Jennifer Wake's Blog, page 3
December 22, 2024
Prayers for Peace
Prayers for Peace
Based on Psalm 85
Lord, You have blessed this nation and its land,
You redeemed Your believers everywhere.
You forgave all our sins, big and small;
Your Son covered our sins with His blood.
You forgave us:
You turned your wrath from us.
Renew us again, O Lord,
Turn away Your anger!
Lord, forgive us
and don’t remember our sins.
Lord, strengthen us and grant us peace,
Allow us to rejoice in You!
Show us Your eternal love, O Lord,
Give us Your salvation.
Lord, speak peace over our hearts.
Grant us wisdom to turn away from sin.
May Your glory dwell in our land,
Teach me to fear You!
Thank you, for your steadfast love and faithfulness,
May I feel your peace and learn righteousness.
Remind us of Your faithfulness when we see new plants,
Shower your righteousness down upon us.
Yes, the Lord will give us what is good,
He will bless us.
His footsteps make a way for us,
Guide us with Your unfailing Peace.
God’s Peace Wafts Down
Holidays can bring many stress levels, from planning travel to hosting relatives. We love hosting but worry about everything related to it. Will our house stay clean until they arrive? Do we have enough food? (I usually over-prepare that area.) Did we forget anyone? What happens if they don’t enjoy themselves? On and on, my questions bubble up like a pot ready to boil.
We must stop and pray when we find ourselves ready to boil over. Asking God to grant us His peace that surpasses all understanding. When I pause to pray, I feel His peace wafting down on me. He strengthens me by driving the doubts and questions from my mind and replacing them with His peace, as Paul says so well in Philippians.
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7
Once my heart is calm, we resume preparations. The doubts and questions stop popping up like a pot removed from a hot burner. People will have enough food, a good time, and hopefully meet new friends. Lighting the Peace candle completes the outer ring of the wreath and reminds me of God’s eternal love.
As we light the candle of peace, it reminds us of God’s messengers, His angels. An angel told Mary about the significant change in her life, mainly becoming a mom.
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Luke 1:26-33
This passage says she was “greatly troubled.” Instead of planning, organizing, or asking thousands of questions, she visited her cousin. She trusted God because she lived a life surrendered to Him. God’s peace wafted down on her. She had peace and strength from God.
God’s peace wafts down upon us.
God’s messengers brought His peace to the world through individuals and groups. When Jesus returns, the angels will come with Him and proclaim who He is.
God’s peace wafts down upon us. Sometimes, I must stop to feel it; other times, I sense it amid a trial. Sometimes, I brush it off, too stressed to stop and embrace His gift. When I continue without His peace, my plans unravel, and so do my nerves.
Looking at Mary and how she embraced and clung to God’s peace gives us a good example: slow down and listen, waiting to step out until we are calm and at peace.
Just as angels brought messages of courage and peace throughout the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit now grants us peace in our hearts. We receive peace, strength, and courage from the Holy Spirit. God’s greatest gifts of grace and forgiveness resulted in our salvation and created peace between us and God. God’s peace is a source of hope and encouragement in our lives.
Scriptures to remind us to embrace God’s peace:
Luke 2:8-14
Luke 1:26-33
Matthew 2:18-25
John 14:27
Isaiah 9:6-7
John 16:33
Hymns to sing or listen to:
The First Noel, the Angels, Did Say
Angels We Have Heard on High
Hark the Herald Angels
Questions to Discuss
What are some other stories about angels in the Bible?
What causes you to stress?
What helps you gain peace in stressful situations?
Read Psalm 34. What verses resonate with you? How do they bring you peace?
What can you remove from your schedule to give more time for prayer? How can you share God’s peace with those around you?
December 15, 2024
Joy during Everyday Life
Prayer for joy during everyday life.
Oh, El Elyon, The Lord Most High,
You give us joy every day.
Joy in doing dishes, cleaning, and training.
Joy in working, serving, and helping.
Oh Lord Most High
You give us joy in the small things.
Joy in the significant events, the celebrations.
Joy in transitions and stability of life.
Lord, we thank you for all you do for us!
