Born * Advent Open House

BORN

How silently, how silently,
    The wondrous gift is given;
So God imparts to human hearts
    The blessings of His Heaven.
No ear may hear His coming,
    But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still,
    The dear Christ enters in.

O holy Child of Bethlehem,

Descend to us, we pray!

Cast out our sin and enter in,

Be born in us today.

We hear the Christmas angels,

the great glad tidings tell;

O come to us, abide with us,

Our Lord Emmanuel! 

Phillips Brooks

1868

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<<  Embrace

The Great Big 2018

Loose Ends & Bookbag 

Round-Up  >>

Embrace * Advent Open House

EMBRACE

Transitional seasons offer a perfect scenario 

for our faith to take roots and soar.

When all around us is shifting, collapsing, or morphing, 

embracing the comforting truth that God is in charge 

and that He never changes can settle our souls

and give us a healthy perspective.  

Leaning into His strength lends us 

the grace and emotional energy 

to do the hard work of releasing what's behind 

and embracing all He has planned for us to be and do.

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<<  Love

Born  >>

Love * Advent Open House

LOVE

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, 

that we should be called children of God!  

And that is what we are!

Dear friends, now we are children of God,

 and what we will be has not yet been made known.  

But we know that when he appears we shall be like him,

 for we shall see him as he is.

Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, 

just as he is pure.

- 1 John 3:1, 2, 3 -

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<<  Sing

Embrace  >>

Sing * Advent Open House

SING

Sing joyfully to the Lord,
you righteous;
Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully and
shout for joy.

For the word of the Lord 
is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.
- Psalm 33: 1, 3, 4 -

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<<  Lift

Love  >>

Lift * Advent Open House

LIFT

Let the morning bring me 

word of your unfailing love,

for I have put my trust in you.

Show me the way I should go,

for to you I lift up my soul.

Rescue me from my enemies,

O Lord,

for I hide myself in you.

Teach me to do your will,

for you are my God;

may your good Spirit 

lead me on level ground.

- Psalm 143:8, 9, 10 -

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<<  Drink

Sing  >>

Drink * Advent Open House

DRINK

I do love a big mug of tea early morning 

and some mulled cider with a cinnamon stick on some afternoons.  

And don't even get me going on hot chocolate in the evening 

with a whole lot of whipped cream. 

But just like summertime, it's the tall icy glasses of water 

that keep me feeling healthy and alert, cleansed and full ... 
and much less likely to launch into 
some random out-of-control eating binge. 

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<<  Savour

Lift  >>

Savour * Advent Open House

SAVOUR

Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, 

and hath given himself for us an offering 

and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

- Ephesians 5: 1 & 2 -

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<<  Dance

Drink  >>

Dance * Advent Open House

DANCE

O, and when the love spills over,

And music fills the night,

And when you can't contain your joy inside,

then dance for Jesus,

Dance for Jesus, 

Dance for Jesus and live.

- Mark Lowry -

view video here

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<<  Laugh

Savour  >>

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dancing at

Mary's & Holley's

Laugh * Advent Open House

LAUGH

By His grace, a feast of love and laughter 

can somehow spring from 

imperfect hearts in an imperfect family 

gathered around an imperfect table.   

This is the stuff that memories are woven of, 

secure and warm and strong.

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She is clothed with strength and dignity;

she can laugh at the days to come.

- Proverbs 31:25 -

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<<  Joy

Dance  >>

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Mary and Holley

Joy * Advent Open House

JOY

Joy to the world, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;

While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains

Repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy

Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy

 Isaac Watts

1719

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And somewhere in the process of hearing His still, small voice, 

may you find yourself singing your own very personal carol of joy, 

knowing that your Redeemer is loving, gracious, and kind ...

even in the midst of the bittersweet.  

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<<  Whisper

Laugh  >>

Whisper * Advent Open House

WHISPER

Then they cried out to the Lord

in their trouble,

and He brought them out of their distress.

He stilled the storm to a whisper;

the waves of the sea were hushed.

They were glad when it grew calm,

and He guided them to their desired haven.

Let them give thanks to the Lord

for His unfailing love

and His wonderful deeds for men.

- Psalm 107: 28 - 31 -

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<<  Listen

Joy  >>

Listen * Advent Open House

LISTEN

 How many kings stepped down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
How many gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that has torn all apart?
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?

- Downhere -

listen to the video here

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<<  Eat

Whisper  >>

Eat * Advent Open House

EAT

Therefore I tell you,

do not worry about your life, what you will eat;

or about your body, what you will wear.

Life is more than food,

and the body more than clothes

- Luke 12:22 & 23 -

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<<  Touch

Listen  >>

Touch * Advent Open House

TOUCH

We are blessed beyond measure
 if there is a soul nearby who listens quietly, 

to affirm what is most true about us 
with the gentle touch of a hand, 

a silent tear falling, the simple nod of a head, 

a word of grace and consolation carefully spoken. 

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<<  Sit

Eat  >>

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Holley

Sit * Advent Open House

SIT

O Lord, You have searched me
and You know me.

You know when I sit and when I rise;
You perceive my thoughts from afar.

You discern my going out and my lying down;
You are familiar with all my ways.

Before a word is on my tongue
You know it completely, O Lord.
- Psalm 139:1 - 4 - 

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    <<  Sleep

Touch  >>

Sleep * Advent Open House

SLEEP

We need time to defuse, to contemplate.   
Just as in sleep our brains relax and give us dreams, 
so at some time in the day we need to disconnect, reconnect,
 and look around us.

- Laurie Colwin -

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For He grants sleep
to those He loves.
- Psalm 127:2 -

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<<  Peace

Sit  >>

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Mary's & Holley's