Third Sunday of Advent & Sermon Notes "Joseph's Dreams"

Our Home Advent Wreath for the Third Sunday of Advent

Click HERE for "The Angels Were Talking" from our home advent service.

This morning in our church worship service we were blessed to have the children from "Children's Church" sing for us.  This was my view from behind them in the choir loft as they were singing...

And this was the view of them after they were finished singing and headed to Children's Church for their own service...

Aren't they wonderful?  It is always such a blessing to see the children in church and to hear them sing. We are so blessed to have so many sweet and wonderful children...and the willing workers who do so much to teach them from God's Word.  Thank you, Lord, for these blessings!!!

Then we settled back down and began our regular service with the lighting of the Advent Candle. This week's candle was reflective of Christ as our Light and the source of our JOY.

We read responsively:

"In the season of Advent, we celebrate with Joyful hearts.
Christ is our light and the source of our joy.
We count our blessings, and give thanks for God's goodness and grace.
Christ is our light and the source of our joy.
We strive to search for the good in neighbors near and far.
Christ is our light and the source of our joy.
We remember that God has promised us full and joyful lives.
Christ is our light and the source of our joy."

As the third Advent Candle was lit, the Pastor prayed:

"Gracious God, as we continue our Advent journey, we ask that you open our eyes to the beauty and goodness around us, and fill our hearts with grateful joy.  Remind us that Christ is our light and the source of all joy, and that we are here to serve You and to spread that joy to others. Amen."

Following the sermon and during our Communion service, I was blessed to sing the following song in a quartet.  What a beautiful message about our Savior, Who is the very "Breath of Heaven".

Our message today was about "Joseph's Dreams", which came from portions of Matthew 1:18-25, Matthew 2:13, Matthew 2:19, and Matthew 2:22.  I commend these scripture portions to your reading while I share the interesting points from therein.

I wonder how many of us realized just how often God actually communicated with Joseph, Mary's espoused husband, regarding not just the birth of Christ, but also regarding His safety and protection to preserve His young life.  I think we are all aware of that first encounter that Joseph had with the Lord in a dream (Matthew 1:18-25), when Joseph was thinking about having Mary "put away secretly" because she was "found with child of the Holy Spirit" before they had come together as man and wife.  Joseph was obviously concerned and afraid of what people would think when they found out his betrothed was already pregnant.  He knew that he was not the father of her child...so what was he to do?

But "an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream," (vs. 20), telling him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife, "for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit." The angel goes on to explain to Joseph that her Son will be called "Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." The Angel further explains that this Child, who is to be born of a virgin, shall be called "Immanuel", which is translated, "God with us."   

Joseph awoke from his sleep, and did exactly as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife...and did not know her (as his wife in a physical sense) until she had "brought forth her first-born Son.  And he called His name Jesus."

• Joseph obeyed God in spite of the stigma, the possible ridicule from others, and probably loss of respect for both of them.  He did not hesitate to do exactly as the angel had commanded him.

Then we go to Matthew 2 and see the story of the Wise Men who came from the east in search of the King of the Jews.  This was most likely about two years or more after the birth of Christ. They had seen the star in the sky back at the time of the birth of Christ, but they traveled many, many miles in search of this King.   When they finally reached Jerusalem, they asked King Herod where they might find this "King of the Jews."  Herod was rather troubled by this news, but nonetheless, he told them that according to prophecy, (Micah 5:2), the "Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel" would come out of Bethlehem. When the Magi went on their way, the star reappeared and led them to the Christ Child Jesus, they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, and then went on their way.  

Joseph was once again warned in another dream by an angel of the Lord (Matthew 2:13) to

"Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him."

• Joseph arose, "he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt."
• He obeyed the word of the angel again explicitly...and saved the life of the young Jesus.

You can read for yourself in verses 16-18 what King Herod did to all of the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts from two years old and under.  Had Joseph not obeyed the angel of the Lord, Jesus would have been killed.

But the story doesn't stop there.  In Matthew 2:19, after news came to Joseph that Herod had died, an angel of the Lord appeared again to Joseph while they were still living in Egypt.  In verse 20 he said to Joseph, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child's life are dead."

• Joseph again obeyed and arose, "took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel."
• Verse 22:  "But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. "And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee.
• Verse 23:  "And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, "He shall be called a Nazarene."