You give us so much:
Friends and family who fill us with love,
Memories that remind us of times of joy.
Lord, please remind us to look for joy.
Joy in the seasons.
Joy in the places you have us.
Joy in the good, bad, and trials.
Amen.
Check out my books on Amazon. If you have read them, please leave a review.
Call Signs: How Knowing God’s Character Empowers Women to Accomplish His Mission https://a.co/gKpqQmQ
He Is Jehovah: How Knowing the Names of God Encourages Women To Share His Faithfulness
Joy, Joy, Joy Down In My Heart
Do you remember the song “I have the joy, joy, joy, down in my heart?” Do you want to shout, “Where?” I know you do. The composer is unknown, but God’s joy bubbles up in my heart whenever we sing this song.
Joy is different from happiness. Happiness depends on situations and is fleeting. Joy comes from knowing our purpose and meaning and is long-lasting. Joy is genuinely down deep in our hearts. It comes from knowing God’s plans and purpose for your life. Paul reminds us twice in the same verse to focus on joy from the Lord.
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” Philippians 4:4
The way God uses me has changed over my lifetime. My purpose is to serve God and share His love with the world, but how this looks has changed over the years. When my kids were little, I shared His love with them daily. As they grew, we shared His love with people we spent time with, such as friends, teachers, coaches, and many more.
Now that my kids are grown and gone, I spend more time with my friends. God brings new people to interact with each day, such as the chapel staff, coffee shop baristas, and quilt store employees. I love to share His love with the women around me by sharing about the Advent wreath and church traditions.
Many years ago, my mission in Germany was to build community while our spouses were deployed. To encourage this mission, the chaplain spouses gathered monthly to do service projects. We shared our projects with people in our community and shared our faith. Watching the women share the Gospel brought joy to my heart. Serving, helping, and loving on people creates community and brings joy to all involved.
Spreading joy can be done through small acts of kindness and listening to stories grandmothers tell to their grandkids or great-grandkids. Sharing stories of God’s faithfulness brings joy to those telling and hearing them.
I enjoy sharing my joy by encouraging people I meet. Baristas and store employees need our encouragement and hope. Sometimes, smiling and asking how they are doing can help people around us to have a better day.
The third candle is named Joy. Just as my family enjoys spreading God's love, Christmas reminds us of the tremendous news filled with Joy. The angels delivered God’s joy to the shepherds as they announced the birth of Christ.
God’s joy overcomes our trials and hard times.
Jesus called himself the Good Shepherd, so it is very appropriate that the first visitors would be shepherds. They worked in the fields, probably tired yet diligent in caring for their flocks. Fear, shock, and joy-filled their minds when the angel announced Christ’s birth. They may have joined the multitude of heavenly hosts praising God. I wonder if they sang along with the angels.
The third candle is the pink one, representing joy—joy for Christ’s birth. Some people fast from the start of Advent to this day. Breaking bread to end a fast brings great joy.
Looking forward to the return of Christ as our King of Kings brings me great joy—the kind of joy that is down in my heart and can’t be extinguished by trials or hard times.
The excitement of Advent is building. Our joy starts to bubble over to our friends and family as we share about Jesus’s birth and His return as our King of Kings. Learning and embracing our purpose brings God’s joy into our hearts. As we move closer to Christmas, let’s allow the joy to flow to all the world.
Scriptures to meditate on while bubbling up in Joy:
Psalm 148:1-2
Luke 2:8-20
Psalm 23
Revelation 19:1-2
Hymns to sing or listen to:
While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks
Away in the Manger
Joy to the World
Questions for discussion:
1. What about your favorite childhood holiday tradition brings you joy?
2. What brings you joy in your work?
3. Read Psalm 23. How do these passages bring you joy?
4. How do you explain joy to people who might not know how it differs from happiness?
5. How can you share God’s joy with people around you?
December 8, 2024
Prayer for Faith
Prayer for Faith
Elohim, guide us as we travel during the holidays.
Give us peace and strength.
Let us trust in You to watch over us.
Please strengthen our faith as we travel.
Just as the Magi traveled in faith, teach us to step out in faith.
When our faith is weak, draw us close to You.
