Lillie Ammann's Blog, page 167

Scripture for the Second Friday in Advent 2010

1 Peter 2:4-10

4As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— 5you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6For in Scripture it says:

"See, I lay a stone in Zion,

a chosen and precious cornerstone,

and the one who trusts in him

will never be put to shame." 7Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

"The stone the builders rejected

has become the capstone," 8and,

"A stone that causes men to stumble

and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Lord, thank You for making us part of Your chosen people, Your royal priesthood, Your holy nation, a people belonging to You. Thank you for calling us from the darkness into light. Guide us always by the Holy Spirit to walk in that light and reflect Your light and Your love to the world. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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Published on December 09, 2010 22:44

Scripture for the Second Thursday in Advent 2010

Romans 15:4-13

4For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

5May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. 8For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs 9so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written:

"Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles;

I will sing hymns to your name." 10Again, it says,

"Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people." 11And again,

"Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,

and sing praises to him, all you peoples." 12And again, Isaiah says,

"The Root of Jesse will spring up,

one who will arise to rule over the nations;

the Gentiles will hope in him."

13May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Lord, fill our hearts with the hope, joy, and peace that come only from You. Open our hearts to accept one another as Christ accepted us, and give us a unity in Your Body so we glorify You with one voice and one heart. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

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Published on December 08, 2010 22:41

Freelance Writers: Tips for Becoming More Productive While Working from Home – Guest Post by Brian Jenkins

Motivation leads to an increase in productivity. An increase in productivity leads to a more fulfilling day and a higher income. If you work at home as a freelance writer, chances are you know how easy it is to get distracted during the work day. So what can you do? No, you don't need to hire an expensive motivational coach to hang out in your home office. Just follow these important tips and you will likely increase your focus, creativity, and productivity.

Creative hours: For many writers there are specific times during the day when their creative juices are really flowing. These are not the times to read and send text messages, check email, or perform routine work around the house. Take advantage of these creative periods by working on projects that require a high level of creativity or by writing for clients you really want to impress.
Be organized: A cluttered office can really hurt your morale. You'll probably notice a change in the atmosphere once you clean and organize your office. You'll probably wonder why you didn't clear up the clutter earlier. Additionally, an organized office will make you feel more professional.
Change projects: If you get bogged down on a particular writing project, put it to the side and work on something else, something very different. You just may have new ideas when you get back to the other project.
Set goals: Setting goals breeds motivation. Set objectives such as finding a specific number of new clients every month.
Regular office hours: Regular office hours remind writers that work is the primary focus of the day. Keeping regular office hours promotes a more professional attitude which typically leads to an increase in productivity. Also, a defined lunch schedule can help prevent the tempting two-hour lunch.
Dress for work: Successful business people typically don't tout the benefits of wearing pajamas to work. If you relax your dress code, your work habits may be effected negatively and you may not even realize it.
Limit distractions: It's easy to get distracted by children, pets, email, telephone calls, social networking sites, etc. etc. etc. Distractions can take up huge chunks of valuable time. Wait until your scheduled break times to respond to those emails or return those phone calls. And by the way, don't create unscheduled break times to tend to these distractions!
Dedicated workplace: It's often recommended that work-at-home professionals have a dedicated workplace. It cuts down on distractions and reminds others that you are at work. However, occasionally changing the workplace setting can be refreshing and inspirational. This can be especially helpful if you're in a rut or facing a serious case of writer's block.
Exercise: Take a couple of walks during the day. Exercise will make you feel better. And while you're exercising, forget about work!

Increasing your productivity means a higher salary. Treat your office as if it was located in a traditional office building and you will boost the quantity and quality of your work. Also, and perhaps most importantly, remember to set aside some time to have fun during the day!

A member of the BrainTrack writing team for two years, Brian Jenkins writes about a variety of topics. He has contributed information about careers and education for writers to the website.

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Published on December 07, 2010 22:54

Scripture for the Second Wednesday in Advent 2010

Psalm 43:3-5

3 Send forth your light and your truth,

let them guide me;

let them bring me to your holy mountain,

to the place where you dwell.

4 Then will I go to the altar of God,

to God, my joy and my delight.

I will praise you with the harp,

O God, my God.

5 Why are you downcast, O my soul?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and my God.

Lord, send Your light and Your truth to guide me to joy and delight and praise for You. I put my hope in God and will praise the Lord. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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Published on December 07, 2010 22:39

Scripture for the Second Tuesday in Advent 2010

Isaiah 40:1-11

1 Comfort, comfort my people,

says your God.

2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,

and proclaim to her

that her hard service has been completed,

that her sin has been paid for,

that she has received from the LORD's hand

double for all her sins.

3 A voice of one calling:

"In the desert prepare

the way for the LORD ;

make straight in the wilderness

a highway for our God.

4 Every valley shall be raised up,

every mountain and hill made low;

the rough ground shall become level,

the rugged places a plain.

5 And the glory of the LORD will be revealed,

and all mankind together will see it.

For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

6 A voice says, "Cry out."

And I said, "What shall I cry?"

"All men are like grass,

and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.

7 The grass withers and the flowers fall,

because the breath of the LORD blows on them.

Surely the people are grass.

8 The grass withers and the flowers fall,

but the word of our God stands forever."