The thing that stands out in all of these events between Joseph and the messages from angel of the Lord is that Joseph never questioned the angel of the Lord once.  Instead, Joseph awakened from his sleep, got up, and obeyed the word of the Lord.  He did not object or argue or  question.  He obeyed. He said "yes" to God.  God said it, and Joseph obeyed.

What did Joseph get out of this whole experience?  We really don't hear a lot about Joseph from this point on in Jesus' life, but we do know that Jesus later was known as "The carpenter"...(see Mark 6:1-6), so he apparently had taught Jesus his trade as a carpenter.  And in Luke 2:41-52, when Jesus  was twelve years old and the family had gone to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover, Jesus stayed behind in the Temple...and Joseph and Mary were very concerned when they could not find him...and it says in Luke 2:51-52 "Then He (Jesus) went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them...", "and Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men."  Joseph had the opportunity to give appropriate training, discipline and guidance to the young boy Jesus.  Joseph was a major player in the story of Jesus' life, all because he obeyed God even in the face of possible ridicule, danger, and fear for their own lives.

What does this story have to do with us?  Well, in what ways has God asked us to obey Him? We may not have such an important role in life as Joseph did...but then again, maybe we do. When we choose to obey God, we get to see God restore broken lives, relationships...and we are rewarded with the joy of living a life of peace with God.  We are given the opportunity for eternal life when we choose to obey the Lord...and we may be instruments for leading others into a personal relationship with Christ...when we obey the Lord.

We are invited to adopt this attitude of obedience as a part of our Christmas time of worship and celebration.  In what ways is God asking me to obey Him today? What about you?

Sermon Notes: FUMC, Interlachen, FL., Pastor A.C. Myers, 12/16/2018

Please Note : I want to repeat this disclaimer here...the notes, outline, and content included here are based upon my own personal understanding of the message that was being given. I am not attempting to completely quote or reproduce this message or any other message I've shared previously. Just as each person reading these notes may glean insights and thoughts that seem to directly apply to one's own situation and interpretation, my own delivery of these messages is skewed by my hearing and translation of what is being said. Some may read my notes here and wonder if they were hearing the same message as I...and I say, God speaks to each of us as He wills...there are things He is trying to get across to each individual that may be entirely different than what the person sitting next to you in the pew is needing to hear... That is how the Holy Spirit works! He knows what we need to hear and how to apply it to our hearts. So it is with that understanding that I present these sermon notes to you.

Christmas on Elmwood Street- Part One -Reposted again ...Enjoy!

UPDATED DECEMBER 2018....

This is a true story that I wrote about my Dad, written from his own perspective.   In 2011 the story became even more precious, because my Dad passed away earlier in that year...so I am reprinting this series again in honor and loving memory of my Dad, William F. "Billy" Mursch.  The story is in three parts, so I will add the next chapter later, and so on until it is complete.  I hope you will enjoy this little blast from Christmas Past... (there are links to the other chapters at the end of this post).


Original Post, December 2010:
I originally wrote this story  for my father's Christmas card several years ago, which was sent to all of his family and friends for Christmas.  I will add a little more each day until it is complete. I hope you enjoy this glimpse into the life of my Dad, "Billy Mursch", when he was about 10 years old.  (written from his perspective)

The Home of "Billy Mursch"
Elmwood Street, Crafton, PA
(double click on pictures to enlarge view- then back arrow to return to blog)



Billy Mursch, with partial
views of his sister Marion (top right,
and his brother Paul (rt.)

A Chapter in the Life of “Billy” Mursch

Crafton, Pennsylvania

Circa 1929

As a young boy growing up in the 1920’s and 30’s in a small suburb of the big city of Pittsburgh, I would say that I was very typical for the time. Of course, the fact that I had a head full of bright auburn hair made my life a bit more interesting, and created opportunities for others to attach various knicknames to me like “Red-headed Billy Goat”, which resulted in great chases on the school yard. My friend “Brinkie” (Ralph Brinkman) and I could take care of the bullies all right.

Elva and Bill Mursch
(Billy's parents)

My family moved to our brand new home on Elmwood Street right about the time of the beginning of The Great Depression in 1929. My Dad had our house built from a kit that he purchased through the Lumber Yard in Crafton. It was a Craftsman style one story and a half bungalow, with a big front porch, walk up attic, and a basement. I immediately claimed the attic for my special museum where I kept my treasures of rocks, fossils and shells from our trips to Lake Erie. My Uncle Jack also brought me some interesting fossils and shells from his travels in Bermuda, which made my museum even more unique. I later expanded the museum to the basement, using a large refrigerator carton as my display cabinet for other artifacts, such as the small pieces of a crashed airplane that we discovered over at the County Airport. As any young budding archeologist might do, I once was attempting to reconstruct the skeleton of an old Airedale dog that had been buried in the woods for about a year by one of our neighbors. Everything was just fine until my mother smelled the peculiar stench of old bones boiling in a kettle on the laundry boiler wafting up from the basement and permeating the house above. That particular artifact had to be removed from the museum and re-buried in the woods post-haste! I was only trying to get the skeleton nice and clean for the museum. So much for my career in archeology!