Darkness may surround us, but Your light shows the way.
Please grow our faith in You.
Lord, forgive us when we put our faith in things other than You.
When we trust in money or employment, forgive us.
Let us rely on You and trust in Your faithfulness.
Please show us what we rely on instead of You.
Guide us with Your love and faithfulness.
May we grow in faith and peace.
Let us become beacons in our community.
Please show us how to demonstrate our faith.
Amen.
Check out my books on Amazon. If you have read them, please leave a review.
Call Signs: How Knowing God’s Character Empowers Women to Accomplish His Mission https://a.co/gKpqQmQ
He Is Jehovah: How Knowing the Names of God Encourages Women To Share His Faithfulness
Faith Moves Mountains
"Move mountains? How can my faith move the mountain called 'Tricare paperwork'? I am just a mom and a military spouse," I screamed at God years ago. We found out in the middle of October that my husband had orders to report to Germany on January 4th. Most offices closed the week of Thanksgiving and the week between Christmas and New Year's. So our nine weeks shortened to less than seven. The challenge of getting the military healthcare system to allow us to go to Germany with my husband caused the screams. Multiple appointments to prove my asthma should not stop us from moving in two months, more for each child, and still his orders did not change.
Looking back at that time, my feelings of defeat and despair overwhelmed me and sent me crashing to my knees in prayer. I cried out to God to move the mountain. Nothing we did changed the plans; only God could do that. "But God…" became my favorite saying as we watched the paperwork move quickly through the system.
My PCM knew me well. She wrote letter after letter stating she had not seen me for asthma. Finally, someone in the web of bureaucracy read it and changed the NO to yes. We could go with Dave; we would not have to wait and join him later. I turned to Matthew 17 to encourage me in my faith to move this mountain.
He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20-21
God conquered our first 'Tricare Paperwork' mountain. Each of my kids has personally seen that same mountain move. It is a huge mountain that we don't see physically but feel its effects. When it peeps over the horizon, our response is to fall to our knees in prayer. We ask for strength, faith, and wisdom to keep our mouths shut and let God work.
Faith moves mountains!
The second candle of the Advent wreath is called the Faith candle. It grows the light on the wreath by joining with the Hope candle. My daily prayer is for my family's faith to grow as we approach Christmas Day.
Every day in the military, God grows my faith in His love, provision, and plan. Sometimes, it feels like we are traveling through a desert to find Jesus like the Wise Men did many years ago. When they saw the star in the sky, they left their lands, family, and friends to travel to find him. Their faith pulled them onwards to worship the King of Kings. The military pulls us on to grow where God plants us.
The Bible does not tell us where the Wise Men came from or how many there were. They left their homes to travel many miles following a star. We don't know who traveled with them or how long it took them, but we know they did not give up. Their faith kept them moving towards Bethlehem, seeking the King.
As we light the second candle to remember the faith it took to find Jesus, we light it counterclockwise from the first candle towards the pink candle. We go the opposite way around the wreath to show we are different from the world.
Our faith reminds us to be salt in the world, stand out, be different, and be believers. Our faith moves mountains. God used a star to move the Wise Men, and He uses military orders to move us. When we seek Jesus while we're on the move, we get to watch Him move mountains and grow our faith. This enables us to shine His light in every place we go.
Seeing God move in our lives, experiencing Him move mountains we could not, grows our faith. Sometimes, God calls us to move mountains around us; other times, we get to watch God move mountains. When we focus on our calling, we remember we will meet new challenges daily. It is not easy, but our faith helps us to shine God's light to everyone.
We need to follow the example of the Wise Men and live our lives full of faith in God. We are to have the faith that moves mountains!
Scriptures to strengthen our faith:
Matt 2:1-12
Micah 5:2, 4
Luke 2:1-7
Luke 1:26-33
Mark 9:23-25
Hymns to sing or listen to:
We Three Kings
O Little Town of Bethlehem
O Come All Ye Faithful
Questions for discussion:
1. Have you ever seen mountains move? If so, share the story.
2. Look up Romans 10:17. How can you put this verse into practice?
3. What mountains do you think the Wise Men overcame?
4. How can you share your faith with those around you?
5. What area of your life do you need God to grow your faith?
December 1, 2024
Prayer for Hope
Prayer for Hope during the first week of Advent
Oh, Jehovah, be with us while we wait.
