Advent - Guest Post

 

HOME OUR LATEST SUBSCRIBE Tuesday, December 13, 2022

Why Advent Is Wonderful for Women Imagine yourself as a woman born centuries before Jesus                        came to earth as a baby. You have no cultural or political                        rights to speak of and your safety is tied up entirely in                              your relationship with your father, brothers,                                                  or husband. But then, you hear the words of a prophet named Isaiah. He describes                        God forming a servant in his mother’s womb who will bring freedom.                        Isaiah says that God labors like a woman for his people’s salvation,                             and remembers his people with the same intimacy as a mother                                   who remembers the nursing baby at her breast. This God, it seems, greatly values women. As Beth Stovell writes in                                a CT Advent devotional, he offers a "combination of global salvation                          and personal intimacy." We see this most clearly in the person of                            Jesus,  whose light brings freedom to those held captive. During Advent, may we celebrate the first coming of a Savior sent                                by a God who loves women, and may we look forward to the second                      coming—the day when all oppression shall cease.

A Gift of JOY

Like most of us, writer Mary DeMuth has struggled through hard times. She has a heart for hurting women and recognizes the stresses caused by COVID-19. While struggling through the hurts of a damaged relationship she did what she does best:... putting her thoughts into words.

"Life right now is full of grief, confusion, and angst. In order to process all that, you need to know what the Bible says about difficult times and how to navigate through them."

Mary writes through the labor pains of her hurtful emotions. While we struggle to express these feelings, she finds the right words. The outpouring of these words opens the doors of healing and gives birth to her books. Until we can communicate our pain, we cannot problem-solve... we cannot heal and restore the joy to our lives.

Whether you are struggling with the life changes brought about by the coronavirus, a damaged relationship, or other issues, I recommend this little 25-page ebook. It's available free at:

http://marydemuth.ck.page/e7f47f3755

Doing well now? Copy and save it for another time. Share it with someone who needs to mend and heal a broken spirit.

I have followed Mary since she was writing her first book* as a sexual abuse survivor. As a writer, I understand how difficult it is to re-open the pain allowing the reader to recognize you've truly been in her shoes. No matter how battered her slippers may be, they can become the ruby red shoes that takes her home to the Creator and Lover of her Soul. Mary shows us the way, the how, and Who restores true joy.

* Author of 40 books currently.

From my friend, Joseph

  GROWING YOUNGER

 

   By: Joseph J. Mazzella

 

          I was about to shave this morning when I caught my reflection 

in the mirror.  There was no doubt about it.  My body was growing 

older.  My formerly thick hair which used to be brown with a touch

of gray was now gray with a touch of brown.  It was hard to see on 

top too with little of it left there.  My forehead wrinkles had become 

permanent and when I smiled a hundred more curled up around my 

eyes and mouth.  I thought about letting my beard grow for a second

but didn’t really want to look like Santa Claus.  When I stepped back 

I could see I had gotten chunkier as well because while my 

metabolism had slowed my eating hadn’t.  My muscles also tended to 

be achier and my body creakier.  And the file clerk in my mind seemed 

to be misplacing things a lot more often.  I was even thinking of writing 

stuff down more so I could remember what I came into a room for.  

In spite of it all, though, when I looked in the mirror again I caught a 

sparkle in my eyes. I smiled and felt a joy in my heart. I knew that 

no matter what my reflection looked like, my soul was forever young.

 

       The truth is while I have been steadily growing older on the outside 

I have for a while now been growing younger on the inside.  I can 

remember how serious, stressed, and worried I was in my twenties 

and thirties.  I often felt like the weight of the world was on my 

shoulders. Now at fifty three my heart feels lighter and my days look 

brighter. I feel like a true “Child” of God free to laugh, to sing, to 

dance, to love, and to help others do the same.  I worry less and 

smile more. I have a lot more faith and a lot less fear. I let my love 

lead me and face the pains and problems of this world with the 

loving-kindness of the next.

 

       In the end all of our bodies will wear out and die, but WE won’t. 

Our young souls will go on forever.  Spend your days growing younger 

then. Let the child within you live and love.

Hope

Jesus' final words from the cross, "It is finished;" was not an ending, but a beginning filled with hope for each of us.

As I read an Easter Meditation this week, I was impressed with James Tissot's definition of sin. "Sin isn't pretty or petty. Our world dresses it up as cleverness, as happiness, as fulfillment. But despite its many deceitful faces, sin at its root is about asserting power. It is rebellion against God's authority, an undermining of His Kingdom. Sin is turning up our nose at God and doing what we want in spite of what he says-- and there's nothing pretty about that...

"Our sins demanded that Jesus to break away from his Holy Father, for holiness cannot cohabitate with sin."

We have been so desensitized by the media that bombards our lives daily that it's easy to see the crucifixion and resurrection as just another movie... another news report.