L to R: Paul, Billy, Ruth, Marion, and neighbor boy Bobby Scott.

Christmas was a wonderful time, even during The Great Depression. Although my father had a good job at U.S. Steel in Pittsburgh, money was still very tight for our large family. You see, besides my parents and myself, there were my three siblings: my older sister Marion, my younger brother Paul, and our baby sister Ruth. Being typical kids, we each had our own little lists of what we hoped Santa would bring us, and we’d start dropping hints several weeks before the big day. My particular desire was for the latest edition of The Boy Ranchers series of books. I couldn’t wait to find out what the “Boy Ranchers” would be doing next. Some of the intriguing titles of those books were: The Boy Ranchers in Camp; The Boy Ranchers on the Trail; The Boy Ranchers Among the Indians; The Boy Ranchers on Roaring River; and The Boy Ranchers in Death Valley, to name a few of my favorites. It was awfully difficult for a young boy to have to wait a whole year to get the next edition of his favorite book, but it was always well worth the wait!


The other item that we could usually expect to receive for Christmas was a new pair of shoes. These shoes had to last all year, as they were the only pair we could hope to receive, so it was imperative that I learned how to take good care of them. The shoes I remember most were my leather high top boots that had a little pocket on the side for my Boy Scout pocketknife! No boy in that era would be caught dead without his trusty pocketknife always ready to whittle some stick or cut a trail through the woods or build a fort. The high tops looked really sharp with the knickers we still had to wear. The only thing better would have been to finally be able to wear long pants!

Sometimes before Christmas we would take a ride downtown on the streetcar to Pittsburgh and walk through the streets of the city and look in all the department store windows. Kaufmanns and The Joseph Horne Co. always had elaborate displays of toys and electric trains and all the newest and best things any little boy or girl could wish for. However, for many children, with the depression looming over our nation, that was pretty much all it was…a wish.

TO BE CONTINUED....Link to "Christmas on Elmwood Street, Part Two" and Part Three: http://pamelasopenwindow.blogspot.com/2010/11/christmas-on-elmwood-street-part-three.html

Friday Foto Friends - A Case for Closed Doors, Open Windows

Good Morning Friday Foto Friends!  If you are a Facebook friend, you've already seen this Christmas mug full of my morning tea. I love to sit at my computer in the morning, checking up on "friends" here in blogland, Facebook and email, and sip a cup of tea. Usually the tea gets cold because I forget to sip as I visit with friends...but it's still a great way to start the day. Once I finish this cup of tea we have our morning devotions/Bible reading, and then usually take a walk before breakfast.

This week has been a bit chilly in the mornings, as you can tell by the steam on the windows...this is where that tea mug usually sits... (Not always on top of that box of Christmas Tea, but that was what I was drinking...wouldn't you like to have a cup of Christmas Tea with me? I'd love to have you join me!)

but because it was the inspiration for this sign above our kitchen sink/windows. Our son the sign-maker (a.k.a. Ben's Wood Signs) made this sign for me a few years ago at my special request...it is one of my favorite things in this kitchen. I love looking out these windows as I wash dishes and prepare meals, and ponder how heaven and nature must be singing...

Back to the morning routine...even on chilly/frosty mornings we still take our walk. Here my hubby is strolling down our road...

He doesn't often need to wear this wool plaid, quilt lined jacket, but this week it has felt good. This jacket is very special to him. It is the one thing he requested from our middle son's personal belongings following his passing from cancer over four years ago. When we would visit our son and his family in Maine, he would always let his daddy wear this jacket when we went out in the cold weather up there.  My hubby was very pleased when our daughter-in-law presented him with this jacket. He now wears it with much pride and love.

Sorry, didn't mean to wander into sad thoughts. Actually, the jacket makes my hubby feel close to our son for a little while.  And that's a happy feeling. I kind of like it too.

Okay, moving along...I discovered something blooming in the Secret Garden today!!!

