A Devotional for Advent -Revisited

NOTE: This was originally written a couple of years ago...but I thought it appropriate to share with you again today, this First Sunday of Advent...

Original Post written 11/29/2020

After the busyness of the previous week of Thanksgiving preparations and spending precious time feasting with family and friends...my mind and spirit needed to get away from the hustle and bustle for a little while and spend some time alone. Sitting along the shore of our Still Waters Pond brought peace and comfort as I quieted myself before the Lord and allowed His Presence to wash over me. There is such tranquility in the midst of the noise of the earth as I come before the Lord in reverence and awe, and enjoy again the beauties of His world surrounding me.

Ah! I suddenly remembered that it is the beginning of Advent...and as I gathered together the fresh pine boughs and holly branches filled with bright red berries, and placed the cedar candle stands in the center of the wreath that will hold the Advent candles throughout these next four weeks prior to Christmas, my heart began to sing to the Lord "a new song"...

"Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!

Sing to the Lord, all the earth.

Sing to the Lord, bless His name;

Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.

Declare His glory among the nations,

His wonders among all peoples.

For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised;

He is to be feared above all gods."

Psalm 96:1-4

While I retreated from the world a little while, God reminded me again of the true meaning of Christmas...and why we should prepare our hearts for the Advent of the Lord as we proclaim Christ's birth and purpose for coming to the earth...

"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."

"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."

Isaiah 9: 2, 6-7

What a precious time this was today...the Lord knew what I needed.  I needed to sit down in a quiet place and allow my soul to be bathed in His peace and comfort.  I needed to prepare my heart for the coming of the Lord....Christmas! I needed to make room for Him to enter into my heart and home and life again...and not just go through the motions of putting up all the decorations and shopping for gifts and baking and working and wearing myself out without enjoying the wonder and beauty of this most glorious season...

"Let the heavens rejoice,

and let the earth be glad;

Let the sea roar, and all its fullness;

Let the field be joyful,

and all that is in it.

Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the Lord,

For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth.

He shall judge the world with righteousness,

and the peoples with His truth."

Psalm 96:11-13

And what about you? Have you prepared your heart for the coming of the Christ child this Christmas? There is no time like the present to be "present" to God's peace...

That would be the very best "present" of all...

Peace on earth, and in our hearts as well.

Amen.

New Year Reflections

Well, it's here!  The beginning of a brand new year!

What does this new year hold for each of us?  We really don't know...

The future is just as dim as this early morning fog on Still Waters Pond...we can just barely see the glimmers of light on the other side...

We may feel like this teapot on a birthday cake, wanting to break out and celebrate, but the uncertainty of life is swirling around us and we just aren't too sure which way to go...

Or like this snowman and the beautiful cardinal, enjoying the beauty of the moment while it lasts, but realizing that all too soon all this reverie will melt away and we will be left wondering what happened...and what do we do next?

As we reflect on the joys and beauties of the Christmas season we have just celebrated, 

we take one last look at what was...

And in the midst of it all we find glimmers of HOPE...

little reminders of the JOY and PEACE of the Christ Child of Christmas 

and we are reminded to BELIEVE in His promises for us for a future filled with Faith, Hope, and Love

.

"For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face.

Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

I Corinthians 13:12-13

Hear the words of the Prophet Isaiah, as he writes down what God the Lord still speaks to us across time:

“Ho! Everyone who thirsts,

Come to the waters;

And you who have no money,

Come, buy and eat.

Yes, come, buy wine and milk

Without money and without price.

2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread,

And your wages for what does not satisfy?

Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,

And let your soul delight itself in abundance."

Isaiah 55:1-2

As most of you may already know, my new "One Word" for 2022 is "Delight".  Throughout the year I will be reflecting on the word "Delight" from many perspectives...especially as I read through God's Word and discover the many places where God expresses His delight in His creation and His children...and also in the many ways we "delight" ourselves in Him.  But I also expect that I will personally be expressing "delight" in life itself...as the year unfolds before us and we experience first hand delight and joy in God's creation, family and friends and whatever blessings come our way. And just because I know that life is never all "wine and roses", I can probably expect there will be times when life won't seem so "delightful", and those will be the times when my "delight" may turn to trusting God even when things don't make much sense.  But for now, let us rejoice in the beauty and glory of God and declare His wonders among all peoples:

Since it is still foggy as pea soup outside, I thought you'd enjoy seeing this beauty that is blooming in my kitchen!  I just took this Amaryllis bulb out of the box a few days ago, and look at it now!

Psalm 96:1-4

"Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!

Sing to the Lord, all the earth.

2 Sing to the Lord, bless His name;

Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.

3 Declare His glory among the nations,

His wonders among all peoples.

4 For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised;

He is to be feared above all gods."

And please notice that it has not just one blossom, but there are others on the way, ready to bloom any day now!

Yes, the New Year is full of promise and hope and delight...even if we can't see it all right now...we can believe it by faith and we can sing to the Lord a new song...

"Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;

Let the sea roar, and all its fullness;

12 Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it.

Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice

13 before the Lord.

For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth.

He shall judge the world with righteousness,

And the peoples with His truth."

