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Advent

Saturday, the First Week of Advent: Listening to God

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How are we actively listening to God?

Are you listening to God? What does it mean to actively listen? It means pay attention. Give your undivided attention. It doesn’t mean sit in church and think about what you’re going to cook for dinner. It doesn’t mean make a mental checklist of the Christmas gifts you’re going to buy after church.

Lutheran Advent Season, Are you Listening to God? Hopefully, this series will inspire, teach and prepare you for Christmas in a way you never considered. Learn why the promise is important from God in your life. Are you listening to GodIf you want to hear God’s voice you do need to listen.

Listen to the promises He makes. There really is no “ifs, and, or buts” to his salvation.

If you are listening to God then you won’t hear him say “Your salvation might be coming if you start to fix your life”. He doesn’t say that. But were you listening?

You don’t have to give anything to get salvation. What?

The Lord says “You salvation is coming.” Period. 

The birth of the baby Jesus is coming to save us. He comes in a lowly manger to save you. He isn’t appearing with a ticker tape parade, nor will Mary have nurses and a comfortable bed.

Baby Jesus is born in a stable, a hole in a hillside, a cave where Jesus is born. A small quiet voice.

He will live His life as He wants us to live ours. Jesus Christs shows us through example that he endured hatred, mocking, and punishment from those that hated Him to save us. Like a newborn baby, He is clean, sinless. He took the punishment for us.

Are you listening to God now?

What do you do to deserve someone who loves you this much? You don’t have to do anything. But listen, have faith. With the birth of the baby Jesus, miraculous things are about to happen. Glory be to God!

Advent Devotional Readings: Saturday, First Week Advent

Reading for the 1st Saturday in Advent: Isaiah 9:1-7

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 26: 1-19; 1  John 3: 1-24 

My Review of the Weekly Advent Readings for the 1st Week of Advent

I have finished studying the first week of Lutheran Advent reflections. Didn’t know if I was going to get through them. I haven’t written like this in a long time. But I thought it was important and was compelled to do it.

Next week will be the Second week of Advent, and I will go provide a list of Advent songs and hymns. If you’re wondering about the Lutheran Advent wreath don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten the Advent candles.


Friday, the First Week of Advent: Why the Promise is Important

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Why are Promises Important?

The promise is important because it builds trust with the person who is the issues the promise. When their promises are fulfilled over and over you can have faith that future promises will be delivered.

All throughout the Bible is the word “Promise”. God promises Adam and Eve, He promised Noah, Abraham, Issac, Moses, the Children of Israel, Martha, Mary, the followers of Jesus. In almost every chapter there is a promise to an individual or a group of people.

Much of the time God’s promises after suffering or a tragedy. God promised Noah the earth would never be destroyed by flood again. He promised the Israelites suffering in Egypt that he would send them a deliverer. Moses came.

He promised Abraham He would make him the father of a great nation. Abrahams 12 sons became the 12 tribes of Israel that would eventually scatter throughout the world.  We are Abraham’s offspring.

Jesus Christ is the promise born in a manger, given to us for the salvation of the world.

Lutheran Advent Season, What is is All About? Hopefully, this series will inspire, teach and prepare you for Christmas in a way you never considered. Learn why the promise is important from God in your life.Promises Come in Time

What is missing is “when” the promise will be fulfilled. Rarely are God’s promises quick in coming.

But God doesn’t forget about them.  The promise is important in building faith. God gave the promise of His son to Adam, Abraham, Old Testament prophets, Joseph and many others. They must have talked to others. In fact, they did. They wrote down the promise. It’s written in the book of Isaiah.

People rely on promises. They hang onto promises. Your kids hang onto the promises you make. They remind you of them. “Remember, you promised.” Promises give us faith in the future and in God. The promise is important because it gives trust and reassurance.

When we as parents honor a promise to our kids, we give them trust and reassurance. In return, our kids knowing we will honor our promises then are more inclined to honor their promise of honoring their father and mother.

Promised Birth of Baby Jesus

The birth of baby Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promises. 

He is our promise that brings His people out of the bondage of slavery to their sins. A promise to heal the sick, forgive our sins and give us salvation. Jesus is our salvation and our eternal life. 

So we can trust in Jesus, true man and true God, to deliver on the promises He makes us. Our trust in Jesus is what causes us to ask for forgiveness because we know they will be forgiven.