 This is a very pretty ruffled white camellia!  This particular plant was a gift from our "flower and plant lady" last year, and this is the first time it has blossomed since then!   So pretty! Thank you, Karen!

And...I also noticed these azalea buds starting to open!! These are also plants (that I got from my plant lady!)  that were planted in the Secret Garden last year, and this is the first time they've blossomed since then! I know, they are kind of early, but I believe these are the kind that blossom at different times throughout the year.

 Does anyone else see a little dog face in that blossom above? See the two ears, eye, nose, mouth? I just noticed that! How cool is that?

Again...another of the azaleas blooming in the Secret Garden!!!  There seems to be some kind of face on this one too...the one that is opened up more...am I crazy or can you see it too?   Not sure what kind of creature this one is, but it is cute and is wearing a little flowery hat.  (I am writing this late at night when I should be in bed...that might have something to do with seeing these faces in the flowers...LOL)

Now, if you look really closely just to the left of the porch post right in front of you in the middle of the picture, look out in the weeds across the road and you will see a little black blur. That was one of two bears running into the woods this afternoon (Thursday).  Hubby called me to the window and said there was a bear walking down the road. I grabbed my camera just in time to see not one, but TWO bears run into the woods as a truck was coming down the road and they were getting out of the way. One of the bears was kind of small, so it may have been a mother and cub.  We haven't seen many bears lately, so this was another surprise!

Okay, these next few pictures will be different.  As most of you are aware, we have been talking a lot about moving sometime in the near future, if and when we can sell our current home.    We had been looking at a house for a month or so in the area where we are planning to move, hoping that no one else would buy it before we could have a chance to put a contract on it.  We have taken several rides up to look at this house and property, just to see if it really would be a place where we would like to live. I kind of had my heart set on it, and was imagining how I would place the furniture in the house and what improvements we could make in the yard, etc., when we discovered to our dismay last night that the house now has a contract pending on it. SO...back to the drawing board. But these next few pictures were some that I took in the yard of that house last week. This is a moss carpet on the ground, with some tiny mushrooms here and there. It was such a pretty green, and so velvety, I couldn't resist taking these pictures...

Another view of the moss carpet...

And this toadstool was pretty cool...

It was growing alongside this old tree stump that is covered in lichen and moss.  Yes, this house had a woodsy, shady yard and lots of interesting old flowers and plants. It needed some work around the yard to be sure, but I like a natural woodsy yard.  However...we now know that this is not the place God has planned for us to live, so we will continue our search as we wait for our house to sell. It helps me to have something to look forward to so I can make mental plans for what needs to go with us and what needs to go elsewhere.  God knows what is best for us, and we will rely on Him to guide us to the "perfect" home for us.

I think you could call this week's "adventure" a case for "Closed Doors, Open Windows"....When God closes a door...He opens a window...so I can't wait to see what "window" of opportunity He will be opening for us, hopefully soon!

Now let us go through the looking glass and travel down the rabbit hole to see what other adventures our Friday Foto Friends have been experiencing this week!!  The gathering place is over at Deb's place, "Breathing in Grace", and you will meet the nicest people there!!!  Have a blessed and beautiful day...I'll be out there somewhere letting "Heaven and Nature Sing"....

Going Out On a Limb ~ An Advent Devotional - recycled again

Happy Advent morning...I originally wrote this in 2015, just after retiring. Then I reposted it in 2016.  Well, after reading it again this morning, I thought to myself, I must have written this to a future me in 2018, because I needed to be reminded of these truths again today.  

We are again at a kind of crossroads in this journey of our lives.  As most of you know, we are trying to sell our home and make a move to a little community about thirty miles north of our present location.  We believe, by faith, that this is how the Lord is leading us as we make these plans.  However, we have been a little discouraged as there has not been much interest in our house yet...and then last night I learned that the house we were "keeping our eye on" in the new community now has a pending sale on it. We were not able to tie it up in any way without a contract on our present home...so we have to watch that house go away to someone else.  I know that God is in control...and the first thought (after my initial shock and meltdown that the house was sold) was that He must have a much better house waiting for us when the time is right.  And so today I wake up with renewed vision and faith in the God Who will not forsake those who seek Him!  I can't wait to see what He has in store for us!

Perhaps this message below will be an encouragement for you today to be willing to "go out on a limb" with Jesus.  After all, "that's where the fruit is!"

Here is the original post from 2015 (and repeated in 2016):

Mark Twain was quoted as saying:

"Why not go out on a limb? That's where the fruit is."