Then we become like Pilate, who spinelessly sacrificed Jesus to the crowd. It was easy to turn his back and avoid his responsibility. Sadly, I'm seeing this happening today as people chose to ignore CDC recommendations. Their assertion of power through their self-centeredness endangers others. People, that is sin. That is separating oneself from the Creator. I cannot focus on the hope without the reality of how much it is needed today, right now. 

Today we focus on the resurrection and can miss the first miracle. The hearing of the curtain at the entrance of the Holy of Holies chamber of the temple, which was reserved for the presence of God and could be entered only by the High Priest on the Day of Atonement. It was a barrier between God and man. At the moment Christ died that barrier was torn down, giving us direct access to the Father!

The earth shook...tombs broke open and saints were raised to life. Signs of hope from God that all was as planned. Can you imagine the terror of the Roman soldiers guarding the sealed tomb? To allow Jesus' body to be stolen meant death. So seeing that huge boulder roll away from the burial tomb entrance by a glowing being dressed in white... They couldn't fight or flee as they were probably paralyzed by fear.

Enter, the women, who experienced fear then great joy!

We, too, as followers of the Risen Lord have much to celebrate! 

Jesus died... was buried... rose...

But that's not the end. He was seen! Touched! Ate breakfast with the disciples! 

"And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns." (NLT)

Blessed Easter,

Connie

The Red Balloon

Last week I felt like setting aside the book I was reading to switch to something more relevant to the current COVID-19 crisis.

Scanning my bookshelves I found several possibilities; then my eyes settled on:

                                                  Study Book

Because I purchase books ahead when I find something I might enjoy, I often find I already have what I'm looking later on. Fight Back With Joy and it accompanied study book is about the author's physical, emotional and spiritual battle with breast cancer.

True joy is not dependent on being happy or feeling good. It is like a rainbow with multiple hues and layers. 

Fight Back With Joy is her journey of discovery "using joy to fight back fear, regret, and pain while learning a new way of living - a life radiant with joy." Her humorous writing style makes you want to join her when she gets into her jammies, laughing and being silly. By the way, the workbook is as good as the book. I did not purchase the DVD, but I'm sure it's an added bonus.                                                                                           

As I was reading the book, which is touching my heart, and doing the pages in the workbook, I had a AHAH moment.

I am going to "fly" a red 🎈 balloon in my front window until this COVID-19 is tamed... to symbolize my fight back with joy. 

I highly recommend all my readers to read this uplifting battle plan! And maybe fly a red balloon? 🎈

"It’s Looking A Lot Like Christmas"

  Snow at my house.

I just need to ask, how does Christmas look?

I have watched PBS's Christmas in France. The customs varied from area to area- Paris celebrated differently than they did in the countryside. There were beautiful, snowy scenes; even a horse-drawn sleigh. Is that how Christmas looks?

Or is it the Christmas pageant with little ones dressed in shepherds robes or wearing crowns like the 3 kings? Is it the live manger scene in front of the big church downtown? Or it is the Christmas tree with colorful gifts underneath? It is midnight mass? The company party?

Having been a nurse for 50 years, I have worked many Christmases caring for sick, injured, sad, lonely, dying people? Is that how Christmas looks? 

For each of us it is different; and it may change from year to year.

As I prepare throughout Advent for the celebration of Christ's birth, I try to envision Christmas from the viewpoint of the angels, of Joseph, of the shepherds, of Mary, and so on. But I never thought of Christ's birth from His grandmother's point of view.

Guess it's because my son left today to join his family in another state. The weather is bad.  I'm not sure if he arrived safely. He may be stranded.

As a mom, I am wondering if he's in an airport or was he able to get a room? Are my grandkids okay? Do they have a place to lay their heads tonight?

Is that what  "Christmas" may have been for Mary's mother? Was she worrying about about Mary traveling when she was so close to her delivery time? Was she concerned that they'd find a place to stay? Did she realize that it would be more than days, more than even weeks or months before she'd met her grand baby? Did she understand who this baby was?

Was "Christmas" a day of continuous prayer for Mary's safety? Or had this mother disowned her daughter? Was she going to accept a baby that wasn't even Joseph's? How would she react when the King decrees that all males under two must die?

So many questions...

All I know for sure is that I want to…

¯Go Tell It On the Mountain that Jesus Christ Is Born!¯

Selah...

Think on this.

Connie

In the Twinkling of an Eye

In a moment life can change forever. That happened tonight to a man, the uncle of my neighbor. She came knocking on my apartment door immediately after receiving the phone call to come to the hospital ER. "Can you watch the baby? I have a family emergency."

That is what neighbors are for; especially Christian neighbors. I grabbed my keys and a mystery paperback & followed her. 21/2 hours later she was sent home. Her uncle is in critical condition in ICU. Join me in praying for this family, please.

Although I do not know this man, I do know that life, as he knew it, took a sudden change. AND the same thing can happen to us and/or our loved ones any moment.

A Heads Up to be thankful- life is precious for how ever long we are blessed with it.


Selah-

Shalom, Connie