Psalm 96:11-13

Amen

and 

Happy New Year!

 

A Time for Singing - Updated

This post was originally shared in 2019, but here we are again today, two years later. Not much has changed since then...we still miss our son every single day, but life does go on, and we like to remember to good times, the happy days we had together. So that will be our continued new song of life...as we give thanks to the Lord or the sweet memories we had together while we could.  And we have great hope for the day when we will all be reunited in heaven again. So thankful for that great hope through Christ Jesus our Lord.

"Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!

 Sing to the Lord, all the earth.

Sing to the Lord, bless His name;

Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.

 Declare His glory among the nations,

His wonders among all peoples.

For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised..."

Psalm 96:1-4

 Today marks the 5th  7th anniversary of the date that our dear son Matthew entered heaven's gates. I always like to remember him this way...goofy and fun loving and full of laughter...

 This was our last family portrait together three months before he passed.  Our family had all gathered to celebrate his 41st birthday:

It's been five   seven years...and a lot has happened in those five  seven years...things that Matthew hasn't been here with us to enjoy or participate in...but I don't want to be sad today. I want to celebrate his life...not his death. I want to remember the happy times we had together...and look forward to the time we will all be together again someday forever.  

You may ask me how I can "Sing to the Lord a new song!" when we have had such sorrow.  Well, I can sing because of Jesus...because of Jesus, Who died for me and for you and all of our loved ones...so that we can one day celebrate together again in heaven.  

I can sing, because Jesus told His disciples in John 14:1-4, 6

1.  "Let not your heart be troubled;

you believe in God, believe also in Me.

2.  In My Father's house are many mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you.  

I go to prepare a place for you.

3.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself,

that where I am, there you may be also.

4.  And where I go you know, and the way you know...

6.  "I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me."

And so today, as we remember Matthew, I am singing a new song in my heart.

Because of Jesus, I have hope in my heart. 

Therefore, I sing.

Some previous posts about Matthew:

https://pamelasopenwindow.blogspot.com/2014/05/how-could-i-not-want-this-day-to-come.html

https://pamelasopenwindow.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-mighty-one.html

https://pamelasopenwindow.blogspot.com/2011/11/matthew-and-noahs-saga-of-moose-hunt.html

"People Who Need People" Updated for RJD

I just discovered that today is our very last Random Journal Day. (click on link for more details)..after four years of sharing our hearts from our journals, we've decided to bring this little journey to an end. But it has been a journey of love and dreams and hopes and adventures shared between friends who, for the most part, have never met each other in person.  Just a group of "friends" who discovered each other through our blogging...and God has blessed us with a friendship that I sincerely hope will continue on long after we close this chapter in our lives.  I feel a little sad even writing this. My thanks to Dawn Paoletta of http://enthusiasticallydawn.com/, for being the hostess with the mostest on this journey. She has kept us motivated and inspired and connected, often when we were lacking the enthusiasm necessary to keep going.  Dawn is a true encourager and motivator, and her blog title "Enthusiastically Dawn" is a perfect description!  Thank you, Dawn. You are such a blessing to all of us!

Susie Klein, our lovely co-host, is also known as "Recovering Church Lady", and she has just graduated from blogger to bonafide author!!! Her new book, "Walking Butterfly-Comfy Cocoon to Flying Free" has just been published this past week and can be purchased at Amazon.com today! I can't wait to receive my copies in the mail this next week!  I've already had a sneak preview, and I can assure you it is a love story you won't want to put down.

Please check out the rest of our wonderful blogging/journaling friends at the link up here:http://www.inlinkz.com/new/view.php?id=605689.  

Now, here is my entry for today.  This was originally written exactly four years ago, when we were getting ready to move into our current home.  We've been through a lot of changes since this was written, but I can assure you that we are still "People Who Need People"...and we are the "luckiest BLESSED people in the world!".  God has blessed our home here in so many ways...and beyond the actual relationships with people in our immediate world, He has blessed us with these marvelous cyber-friends as well.  Some day we will all meet for real, whether here on earth, or in heaven above, and we will rejoice in the gift of friendship for eternity.




"Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!  They walk, O Lord, in the light of Your countenance. In Your name they rejoice all day long, and in Your righteousness they are exalted.  for You are the glory of their strength, and in Your favor our horn is exalted."  Psalm 89: 15-17


Barbra Streisand singing "People"   Remember this song? Click on the link to take a step back in time...and then please come back and finish reading this...


Last night I was having a time of reflecting over the past few weeks' activities, and I suddenly became overwhelmed with joy at what the Lord was doing in our lives.  Although you may think this is crazy, I was in the shower cleaning up from a long day of painting and cleaning at our soon to be new home...and as I thought about all the people in our lives who have been bending over backwards to help us get ready for this big move, and for those people who actually have made it possible for us to even consider such a move,  I suddenly broke out into singing "People Who Need People are the luckiest people in the world..." Barbra Streisand style...   No, I don't proclaim to be as good of a singer as Barbra Streisand, and I am certain my family members sitting in the other room trying to watch TV will agree to that, especially when I sang it over and over and over again, louder and louder...mostly the same words over and over because I couldn't remember all the verses...but it was a celebration of joy...I was actually thanking the Lord for bringing people into our lives...other "people who need people" just like us...and I realized what that song was really all about.  "People who need people are the luckiest people in the world", (although I would probably say they are the most blessed people in the world since I don't really believe in the word "luck"). 