I love what Sarah Young wrote in "Jesus Calling" for December 9th:  (I'm recycling this post from 2015 on that date...yes, I know today is really Dec. 13th...don't panic! )

"Be willing to go out on a limb with Me. (Jesus).  If that is where I am leading you, it is the safest place to be.  Your desire to live a risk-free life is a form of unbelief.  Your longing to live close to Me is at odds with your attempts to minimize risk.  

You are approaching a crossroads in your journey.  In order to follow Me wholeheartedly, you must relinquish your tendency to play it safe.  

Let Me lead you step by step through this day.  

If your primary focus is on Me, you can walk along perilous paths without being afraid.  Eventually, you will learn to relax and enjoy the adventure of our journey together. 

 As long as you stay close to Me, My sovereign Presence protects you wherever you go."  

I particularly like this verse that she references at the end: 

Psalm 9:10 

"And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; 

For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You."

Taking the step to retire (last year) was definitely one of these steps for me...going out on a limb...and certainly no longer playing it safe.  But I do know that the Lord is with me, and therefore I am daily learning to "relax and enjoy the adventure of our journey together".  Lord, help me to stay close to You so that Your Sovereign Presence will protect me wherever I go..  Amen.

Perhaps you may also be at a crossroads in your life today.  As we approach the end of another year, we are often faced with decisions about our future, and wonder what the New Year may hold in store for us.  I was reading in another place this morning about the seasons of our lives, and how sometimes it may feel like we are in an endless winter. We all have these "seasons" of difficult issues; financial problems, illness, career changes, or retirement, family/relationship concerns.  But when we place our trust in the One Who is able to guide us through these turbulent times...when we allow ourselves to let go of our own sense of security...the trunk of the tree...and step out on that limb and focus our eyes on Jesus, the Source of our true security and hope, we find that truly that IS where the fruit is...the fruit of peace, joy, and renewed strength.

Read what the prophet Isaiah says in chapter 40, verses 27-31~

"Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel;

'My way is hidden from the Lord, 

and my just claim is passed over by my God?'

Have you not known?

Have you not heard?

The Everlasting God, the Lord,

The Creator of the ends of the earth,

Neither faints nor is weary.

His understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the weak,

and to those who have no might He increases strength.

Even the youths shall faint and be weary,

and the young men shall utterly fall,

But those who wait on the Lord

shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint."

As we continue in this time of waiting the Advent of our Lord...not just for Christmas, but for His return for us, His chosen Bride...let us focus our eyes on Him who is able to renew our strength and ask that He give us the courage to stretch our faith as we step out on those proverbial limbs of life. He will be there to catch us should we start to fall...and He will lift us back up onto His wings and carry us on to reach that fruit He has promised us if we just put our trust in Him.  

What wonderful hope is this? Amen!!

Open the Advent Window to Let Others See Jesus in You! - Revisited

Open the Advent Window...

My sister, our cousin, and myself

This is a rerun from three years ago (2015).  It's interesting that this picture popped up today in my "Facebook Memories" from 3 years ago. I had forgotten that I had written this post from that special day. After re-reading it tonight, I wondered about that lady I met that day...and I was prompted by the Lord to pray for her and her family again.  And tonight I just learned of the passing of a dear younger sister to my precious friend Sharon...(Sharon is the one we've been praying for who has cancer...and now her sister has passed away very unexpectedly). I can't get to my friend right now to give her a hug, but I've sent my love to her in a phone call as soon as I heard the sad news. 

You know, when you've lost someone you love, three years really doesn't erase that grief.  I know this from experience. After four and 1/2 years there are moments when we still need that extra hug from someone who understands what it feels like to say goodbye to a dear child or other loved one...so note to self: Remember what this feels like and reach out to others during this season and let others see Jesus in You!


Original Post 12/11/2015:
Yesterday my sister, my hubby and I had the pleasure of visiting with a dear cousin and his wife from afar...meaning we live many states apart and rarely have the opportunity to get together. So this was truly special. After a delightful lunch we went out onto the porch of the restaurant to chat further and to take some family pictures.  We were having such a wonderful time together, laughing and snapping pictures of each other and carrying on like what we were...a group of people happy to be together.

We realized that we didn't have anyone to take a picture of our entire group, so we asked  the next people who came out of the door of the restaurant if anyone would mind snapping a picture for us. A lady volunteered, and so we posed and she very kindly took our picture.

