have so many lights shining at Christmas?  Maybe it's because of the Star of Bethlehem that the Wise Men followed...or perhaps even more so, the lights of Christmas shine for Jesus..."The Light of the World"

John 1:1-14

"1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."

And in John chapter 8:12, Jesus declares to us:

12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Yes, I believe that is why we love the lights so much at Christmas...because we celebrate the birth of Jesus, "The Light of the World".    So now, when you see those lights twinkling and shining so brightly everywhere, on Christmas trees, in the windows of houses and churches, on the rooftops and porches all across the land...wherever you may see the lights of Christmas, remember that Jesus is the Light of the World...and whoever follows Him will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life!  Praise God for that beautiful Light, Jesus, the Light of the world!!

Happy Advent!!