Links for Advent Season Reflections: Friday, First Week Advent

Reading for the 1st Friday in Advent: Isaiah 9:1-7

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 24: 14-25; 1  John 2: 15-29 


Thursday, the First Week of Advent: Titles of Jesus in the Bible

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Lutheran Advent Season, What is is All About? Hopefully, this series will inspire, teach and prepare you for Christmas in a way you never considered. ONe of the titles of Jesus in the Bible is Wonderful Counselor. Learn how He can counsel and release you of your sins.Titles of Jesus in the Bible

There are many titles of Jesus in the Bible including incredible and lofty titles for the Baby Jesus: Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace.

This was the basis for the sermon for the first Wednesday night service in Advent at Trinity Lutheran Church in Murdock. Let’s just take the first name, wonderful counselor.

Jesus Christ was meant to walk beside us, guide us, help us and give us strength and answers when we cannot.

When the world turns against us and threatens our mind and soul who do we turn to? A counselor or therapist. Jesus.

Jesus is the best counselor. He is always there, and he doesn’t charge an hourly fee. You don’t have to place an emergency call to Him.

“You are mine. I put my name on you. You have the Holy Spirit. All my Good Friday benefits are yours: forgiveness, life, and salvation.”

Wonder of a Counselor

When your sins threaten to swallow you up and take over. You know that feeling, your heart races over all the lies you have told, the fibs, the cover stories to explain away deceit.  

Or maybe you are so consumed by wanting to get ahead at work, chasing money, playing office politics, to earn advancement by cheating a coworker or customers. THAT is how sin destroys and harms your soul.

Maybe you have an antagonistic relationship with a parent? You have fought in the past. Silence and animosity linger in the air. Holding onto anger, or hate is harmful. Don’t believe me. Try this exercise.

Think of the person and how they have harmed you. Does your breathing change, does your chest feel tight? You carry the weight. Don’t do it any longer. Let it go. Give it to Jesus, let Him console you.

Reflections of Advent Season, the title of Jesus being Wonderful Counselor

” Baby Counselor Jesus is there to console you with His saving death and resurrection. His words are divine. His words count. His words matter. His words TO YOU and FOR YOU are: “even though your sins be red as scarlet, they are made white as snow by my Good Friday blood.”

Forgiveness is powerful. It releases you from bearing the responsibility of the other person.  You can almost feel a weight taken off your shoulders. It sets you free.

Advent Season Reflections: Thursday, First Week Advent

Reading for the 1st Thursday in Advent: Isaiah 9:1-7

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 24: 1-13;  John 1:10:14

Links to follow the First Week of Advent


Wednesday, the First Week of Advent: Children of God, the Gift of Adoption

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We are all Children of God

You aren’t an accident. Things don’t just happen for an unknown reason. 

God created you, he made those around you. He placed you in a family, exactly where you need to be and the people around you are a gift. You, in turn, are a gift to the people around you.

Who is your family? How did you come to be in your family?

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You see, I was adopted as an infant. At the earliest age, it was explained that I was “chosen”, wanted, and loved. My Mom and Dad chose to have a baby, but biologically it was not possible. So God gave them a gift, me.

In fact, it was just shortly after Christmas they received a letter saying a baby girl was waiting for them. I grew up with the comfort knowing I was NOT a mistake, I was NOT an accident. I was born at the right time, for a purpose.

The Gift of Adoption. If you are adopted, you are NOT a mistake. You are a child of God and a Gift.Gift of Adoption

Many adopted children search for their biological parents and feel as if a piece of them are “missing”. I never felt that way. My husband is adopted and he feels the same way. His Mom and Dad are his parents and he has never searched and never expressed a desire.

I feel if God wants you to know, or meet, it will happen. Just like it happened with my husband and the son he placed for adoption years later. Father and son were reunited after 25 years. It was none other than the hand of God working in many people to make it happen.

Over the years many people have asked: “Don’t you want to know?” I’ve had several discussions with friends who either were adopted, or have a spouse who is adopted. Some want to blame their “life problems” on not having a “parental connection” as an infant.

I seriously have been at peace my whole life with knowing I was a “gift” from God.

Isn’t it wonderful to be a “gift”, wow, that is really something when you think about it, I mean really think about it. We give for Christmas, birthdays, and sometimes the most wonderful gifts are unexpected.

