Thank you, Jesus, for allowing this weekend to be so restful for me. I am so grateful to have slept in, explored LYH, reflected with a good friend over coffee, baked, rested, worshiped with my local church, ate delicious food, meeting more neighbors and celebrating the Christmas season together, and resetting for the week ahead, how renewing and refreshing this has been, a sweet filling for my soul! While reflecting with my friend over coffee yesterday, I was reminded of the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord. My thanksgiving holiday with my family and fiancé was a sweet gift that I’d had been envisioning for years and God blessed us abundantly. As I take the time to rest and reflect, I can see the other blessings in this season which encourages me to keep petitioning and praying intentionally. God has been faithful to answer my prayers above and beyond, but this did not happen overnight. It was the prayers of my friends, family, community coming together, and it has been incredible to witness. Today was the second Sunday of Advent, which begins the week of PEACE. Are you experiencing peace in your life? What is peace? Peace, also known as shalom, means wholeness, harmony, as it should be. Are you experiencing peace in the busiest time of the year? In church this morning my Pastor shared that having peace doesn't mean that your world is without chaos but rather, it's having the presence of the Prince of Peace in the chaos. Are you encountering the Prince of Peace? Are you making time for Him to cover you with HIS peace? Honestly, the past few months have been difficult for me to rest and encounter Jesus in a significant way; lots of travel, many activities, commitments, you name it, it was busy. Yet, that can’t be an excuse in encountering Jesus, we have to make time for him. Thank goodness for great people in my life to call me out on my weakness of busyness. I thought 4 hours of doing nothing on a Saturday was enough rest, but I decided to give it another try and really rest on Sunday and wow! how refreshing it has been to rest and reflect today as well. Did you know “Advent” means arrival? During this Advent season, I am learning and preparing my heart for Jesus to come back. Are you ready for Jesus’s return to earth? One of my favorite parts of belonging to my church is experiencing their devotion guides. It is amazing to be able to do a deeper dive in scripture with the church body. Our Advent guide leads us into scripture, meditation and reflection and I am so thankful for it especially in this season. I’d encourage and challenge you to take some time to rest and reflect… What can you reflect on? How is God moving in your life? If you are not sure of what God is doing in your life, simply ask; “God, what are you doing in my life?” “Would you reveal yourself to me?” Now is the time to create new rhythms of rest and reflection. This has been challenging for me these past few months, but I promise you it will be worth it, and it is what your soul needs! I feel so rested and excited to celebrate all that this month will bring as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our King! Thanks for stopping by, I hope this encouraged you! You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal. (Isaiah 26:3-5 NIV)
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AuthorA daughter of the King sharing her experiences and life journey with you. Archives
August 2019
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