Here we all are, smiling and feeling thankful for a stranger's kindness.

We thanked her as she started to leave, and she turned and said that they were on their way to another state for the funeral of her nephew, who had been tragically killed in an auto accident that week.  I could see that she was about to cry.  Suddenly I felt guilty for our giddiness in the face of her sorrow, but of course, we did not know.  The Holy Spirit prompted me to embrace her, and to tell her that we would pray for her. As I wrapped my arms around her, I could feel her holding on to me with such emotion...she truly needed that hug...and she thanked me for the promise of the prayers. It was as if there was a transference of energy between us in that moment of time...a Holy Transfer...and as we separated I was almost overcome with emotion myself.  I realized that I needed that hug as well...it was as if I could feel her pain and sorrow...and then it dawned on me.  It wasn't all that long ago that my own precious son left this earth for heaven and there have been many occasions that I truly needed a hug, and others were there for me.

After we all parted and went our separate ways, I couldn't get this dear one off of my mind. I wondered if she thought I was crazy for hugging a complete stranger.  But I realized that it wasn't really me...it was JESUS reaching out to her through me.  It was His Holy Spirit prompting me to action.  It was a divine sense of empathy, actually feeling her pain, that caused me to spring into action.

This Jesus, the "babe in the manger" whose birth we celebrate each Christmas, grew up to sacrifice His life for us...and He is acquainted with our sorrows and grief.  Isaiah the prophet told us long before Jesus' birth that He would do this for us:

Isaiah 53:2-4

"For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,

and as a root out of dry ground.

He has no form or comeliness;

And when we see Him,

There is no beauty that we should desire Him.

He is despised and rejected by men,

A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;

He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

Surely He has borne our griefs

and carried our sorrows..."

What a comfort to know that our Savior knows our hearts and carries our sorrow!  This experience with this  perfect stranger yesterday ministered to my heart as well as I trust it ministered to her. And what can I learn from this experience?

• Don't be afraid to open your heart to the sorrow of others
• Listen to the prompting of God's Holy Spirit when He speaks to your heart
• Obey that prompting...don't hold back because of fear that you will be misunderstood
• Let others see the Jesus living in you! That is what Christmas is all about....Jesus came to earth to draw us to Himself...and to save us...and to live through us so that others will be saved and find rest for their souls.

So, today's Advent message is to Open the window of your heart...and let others see Jesus in you!

That leads to pure JOY!  Jesus...Others...You... J-O-Y!!!

Second Sunday of Advent

Here we are again...the 2nd Sunday of Advent...and in our home tradition we usually light the "Bethlehem Candle"...

(picture from our home Advent Wreath, 2017)

As we lit the Second Advent Candle we read the following:

"Today we light the Bethlehem candle.  It is symbolic of preparation.  The prophecy in Micah 5:2 that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem has significance because it indicates how God prepared even the last detail of the coming of Christ."

The following scriptures were read:

Micah 5:2

"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,

Yet out of you shall come forth to Me

the ONE to be Ruler in Israel,

Whose goings forth are from of old,

From everlasting."

Matthew 2:1-6

"Now after Jesus was born in BETHLEHEM of Judea 

in the days of Herod the king,

behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,

saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?

For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together,

he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

So they said to him,

"In BETHLEHEM of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

"But you, BETHLEHEM, in the land of Judah,

are not the least among the rulers of Judah;

for out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel."

This was followed by the singing of another beloved Christmas Carol, "O Little Town of Bethlehem"

Don't you sometimes wonder why God chose Bethlehem for the birth of our Savior?  Perhaps because God wanted us to realize that He is able to make something marvelous and magnificent come out of someplace seemingly small and somewhat insignificant. Much like what He does with us, we are seemingly small and insignificant in the eyes of the world...but Psalm 139:13-16 tells us we are "fearfully and wonderfully made"...and that God had a plan for our lives before we were even born.

"For you created my inmost being;

    You knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

    Your works are wonderful,

    I know that full well.

15 

My frame was not hidden from you

    when I was made in the secret place,

    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

16 

Your eyes saw my unformed body;

    all the days ordained for me were written in your book

    before one of them came to be."

The marvelous thing about Advent and the Christmas story is that God sent Jesus, His Only Begotten Son, down to earth in the form of a tiny baby, to be born in an animal stable in the insignificant little town of Bethlehem, so that He could save ME (YOU) from all our sins. Read the following from the book of Matthew, chapter 1: 18-25 for more information...

