Day 18 of Advent

Ellen C. (2012)

My Blessings

1.  Reasonable good health.
2. Children grown and caring and helpful.
3.  Friends!   Many, many, many friends.
4.  God in my life now and always.
5.  Caring and friendly relatives.
6.  I have a warm and comfortable home.
7.  I have special relationships that are there for me when I need a soft place to “fall.”
8.  Sunshine and rain in the right place at the right time.
9.  A loving church family to uplift my spirits.

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Karen B. (2008)

Blessings come in all ways, all shapes, and all sizes.  Sometimes they are expected, sometimes not.  But we know that they are always from God.  The biggest blessings in my life have been my family, my husband, my girls and my grandchildren.  This past summer I had the special opportunity to witness one of those blessings being born.  To be able to be there and see the birth of our third grandchild is one of the biggest blessings ever.  When little Brian came in the world last August I knew fully that God has blessed me, and I will thank God forever.

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Andrea R. (2014)

Lord Jesus, as we prepare for our annual celebration of your birth more than two thousand years ago, so many of us know the joy, the inspiration, and the comfort of your presence in our lives as individuals, the healing and guidance you bring us every day of our lives!  But it can also be tempting to just look at the turmoil in our world of today, and feel frightened and overwhelmed; wars and rumors of wars, terrorism, serious threats to our natural environment, economic and social injustice, excessive greed and materialism, degradation of our culture, and epidemics of disease.  It's tempting to just despair and cry out for your return - Oh, Jesus, please come again and save us, save the world, save us from self-destruction!

Lord Jesus, help us to remember that you haven't left us!  Yes, you ascended into heaven, but you sent us your Holy Spirit, who is one with you and our Father!  Help us, as your people, to trust you, and to remember that you came to save the world, as well as individual souls!  Help us to remember that you and the Father and the Holy Spirit are trying to work through us to build your kingdom on earth, and that we must open our hearts and minds and souls to listen to your word, and do your will, as churches and communities, as peoples and nations, as well as in our lives as individual people!  And, because you are with us in love, we can do it in love, and joy, joy, joy!  So much good has already been done, and more is to come, if we will just listen to your guidance, and find new ways to bring it to fruition, to reach out and communicate in love and wisdom to all the world!  Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done, On Earth As It Is In Heaven!