We wait for our kids to return home.
They are wandering far from their faith.
As we wait, give us hope.
We hope for our time with our parents.
Time with them to grow closer.
Waiting and remembering as they tell stories.
As we spend time with them, give us hope.
Family and friends will join us to celebrate the season.
May we show the reason for the season in everything we do.
Jesus’ birth and His return as King of Kings is the reason.
As we celebrate, remind us of Your Second Coming.
As we prepare for Christmas, give us hope for the future.
The Second Coming of Your Son gives us hope.
Waiting is hard, but Your strength grows our patience.
As we look to Your Second Coming, You give us hope.
Amen.
Check out my books on Amazon. If you have read them, please leave a review.
Call Signs: How Knowing God’s Character Empowers Women to Accomplish His Mission https://a.co/gKpqQmQ
He Is Jehovah: How Knowing the Names of God Encourages Women To Share His Faithfulness
Jesus is our Hope
"What do you want to be when you grow up?"
"A veterinarian to help animals and their owners," was my quick reply.
Fast-forward to college; some classes I loved, while others I had to attend. Chemistry came quickly to me, but Biology was work. My academic advisor asked me to answer a few questions at the start of my sophomore year.
Do you like Biology? Why or Why not?
Do you like Chemistry? Why or Why not?
What is your favorite class so far?
After a few days of thinking about her questions, my favorite part of college bubbled up in my mind. My job of helping other students was my favorite thing. Working through and explaining chemistry problems gave me joy, while memorizing biology facts drained me. With my advisor's encouragement, I changed my major to Chemistry, Secondary Education, with a minor in Religion.
My dream changed, but my hope of helping people did not. Teaching for eleven years in West Virginia, Virginia, and Colorado showed me how teaching could change the world. Teaching is my lifelong passion. Even though I no longer teach chemistry, I hope people will hear God's Word and grow in His love.
Jesus came to earth to give us hope. Jesus is Our Hope. Before Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, God planned to return hope to the world. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. He brought the hope of salvation to the nation of Israel and the Gentiles.
People often quote Jeremiah 29:11, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.'" If you continue reading Jeremiah 29:11-13, God tells us how to lean into the hope He has made available to us through His Son.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13
Jesus wants us to trust His plans for our future. He is our hope, but we must remember He doesn't promise us an easy life or freedom from trials. He promised we would face trials and persecutions, but He will be with us. These verses remind us to trust Him. We call out to Him, and He will hear us. So many times, I call out but don't truly trust Him and His plans. The world's concerns or my trials are the center of my focus, rather than seeking Him with my entire heart. His plans will lead us through times when we will be attacked, tempted, or discouraged. But when we focus on following Him, we will have hope in the future with Him. We must focus on His sacrifice and resurrection, providing our salvation. We will have trials, but Christ has overcome everything.
The first candle, across from the pink candle on the advent wreath, represents God's hope for us. He wants us to shine the light of His hope into the darkness surrounding the people who can experience God's goodness, faithfulness, mercy, and loving-kindness. In the Old Testament, God sent prophets to shine the light of hope into the dark world by sharing His plans with the people. These prophets shared many critical details of Christ's coming birth, His life, death, resurrection, and His Second Coming (or triumphant return). God gave the prophets words about His hope through His Redeemer, Jesus. They tell us about the faithful servant, our Redeemer, who is our hope for eternal life.
God sent many prophets who foretold Christ's Second coming. He would come as a baby and the King to reign over all the earth. They shared where Jesus would be born, his life in Egypt, and even his entrance into Jerusalem. Many psalms are considered to be prophetic. They speak about Jesus' life and remind us of His death and resurrection. The Psalms and the prophecies about Jesus' birth came true, as will the ones about His Second Coming. And because they did, we have hope for the fulfillment of the final prophecy.
The Gospels of Matthew and Luke list Jesus' genealogy to show the fulfillment of God's promises. They continue to show how Jesus fulfilled the prophecies about his birth, ministry, death, and resurrection.