18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

"YOU ARE TO GIVE HIM THE NAME JESUS, BECAUSE HE WILL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS."

We are the people that He has come to save...little, insignificant you and me...because the God of Heaven loves us so much He was willing to sacrifice His Son for us...this is really significant...really big news!  And THIS is why we celebrate Christmas!

Nativity scene at our church - 2018

Today at our church Advent service, we lit the candle of PEACE.  This was our responsive reading and prayer after lighting the second candle:

In this season of Advent, we pray for God's peace.

Christ is our light and the source of our peace.

We witness the hostility between nations and neighbors.

Christ is our light and the source of our peace.

We see a world full of fractured relationships and unforgiving hearts.

Christ is our light and the source of our peace.

We seek relief from our own inner turmoil and restlessness.

Christ is our light and the source of our peace.

"Gracious God, as we continue our Advent journey, we thank You for sending the Prince of Peace into a world filled with unrest and strife.  We ask that You quiet our restless hearts and instill in each of us the calm assurance that tells us You are in control so we need not worry. Give us the tools we need to serve as You would have us serve, and make us willing instruments of Your peace. Amen."

Our choir sang the following "Calypso Lullaby", written by Jester Hairston, and arranged by Joel Raney.  You can listen and sing along here:

https://soundcloud.com/hope-publishing/calypso-lullaby-marys-little

It really doesn't matter if your church lit "The Bethlehem Candle", the "Peace Candle", or no candles at all...what matters is that we are each preparing our hearts for Christ to enter our lives, homes, churches, and world anew at this Christmas time. Try to forget about the gifts we need to buy or wrap or make...try to put aside all of the stress of doing this or that or how much money we are going to spend to make sure everyone gets a "good Christmas".  Can we just focus our thoughts and minds on Jesus, and how He came to save us from our sins and give us PEACE and HOPE and JOY?  And can we share this good news with someone else this week?  It is too good to keep to ourselves!

(This post will take the place of our usual Sermon Notes for this week)

A Special Christmas Tea Party - Updated

This was originally posted in 2016, so somethings have changed...I have added an update in the story below.  It's Saturday, a good day to play with our dollies, don't you think? And it's always a good day to have a tea party, any day is fine for that!!  So, without further ado, here is the repeat performance of the Dollie's Christmas Tea Party:

Original Post 12/6/2016
This will be a little different than my usual "Advent" posting.  I just felt like playing with my dolls today.  I know what you're thinking...."She's HOW old? And STILL plays with dolls???"  Well...no one ever said that dolls were just for little girls!  Sometimes BIG girls need to play with dolls as well. Call it therapy, if you wish.  That's probably pretty close to the truth!

Anyway, I've had this thought in my head for a while...that I wanted to have a Christmas Tea Party with my dollies!  So, today being a rainy day (!!! hooray!!! First rain in over a month!!), and also being a day that my mind needed a little escape from reality for a while...and since little by little the Christmas decorations are coming out of their boxes....it just seemed like the right time to do this! So here goes:

This is Margie and Valerie, all dressed up in their Christmas finery and ready to get this party going.
Margie (on the left), was given to me by my Aunt Margie for my 7th birthday...and is perhaps my most treasured doll. My mother made her lovely rose taffeta dress, complete with pantaloons and petticoats.  

Valerie (on the right) is also a very special doll, given to me by my Daddy when I was already grown up and married.  An interesting side note on this doll, when I opened the box on Christmas and saw her, I decided that I would name her "Valerie".  After declaring to every one that was what her name would be, I looked on the back of the box that she came in, and it said, "My name is Valerie"...I kid you not! 

I couldn't leave my sweet little Madame Alexander dolls and one Ginny doll out of this special event.  They spend most of their time sitting in my china closet, and never get out much.  So today they have been invited to this special tea party, and they brought their own dollies along as well!  From left to right, we have Miss Scotland, given to me by my mother (when I was already an adult...yes...I've been getting dolls for all my life...), and then next to Miss Scotland is my first Madame Alexander Doll, named Wendy. She was given to me by my Grandma Mursch when I was a little girl. She has red hair (like me! when I was a little girl).  Next to her is Miss Ireland,  a gift from my mother...she also has red hair!  And last but not least is Ginny, my sweet little Ginny doll, a gift from my Grandma Mursch when I was a little girl.  The miniature Madame Alexander dolls are actually Hallmark tree ornaments, and each one was a  gift to me from my sweet big sister Doris...who knows how much I love my dollies.  (I think she's kind of like me on that subject as well.)

