PrayerPoints for Advent

I love the seasons of the church year because they always give me a fresh focus for the days ahead. They can startle me awake and get my heart and mind back where they need to be.

It is so easy to be sucked into the daily grind and not take the essential time to dwell with God and soak up His presence in Scripture. when I am feeling weary it is most often because I am doing too much “doing” and not enough “being”. Join me as I explore this Advent season with some prayers and pondering beginning December 1st.

Come, Lord Jesus!

Liz

Making Room

There are times I need to create the space for something that I value. If I don’t reserve or set aside the time, other things take over and the urgent trumps the essential.

The days that are so full that I don’t have time to think are often days that drain me. I appreciate having the time to contemplate and react with intentionality. I also like to have room for the mistakes, the “this is taking longer than it should”, and the learning curves that come with software updates or system failures.

When I allow for space for the unknowns, I have the time to think through them. Some unknowns are good, some are bad, and some are neutral but they all take some space in my head, my day, and sometimes, even in my heart.

When I think about making more room in my life for prayer and studying Scripture, it seems odd to put limits on the amount of time I have to offer to this endeavor. Of course, I could exclusively study for the rest of my remaining days and it would never be enough. But I also know that my calling is not to devote every waking moment to studying God’s Word and His ways.

Thankfully He walks with me and guides me and leads me. As I give Him more room to move and work within my life, I know He is using His Word to mold and shape me.

Come, Lord Jesus!
Liz

Clutter

When preparing for guests, I would prefer to eliminate clutter but, I don’t always get around to it. Of course, guests are usually coming to see me and not my home. But I know I relax more when things are calm around me. But if we have a strong relationship, it truly doesn’t matter.

I know some people think they need to clean up their lives before they respond to Jesus. But He loves us before things are, in our limited perspective, neat and tidy. Jesus comes into the mess and the stress of our lives and loves anyway.

I hope we all have friends who can drop in without an announcement and be welcomed instead of being mortified and embarrassed that things aren’t up to perfection. Those who know me know they are going to get a little clutter, even if their visit is announced. Jesus knows it, too. He comes to redeem, restore, and renew. He sees through the clutter of our hearts and lives and shows us what is essential. He isn’t looking for perfection, He is perfection.

Come, Lord Jesus!
Liz

PrayerPoints are an opportunity for me to pause and consider where my heart is this holiday season. Thank you for reading along and thinking about it too!

Preparing

Advent is all about preparing for the Christ child.

At the moment, I am in Hungary with a Christmas Market tour group. It has been very interesting to be here at the start of Advent. The Christmas markets typically do not start until December 1st because that is the day that begins the countdown to Christmas. There are Advent wreaths all around. Many home and store windows are decorated but I have hardly seen any “Santa” things. I don’t feel quite as bombarded with the commercialization of Christmas. Some stores and towns use large windows for the Advent calendar and each day a window is opened to reveal something special. The preparation helps the anticipation of baby Jesus.

There is a lot of preparation we Americans do in anticipation of Christmas. Being involved in a retail business that does a lot of business during this season, I need to be intentional about preparing my heart, particularly when time is short and the to-do list is long. I don’t often have a rhythm or predictable schedule but I might need to start scheduling it in because I think I might enjoy something that is consistent and dependable.

It is time to take a breath and relax and remember what this time is all about. How am I preparing my heart? How am I preparing me? Am I letting God soften the callouses and refocus my distracted thoughts?

How do you prepare?

Come, Lord Jesus.
Liz

Me first….

I usually defer to others. Not because I don’t consider myself worthy of whatever it is we are deciding or doing but because I often do not really have a preference. When I do have a preference, I share it. But there are absolutely times when I need to be first:

in Confession: While I am not required to confess to others in order to be forgiven it does go a long way in relationships. It is good for me to be first to confess my wrongs. There are plenty of them, of course. But waiting for someone else to confess when I am in a conflict with them isn’t helpful. The longer I wait, the longer I am stewing and justifying my own behavior. Instead of digging my heels in and waiting, I should take the first step.

In Forgiveness: I should never hesitate extending forgiveness. It actually benefits me more than the offender. God knows the heart. And He certainly knows mine after all these years. He knows all I have been forgiven for. And while He casts my sins as far as the East is from the West, it would be good for me to remember just as a point of reference. It is a huge shame to withhold forgiveness. But when I do, the true damage is done to me and my relationship with God.

In Giving: When it comes to sharing, I can start things off: lead by example. Others may not follow along, but it should not dissuade me. Giving often does more for the giver than the receiver and the act of giving grows my heart and my compassion.

