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Today’s Reflection
AS BEST YOU CAN, try to set aside the looming distractions of the season, all the lists and longings that begin to grow as soon as Christmas appears on the calendar. Instead, … create space for God who invites you to choose a different way of living this year, a way of prayer and reflection about the words and days that stretch before you with slow and deliberate holy design.
These next few weeks can be unwrapped as pure gifts from God, who invites you to prepare carefully for the coming of Christ, the birth of God’s most precious gift to the world. The scripture texts … have, for centuries, brought light to the dark places of human hearts and night skies. The practice of prayer has, through the ages, brought breath and calm to a laboring world groaning for newness to be born among us. And a single Word, made flesh, has brought God to us, God-With-Us, Immanuel.
– Pamela C. Hawkins
Simply Wait
From page 15 of Simply Wait: Cultivating Stillness in the Season of Advent by Pamela C. Hawkins. Copyright © 2007 by Pamela C. Hawkins. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Upper Room Books. http://bookstore.upperroom.org/ Learn more about or purchase this book.
Today’s Question
How are you observing Advent this year? Share your thoughts.
Today’s Scripture
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them.”
Luke 1:68, NRSV
This Week: Pray for those without homes. Submit your prayer to The Upper Room Living Prayer Center or share it in the comment section.
Prepare for Advent
Explore how nativity sets, Advent wreaths, candles, carols, Christmas cards, and other traditions help prepare our hearts for the God “who bends low to enter our world and our lives.” The Living Nativity, a new book and eCourse by Larry Peacock, is available now.
This week we remember: Ambrose (December 7).
Lectionary Readings
(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)
Sponsored by Upper Room Ministries ®. Copyright © 2018 | PO Box 340004 | Nashville, TN 37203-0004 | USA
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In order to continue receiving Upper Room Daily Reflections after January 1, 2019, please confirm your subscription here.
8 Comments
There’s a Bible study at church and my Nativity Scene goes up today.
Colder this morning and no water. Have power, will buy some water to make tea and coffee. Hopefully water will return sometime today when the water system gets some attention.
Prayers for those without homes. Blessings to the UR family.
Prayers for water to be restored to you- blessings on you today
Grateful for the joy of learning stage 2 cooking class tonight.
This Advent, I hope to spend more time with my parents. It can be quite draining as I feed my mum each meal can take more than an hour. It seems that she needs to pause to let the food go down slowly. Thankful that my dad has a good appetite.
Praying that Robert will have the water system repaired soon.
Praying that Marcy and Julie will have better health.
Praying for Lou and her family as they prepare for Christmas that this time of the year will be filled with love, joy and peace.
Looking forward to the leather crafting this Saturday afternoon, making a planner cover.
Blessings to all!
Oh Mary,
I remember feeding my Mom and it would take up to an hour. She would have been 100 last week. Memories….blessings to you as you care for your Mum.
I did not grow up in a religious home. Only recently did Advent begin to mean anything to me. Each year I learn more and find the meaning opening up in new ways. My understanding is awakening and deepening. This is how I inend to go forward. By reading the reflections and your comments, I am being educated.
Prayers for Robert. I lost water several weeks ago for the day to a broken water main which is common in this area. I understand your predicament and it is very disconcercerting and makes one not take the precious resource for granted. I always have jugs of water on hand, I could not go withour my tea. Prayers dear friend that your water is restored soon and prayers for those who live daily without potable water readily available.
Prayers for Mary and her family. Prayers of thanks for Mary’s loving patience with her mum and her father’s good health. Prayers for Mary as she learns new skills. What is stage 2 cooking? How wonderful so many opportunites exist to grow and learn.
Prayers for Lou and her children as they share their Advent traditions and enjoy lighting the candles together.
Prayers for Connie and may her health improve each day.
Prayers for Andrea and Lowell and may his ankle improve each day.
Prayers for Betsy and her brother. May his health improve each day.
Prayers for April, Shirlee and her daughter, Jill, Gloria and their family.
Prayers and rejoicing for Marcy and her recent post. Oh, how I understand not wanting to dwell on the many negatives. I also understand that their are times when it all weighs so heavy you must share your load. Take care and take heart, I think of and pray for you throughout the day. Someone on this earth has you in their heart and mind often.
Prayers dear UR friends and family
Thankful that water has been restored and the full septic tank will be pumped out sometime today. Had lunch and am taking it easy. Thankful for the prayers from Mary, Julie, and Lou
Was able to go to the gym, next off to get the oil changed in the car. It is an unexpected busy day.
Prayers for all with health issues of any kind. Marcy, Julie, Connie, Betsy’s brother, and Lowell come to mind. Thank You, Lord.
Every year I send Advent Calendars to the grandkids. This year I found one that has 25 days of Christmas traditions around the world. they have fun finding the number and then the name of the country and opening to learn other traditions as we celebrate Christmas around the world. We went to church Sunday and saw the lighting of the first candle. I just ordered an Advent wreath and candles so that they can have their own here at their home. The message was that there are stars and Herods in our world today. Are we looking for the stars or dwelling on the Herods? I am looking for the stars in this Advent season. Blessing to my UR family during this time of waiting and watching.
Thanks for the memory….my children took turns opening the advent calendar days. Funny, Christmas Day was always opened early and then shut again!
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