All the prophets remind us of God's hope. God is waiting for us to turn to Him and accept His gift of salvation. The prophecies remind us to look with hope to the future return of our King of Kings. We wait with hope for the Second Coming of Christ our King. Like the prophets, God calls us to share our hope in the resurrection of the dead and Christ's return. Paul said it very clearly in 1 Corinthians 15.
"But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised." 1 Corinthians 15:13-15
As we read these verses alongside the ones in the Prophets, we see the hope God has shared with us. We must look for Christ's Second Coming as the King of Kings. Jesus is our Hope. How can we live our lives to show our hope in Christ? How can we share the light of Christ to give the world hope? Writing and speaking about the hope shared by the prophets is one way. How can you share the Hope of Christ with people you know?
Scriptures to use to meditate upon the hope of God:
Isaiah 60:1-5
Isaiah 7:14
Isaiah 9:2, 6, 7
Isaiah 11:2-4
Daniel 7:13-14
Micah 5:2
Hymns to sing or listen to:
O Come O Come Emmanuel
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
Questions for discussion:
1. Do you have a favorite prophet? If so, why?
2. Read Psalm 22. What verses describe Jesus? How can this Psalm give us hope?
3. In what areas of your life do you need hope? What verses could you write out to help remind you of the hope in Christ?
4. How can you share hope with people around you?
5. What is your favorite holiday tradition? How can you use that tradition to share the hope of Christ with those around you?
November 24, 2024
Prayer to Prepare for Advent
Prayer to Prepare for Advent.
(Pray as you finish creating your wreath)
Our Lord God, You are worthy of praise.
Nothing compares to You.
You are eternal. You have always been.
You have no beginning and no end.
You never leave us.
As we prepare for Advent,
remind us of Your faithfulness.
Oh Abba, Father
When we cry, plead, and seek You,
You answer us.
You know the plans You have for us;
Plans to prosper us and not to harm us;
Plans to give us hope and a future.
As we prepare for Advent,
remind us of Your Hope.
Elohim, You are King over all creation
Evergreen trees remind us of Your continual love
You cause the seasons to change to allow for growth.
During storms and good times, You are with us.
Your love never changes.
As we prepare for Advent,
remind us of Your Joy.
The Lord, our Shepherd, thank You for guiding us.
During times of moving, You are with us.
When kids go off to school, You are with us.
Thank You for staying with us, Jehovah-Raah.
As we prepare for Advent,
remind us of Your Peace.
You are the Lord Most High, El Elyon.
Your power is overwhelming.
It flows over us and strengthens us.
It lifts us.
You never forsake us.
As we prepare for Advent,
remind us of Your Love
Amen.
Preparing for Advent
Advent 2024
Sleepiness weighed me down and forced me to be still. It was past my usual bedtime, but the Christmas Eve candlelight service was a special event. The minimal light and silence in the sanctuary encouraged my need for sleep. Since everyone loved this service, we arrived early to get a parking spot—extra time for sleep to try to hug me and close my eyes.
Finally, the family chosen for this unique service walked to the front of our church. The tallest son carefully lit each of the candles in the Advent wreath. He passed the candle lighter to his father. My breath caught in my chest as the dad lit the Christ candle in the center. The light seemed to intensify instantly. The other kids lit their small candles from the Christ Candle. They went to the center aisle, ready to share the flame down each pew.
My mother handed out the candles to each of my sisters and finally to me. In my mind, the candle with the wax protector on it became a girl swirling with joy at the birth of Jesus. Without thinking, my hand started spinning the candle while we waited for the flame to pass. My dad stopped the spinning with a slight shake of his head. The candle (or dancing girl) stopped spinning. We waited patiently for the flame to reach my dad’s wick. He tipped his candle to receive the flame. Then he held up his candle so I could carefully tip it to light its wick. This somber dance continued from my mother to my sisters.
Next came the waiting, as the light slowly strengthened as the flame made its way down each pew. It beat back the darkness and reminded us of Christ’s arrival. His light overcomes the darkness. Our little candles shone brightly, reminding us of His arrival and Second Coming.