There is something wonderful about needing other people...and other people needing you as well...and when God brings those people together to encourage one another and actually help out when someone is in need, both parties benefit from the united effort.  The people who needed the people are blessed, and the people who responded to help are also blessed. I really think that's what God intended for His people to do...need each other, and then do something to help each other. 

Our new house is actually a fulfillment of a life-long dream...perhaps in a small way, but also in a beautiful way. http://pamelasopenwindow.blogspot.com/2011/02/some-yearnings-of-my-soul.html  This reference is a link to a previous post that I shared with you last year about "my dream home".  That particular post was kind of skimming the surface of the whole dream of the kind of home I wanted to have someday...and although this particular new home does not quite meet all of those specifications, I have begun to realize that God is in fact answering my prayers.  He is creating a "home that is a haven for people who need to feel ‘at home’", just like I requested.  The people He has already brought into our midst who are right there helping us get the house ready to move into are exactly that..."people who need to feel at home", and we are more than happy to welcome them into our home.  I guess the realization of this is why I was just so elated that I had to break out into singing last night! 

"Oh sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, all the earth. sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.  Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.  For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods."..."Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples, Give to the Lord glory and strength.  Give to the Lord the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts.  Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!"

Psalm 96:1-4, 7-9

Our "Camp in the Woods" House...Don't judge a book (or a house) by its cover...the love inside may surprise you!
"Mi Casa es su Casa", which in Spanish says, "My house is your house"...so y'all come! Oh, and bring your best talents and ideas, 'cause we are "people who need people" with good ideas and abilities!  :)

Thank you Lord, for bringing "people who need people" into our lives, because we too, are a needy people, and we consider ourselves very lucky (BLESSED) indeed.  I can't wait to meet all the new people You are going to send our way.  Thank you, Jesus, for answering our prayers. Amen.

This is how our home looks now, 4 years later!
 (picture taken in the summer when the sycamore trees where in full foliage)

Sing to the Lord...

"I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations." Psalm 89:1

Today I chimed in on an interesting discussion on facebook about hymns vs. contemporary music, etc., which is a "debate" that has been going on for some time now.  It appears that the church is pretty divided on this issue...and then again, there are many who have compromised and split it down the middle...half hymns, half choruses...  They each have their place in our worship services...and the most important thing is this:  Just SING!!! If you look in the Bible you will find many many references to music, especially in the Psalms.  I will just share a few with you...and this expresses my feelings pretty much exactly:

"It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night, on an instrument of ten strings, on the lute, and on the harp, with harmonious sound." Psalm 92:1-3

"Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.  Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the Lord is the great God, and the great King above all gods."  Psalm 95:1-3

"Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, all the earth.  Sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.  Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.  for the Lord is great and greatly to be praised...."  Psalm 96:1-4

"Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! For He has done marvelous things;  His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory. " Psalm 98:1

"Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.  Sing to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of a psalm, with trumpets and the sound of a horn; Shout joyfully before the Lord, the King.  Let the sea roar, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell in it; Let the rivers clap their hands; Let the hills be joyful together before the Lord, for He is coming to judge the earth.  With righteousness He shall judge the world, and the peoples with equity."  Psalm 98:4-9

"Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!  Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing."  Psalm 100:1-2

"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise.  Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.  For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations." Psalm 100: 4-5

"I will sing of mercy and justice;  To You, O Lord, I will sing praises."  Psalm 101:1

Need I say more?  Oh....but there is one more verse I want to share with you...Did you know that God also sings to us?  Yes, He does...according to Zephaniah 3:17 ~

"The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing."

To sum it all up: SING TO THE LORD...REJOICE IN THE LORD...SING NEW SONGS, SING OLD SONGS, JUST SING AND PRAISE THE LORD ON HIGH, FOR HE ALONE IS WORTHY OF OUR PRAISE! I LOVE HYMNS, I LOVE CHORUSES, I LOVE SINGING TO THE LORD ALL DAY LONG......JUST SING!!! DON'T FIGHT ABOUT WHAT SONGS ARE BEST...GOD JUST WANTS US TO SING AND FIGHT BACK THE DEMONS WHO ARE TRYING TO KEEP THE MELODY OF PRAISE OUT OF OUR HEARTS AND MINDS. OH, SING TO THE LORD A NEW SONG! FOR HE HAS DONE MARVELOUS THINGS! HIS RIGHT HAND AND HIS HOLY ARM HAVE GAINED HIM THE VICTORY!!!!!! (PSALM 98:1) SO, PLEASE, PEOPLE OF GOD: SING!!!!!

"Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament! Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp! Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals!!  
LET EVERYTHING THAT HAS BREATH PRAISE THE LORD!  Psalm 150: 1-6

And all the people said: "AMEN!"