9 You who bring good tidings to Zion,

go up on a high mountain.

You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem,

lift up your voice with a shout,

lift it up, do not be afraid;

say to the towns of Judah,

"Here is your God!"

10 See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power,

and his arm rules for him.

See, his reward is with him,

and his recompense accompanies him.

11 He tends his flock like a shepherd:

He gathers the lambs in his arms

and carries them close to his heart;

he gently leads those that have young.

Sovereign Lord, we know Your Word lives forever. Open our hearts to hear Your Word, to prepare a way for You to come into our lives. Raise up our valleys of sin and make low our mountains of pride. Create a plain in our hearts for You to live there. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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Published on December 06, 2010 22:34

Lucky Me

What a beautiful reminder of how blessed we are by the bravery and sacrifices of our military!

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Published on December 05, 2010 23:08

Scripture for the Second Monday in Advent 2010

Psalm 27:1-4

1 The LORD is my light and my salvation—

whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the stronghold of my life—

of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When evil men advance against me

to devour my flesh,

when my enemies and my foes attack me,

they will stumble and fall.

3 Though an army besiege me,

my heart will not fear; though war break out against me,

even then will I be confident.

4 One thing I ask of the LORD,

this is what I seek:

that I may dwell in the house of the LORD

all the days of my life,

to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD

and to seek him in his temple.

Lord, thank You for giving us Your Light and redeeming us from sin. Though we may face danger and enemies, we know You are on our side, and if You are with us, no one can be against us. Remind us in our moments of weakness that we are strong and courageous in You. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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Published on December 05, 2010 22:17

Scripture for the Second Sunday in Advent 2010

Isaiah 11:1-20

1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;

from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—

the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,

the Spirit of counsel and of power,

the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD -

3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,

or decide by what he hears with his ears;

4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy,

with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.

He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;

with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.

5 Righteousness will be his belt

and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

6 The wolf will live with the lamb,

the leopard will lie down with the goat,

the calf and the lion and the yearling together;

and a little child will lead them.

7 The cow will feed with the bear,

their young will lie down together,

and the lion will eat straw like the ox.

8 The infant will play near the hole of the cobra,

and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest.

9 They will neither harm nor destroy

on all my holy mountain,

for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD

as the waters cover the sea.

10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious. 11 In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the sea.

12 He will raise a banner for the nations

and gather the exiles of Israel;

he will assemble the scattered people of Judah

from the four quarters of the earth.

13 Ephraim's jealousy will vanish,

and Judah's enemies will be cut off;

Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah,

nor Judah hostile toward Ephraim.

14 They will swoop down on the slopes of Philistia to the west;

together they will plunder the people to the east.

They will lay hands on Edom and Moab,

and the Ammonites will be subject to them.

15 The LORD will dry up

the gulf of the Egyptian sea;

with a scorching wind he will sweep his hand

over the Euphrates River.

He will break it up into seven streams

so that men can cross over in sandals.

16 There will be a highway for the remnant of his people

that is left from Assyria,

as there was for Israel

when they came up from Egypt.

Lord, thank you for sending Your Son into the world to redeem us from our sins, to show us the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, and to bring peace. In His name. Amen.

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Published on December 04, 2010 22:17

Advent and My Gift to You

I've been posting a Scripture reading and prayer for every day in Advent, and a question from a commenter alerted me that not all of my readers know what Advent is, though 'I've written about the meaning of Advent before.

Advent is the season of the Christian year leading up to Christmas. It is a time to penitence and preparation for the Lord's coming. We actually celebrate three advents during this time:

The advent of Jesus' birth when He came to earth more than 2000 years ago, and
The advent of Jesus coming into our own heart when we accepted Him as our Lord and Savior, and
The advent of Jesus' return at the Second Coming at the end of time.

Many Christians practice the tradition of lighting candles on an Advent wreath each day of the Advent season. My church has a short liturgy at the beginning of the Communion service to light the Advent candles each week of the season. On the first Sunday in Advent (which is also the first day of the Christian year), one candle is lit, and a candle is added each of the four Sundays in Advent. On Christmas, the Christ candle in the middle of the wreath is lit. This is a simple way to prepare our hearts for the arrival of the Lord.

Often Christians take part in some additional daily devotion during Advent. I am posting a Scripture and a prayer for each day in Advent. You are invited to join me in these short Advent devotions.

I've created Scripture/prayer cards that have a Bible verse on one side and a prayer on the other. You can download a PDF file and print the cards on your own computer printer. Print the Scriptures on one side of the page (business card sheets work well) and the prayers on the other side, then separate or cut the pages into individual cards. You can carry these cards with you to read for a brief moment of devotion in the midst of a busy day.

The download of the cards is my gift to you with the prayer that we both focus on the meaning of the season this Advent … and prepare for the coming of the Lord at Christmas and at the end of time.

photo credit: goforchris

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Published on December 04, 2010 20:43

Scripture for the First Saturday in Advent 2010

Mark 13:33-37

Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. "Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!

Heavenly Father, keep us ever watchful and mindful that You may come at any time. Lead us by the Holy Spirit to watch and pray so we are ready for You in that great day when Jesus returns in glory as a conquering King. Amen.

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Published on December 03, 2010 22:25