The whole congregation sang “Silent Night, Holy Night” acapella. It didn’t matter if we could not sing; we made beautiful music together. Pausing in the middle of the verse to enjoy the sounds of my dad’s deep bass and my mom’s alto reminded me of God’s creativity in making so many voices sound different.
As the Christmas season approaches, my family is preparing for Advent. This year, our focus will be on God’s character traits. Each candle in the Advent Wreath represents hope, faith, joy, or love. Every Sunday, we light a new candle, and I share about the candle for the week. Depending on your traditions, this culminates with the Christ Candle on Christmas.
Advent means coming or arrival. The focus of Advent is on Christ’s arrival. First, He came as a baby, but, more importantly, He will return at His Second coming. Advent links the incarnation, the resurrection, and the Second Coming. It symbolizes people’s spiritual journey as they affirm Christ has come, He died and was resurrected, and He will come again in power.
Advent is the four Sundays before Christmas. It is 40 days of remembering Christ’s love. We recognize the blessed arrival of His birth and await His coming again in glory. The first Sunday in Advent this year is December 1, 2024. Christmastide follows Advent, which starts on December 25 and ends on January 5, and Epiphany on January 6.
The Advent season is marked by a spirit of hope, faith, joy, and love. Each candle represents one characteristic of a Christian’s life. We celebrate Advent by anticipating and longing for Christ’s return, a time of reflection and fasting. During the first two weeks, people often fast and repent. The lighting of the Joy candle on the third Sunday breaks their fast.
Since my family uses an evergreen bough traditional advent wreath, each year we gather supplies. To build your advent wreath, you will need a wreath of evergreens, three purple candles, one pink candle, and a large white candle. The white candle can be placed in the center at the start of Advent or appear on Christmas Eve. The Wreath has places for the four colored candles. We include purple ribbons and small ornaments. Each of these items symbolizes parts of the Advent tradition.
Let’s examine our supplies. Each item has a reason for being part of this Church tradition.
The Wreath is a circle that reminds us of Jehovah, I am Who I am, God Himself. It reminds us of His eternity and ENDLESS mercy. The Wreath has no beginning or end, just as God’s love for us has no beginning or end. The circle reminds us to show endless love when we exchange wedding bands during a wedding ceremony.
The Candles symbolize the light coming into the world through the birth of His Only Son—these “living” flames symbolize Christ’s light coming to save us. The one rose/pink candle symbolizes joy. This candle reminds us to change as we become more like Christ. Three candles are violet/purple, representing penance and longing for His triumphant return. Each candle represents hope, faith, joy, and peace. Each candle reminds us to look to the future coming of Christ. Advent provides a quiet prelude building to the dramatic brightness of Christmas.
We add Purple Ribbons to remember Jesus’ royalty and preparation for the Lord’s Second Coming. Purple means penance and longing for His return. It is the color of royalty and reminds us of His Kingdom. We long for the King’s return and repent from our sins. Christ came to give us forgiveness for our sins. We use the ribbons to remind us of the gifts Jesus received. The Wise Men brought three gifts to honor Him. My family adds three small ornaments to our Wreath to remind us of the gifts.
How do we light the candles? The candle for week one is across from the Rose candle. The second candle is the one counterclockwise from week one. Why Counterclockwise? People used to dance clockwise around a bonfire on the winter solstice. We light the candles opposite to distinguish Christian traditions from pagan rituals. The white candle is in the center of the Wreath, which we light on Christmas Eve. All five candles are lit daily (because I can’t leave burning candles overnight unattended) from Christmas to Epiphany, January 6.
Each week, I will share a short devotion on a different characteristic. Scriptures to read with your family or for your personal devotion time are listed at the end of each Sunday devotion, as are some Christmas carols you can listen to or sing. I pray your family will be blessed by celebrating together this Advent season.
Check out my books on Amazon. If you have read them, please leave a review.
Call Signs: How Knowing God’s Character Empowers Women to Accomplish His Mission https://a.co/gKpqQmQ
He Is Jehovah: How Knowing the Names of God Encourages Women To Share His Faithfulness