This lovely group of young ladies I have named "The Martin Sisters", after my mother in law and her three sisters.   From left to right we have Daisy, Nellie, Dorothy, and Vivian.  Vivian is named after my mother in law because she looks the most like her...tall, blonde, with pretty green eyes. The other girls also look similar to their namesakes (who have all passed on to heaven, except for Vivian, who is 93+)(UPDATE 2018: They are ALL enjoying heaven together now, since my mother in law, Vivian, entered heaven's gates this past August at the age of 95! I can just hear them all laughing and enjoying heaven together with their beloved parents. What a tea party that must be!) with the exception of the doll named Daisy. Daisy wasn't a brunette or so dark complected, but I needed someone to be her in this little grouping, and so that's how she was named that way.  The other two, Nellie and Dorothy, really do look similar to the real gals!

So here they are, having their tea party and so much fun!!!

Oh, I almost forgot some other special dolls who came along for the party:

This little girl, holding her dolly, I've named Pammy, because my mother gave me this doll one year for Christmas (again, after I was an adult), specifically because of the little plaid taffeta Christmas dress that she made for her.  If you look at the picture to the right, and below here:

you will see an old snapshot of my sister Doris (left), with her bride doll, and me (right), with a baby doll, and we are wearing plaid taffeta dresses that our mother made for us when we were little girls. The note is from my mother, if you can decipher it!  My sister's bride doll was very special, as it actually belonged to our mother when she was a little girl, and was quite fragile. She was named "Florence", after my mother's oldest sister who died at the age of two years, before my mother was even born, so she never knew her.  (For more about THAT story, click HERE)

Of course, No doll tea party would be complete without my sweet baby Elva, all dressed up in her little Christmas dress and stockings.  She has her "Bear Bear" the polar bear, that has been her constant companion since 'birth'.  For more about Baby Elva, Click HERE.

This Christmas, baby Elva has a new playmate, her cousin "Pearl":

Pearl actually belongs to my mother in law, and she is named after her mother, Pearl Sarah Elizabeth Waters Martin.  My mother in law found this baby doll in a closet at her house, and really didn't know where she came from, so we cleaned her up and named her Pearl.    So Pearl is dressed in a cute sleeper that says "My First Christmas", since this will be her first Christmas here with us.  I know Elva appreciates having a playmate her own size:

So, let's see who else came to our tea party:

Ho! Ho! Ho!  There's Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus, and they brought their own Santa Train Tea Pot for the party!  Wave at the Santa Engineer!!


Oh, here's another of my favorite "dolls"...the little china Christmas doll, which was a Christmas gift from my Grandma Mursch when I was a young girl!  She has managed to survive many Christmases and moves and welcomes our guests as they arrive for the party!  She even has her own little ceramic Christmas tree and sled with gifts, and a toy train around the tree.  I see a little wooden Santa peering around the tree...

Here's a couple of other Santas who have come to enjoy the party... This first one brought a dollie for some lucky little girl:

And this Santa came out of the woods and takes care of the birds...

Well, last, but certainly not least, we have the most important guests of all:

Here's Mary and Joseph, and the Baby Jesus...the real reason we have this celebration of Christmas:

And they have some special guests as well:

There's the shepherd boy with his sheep, and the three Wise Men, who have traveled from afar as they followed the star...and the angel...who said to the shepherds,

"Do not be afraid, for behold, 

I bring you good tidings of great joy

which will be to all people.

For there is born to you this day in the city of David,

a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

And this will be the sign to you:

You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths,

lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host

praising God and saying:

"Glory to God in the Highest,

and on earth peace,

goodwill toward men!""

Luke 2:10-14 

I hope you have enjoyed this special Christmas Tea party with my dollies and friends.  Sometimes we just need to take a break from the harsh realities of life and do something that makes us feel like a child again.  

Jesus said to His disciples in Mark 10:14-15:

"Let the little children come to Me,

and do not forbid them;

for of such is the kingdom of God.

Assuredly, I say to you,

whoever does not receive the kingdom of God

as a little child will by no means enter it."

I believe that we need to have the faith of a little child again...and trust in God to hear our prayers and solve our problems and heal our wounds.  Thank you.

Current Thought (2018)...We are anticipating a move to a "downsized home" in the upcoming year. I've been debating on whether or not to keep all of these dollies. I need your input here, ladies.  What would YOU do???????