Come, Lord Jesus!
Liz

As we prepare for Jesus in these days leading up to Christmas, PrayerPoints will be published daily. To learn more about the history of Advent and history behind the advent wreath and candles, CLICK HERE!

Hello Friend! Day Thirty

Hello Friend!

I know I have written about hospitality before but it is such an important offering to humanity. I find I have less of a capacity for it when I am in a rush, with a million things to do. That just isn’t acceptable. I want to do better.

Hospitality is a warm welcome. And, beyond that, it can look as different as the people extending it.

We all have areas where we work and play and wherever there are humans, there is a need for hospitality. A smile, an offer of assistance, a willingness to stop and greet someone and offer a word of welcome. That is hospitality in a basic, though essential, form. It is important for people to be acknowledged and welcomed, especially if they are in a new place.

Where have you felt the most welcomed? What have you done to welcome others?

Take note of hospitality you are shown in the coming days. And consider this post a challenge to be aware of others in your space and make an effort to be welcoming.

See you during Lent!

Liz

Hello Friend! Day Twenty-nine

Hello Friend!

Sometimes my self – control is noteworthy. Other times it is pitiful. It’s almost like I have to schedule it into my day. It needs my focus and attention.

How are you with self – control? Have you found outside accountability helps? Or, if you set your mind to something you are able to stay focused and achieve your goal?

Usually my need for self – control is related to a goal I have set. I have to say “no” to some things in order to see the results in those goal areas. Unfortunately, I seem to always get distracted. I might be a little busy and then I forget I even have the goal unless I have it written down, provided I haven’t misplaced the paper. And it always helps if I have someone on the outside waiting for me to follow through.

I think of all of the fruits of the Spirit I get the most frustrated with my lack of self – control. Depending on what we are talking about, my stick-to-it-iveness struggles. I need Thankfully, God loves me in spite of my flaws. And He knows my heart, even if I don’t achieve all my goals this side of Heaven.

Have you found the key to your self – control challenges? What makes you more likely to have success?

Love,

Liz

Hello Friend! Day Twenty-eight

Hello Friend!

I love to be around gentleness. It warms my heart to be in a store and overhear a mom or dad lovingly explaining something to their inquisitive child.

While there are times that strong/harsh words are necessary, I feel like they should be used as a last resort. I don’t like all the stress and tension that travel with harsh words. It can cloud a room.

It can cloud a life.

It is easy to poke back when someone is trying to rile you up, so it is important to have control over your emotional responses. There are people who just love to cause a stir with their words. And if you poke people just for fun, I am not sure we will be friends.

Gentleness is a fruit of the Spirit!

Think about your method of correction and conversation. Are you intense? Are you calming? Are you harsh? Are you gentle?

Love,

Liz

Hello Friend! Day Twenty-seven

Hello Friend!

What does faithfulness look like to you?

I see it when an adult child tends to an aging parent or when there is illness and disability within a family and, together, they are able to manage the needs. I see it in friendships that cross time zones, cultural barriers, generations, ideological differences, and continents. However, people do fall short. God never does.

In spite of all I have done or not done, there is God — abounding in love. Slow to anger. Justified, loving. His mercies are new every morning. And that, my friend, is faithfulness. He loves me. He loves you. Always.

But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,
slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Psalm 86:15 NIV

Where have you been faithful? Who models that for you?

We will always fall short. Those in our lives will always miss the mark, somewhere along the line. A part of our faithfulness to God means we extend His grace to others. Our behavior can give others a glimpse of how His love and faithfulness can look.

Love,
Liz

Hey Friend! Day Twenty-six

Hey Friend!

I love to be around people with high integrity. It always tugs at me to do better … to stretch myself a little more. I don’t always do the right thing, unfortunately. Sometimes, I am in a mood. Or distracted. Goodness doesn’t always seem to flow out of me naturally.

Of course, there is sin in the world. There is evil and ugliness and death and destruction all around us. And it is easy to let those negative things impact my behavior. Being able to be near goodness is something that inspires and encourages me. When I am around honesty and innocence and purity, it makes me thirsty for more.

I am blessed to be living near two little bundles of goodness. They are about as near to perfect as they can be and I get to see them quite a bit! Neither one is very fussy and when they smile at me or fall asleep in my arms, it feels like goodness to me.

When I get a glimpse of beauty on Earth, I know it is from our Creator. God is beauty, honesty, goodness, and true perfection. His Word is a consistent source of encouragement for me. When my roots are in God’s Word, goodness will grow!

Find spots of goodness and beauty. Cultivate it in your life as much as you can! Some have the gift of finding the beauty in their everyday life, and some have the gift of making beauty. If we bloom where we are planted, we can inspire others with goodness and beauty.

Love,
Liz