I am a daughter of God, I am a baptized child of God. My Godmother made sure I was baptized right away and she became extremely influential in my life. Sunday school in the tiny Broad Brook country church started the journey and I have been wrapped in the arms of Jesus my whole life. Maybe that is why I’m secure in my place on earth.

Lutheran Advent Season, What is is All About? Hopefully, this series will inspire, teach and prepare you for Christmas in a way you never considered. This is about the gift of adoption and how your real Father in Heaven is the only true Father you need.

Life hasn’t always been kind, there have been struggles. Oh how there have been struggles! But, God has saved me so many times I can’t count. God gave me a gift of Christ Jesus when he was born as a baby on Christmas. The gift is the promise that God will save me. He will make good out of whatever the universe throws at me.

That is what it means to be a child of God.

I believe things happen for a reason, in Gods’ purpose and timing.  For years my children have been wanting me to find out more about my ancestral heritage, their heritage. Are we Native American (Indian) like I thought? But I never felt the timing was right. Something this summer prompted me to send a DNA sample to 23nMe.Create Link

Religious views on adoption. You are not a mistake, you are here for a purpose

Nope, I’m the person that “traded their Lederhosen for a Kilt” as I found out I was more English and Irish, so our dark complexions come from Black Irish, ok. That’s cool. DNA related family, I did hold my breath when I clicked on the report. Closest relatives, a few 2nd cousins, and a thousand or so 4th and 5th cousins. I laughed. Yes, I laughed.

What did I expect? That the universe would suddenly align and all the mysteries would be solved?

No, I had no mysteries that needed solving. Since then more relatives have appeared on my report. I was contacted by a first cousin and my curiosity was piqued. One conversation led to another and after several months I have learned I have more cousins than I can count, sisters and brothers (half anyway). It has been overwhelming on both sides yet I have been welcomed into another family.

It is fun to compare family resemblances with family members and see similarities with my kids. Is the story complete? No, and that’s ok.  It is God’s timing, not mine, or anyone else’s. The story may never be told, and that’s ok.

The child of God in me knows my true Father. My parents raised me, I need no other Father here on earth.

I am content.

Reflections the First Wednesday of Advent

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 14: 1-23; 2 Peter 3:1-18

Links to follow the First Week of Advent

Tuesday of the First Week of Advent: Prepare the Royal Highway

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Prepare the Royal Highway

The Lord is Coming! He’s nearer now than ever and he’s closer to you than yesterday. Prepare the Royal Highway, Christmas is drawing near! God loves you and is giving you the Gift of Jesus Christ. His birth is just around the corner.

You can prepare children for Advent by actively teaching them about the importance of Jesus and how he forgives them, even when they think no one else will.

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Lutheran Advent Season, What is is All About? Hopefully, this series will inspire, teach and prepare you for Christmas in a way you never considered. Prepare the Royal Highway for the coming of the Lord.Jesus is God’s love for all reasons.

He loves you despite what you do, despite what sins you commit. We don’t have to earn God’s love. It is a love that transcends humankind. Isn’t this great?

Man tends to put conditions on love. If you do this, then I will love you. God and Jesus love unconditionally. Even when you can’t love people around you God loves them for you. What gets in the way of God’s love? Sin.

Sin creeps into our daily life, it makes us proud, stubborn and we hurt ourselves. We sometimes feel as though we can’t go to God for forgiveness. That is why he gave us Jesus Christ to forgive our sins.

The baby Jesus is true man, and true God. He is approachable, kind, and leads by example. We can do as he has taught us, we can believe in him, ask for forgiveness and be forgiven.  This is called repenting of sins. When you recognize your sins, put them out there before our Lord and Savior and be forgiven the weight of guilt is lifted. It can no longer hurt us.

So let’s prepare the royal highway for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

During this first week of Advent clean up your life. Put away your secret sins. Stop talking about others. Don’t wish bad on those you dislike. Recognize there are sins you can’t control. Ask for forgiveness for them, ask for guidance in resolution and put a plan into place on controlling your sins.

Prayer for Advent: “Stir up Your powers, O Lord, and come, that by Your protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by Your mighty deliverance; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forever.” (Collect for Advent 1)

Reflections the First Tuesday of Advent

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 23: 5-8

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 10: 8-12:27,3-34;  2 Peter 1: 1-21

Links to follow the First Week of Advent

Tomorrow learn how wonderful it is to be a Child of God