4th Sunday of Advent and Looking Forward to Christmas Eve

 

As usual (you think I'd learn), the closer it gets to Christmas the more I stray from my daily schedule.  This week has been a week of recovering from a busy 3rd week of Advent and our Christmas Concert at church.  I have been able to keep up with my daily icon and two daily devotional readings.  I have fallen behind on my random acts of kindness (easy to catch up).  I have not kept up with the new recipes from my devotional but I have done a lot of baking this week and will do some more this coming week.

Last night I lit all four of my Advent candles and read my two daily devotionals.

 

 

I did give goodies to our postal carrier and a friend.  And I always share recipes on a baking Facebook page that I follow.  So I didn't really do too bad this week.

 

Looking towards Christmas Eve and this last week of Advent, my emphasis will continue to be making it a priority to start my day with my daily devotional activities.  Suggestions for Random Acts of Kindness for this week are:

 

1.    Sending smiles via loveforourelders.org

 

2.    Read and record a favorite children's Christmas story or the Christmas story from Luke

3.    Buy Candy Canes with a RAK note and place them in unsuspecting places

Here's a graphic you can print out & use for your candy canes:

One of the recipes from my devotional is Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting.  I've been craving a frosted cake, so I may just bake a layered cake and use the peppermint frosting.  Yum!

 On Friday night, December 24th, light the Christ Candle and celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  "He Is Born."

3rd Sunday of Advent and Looking Forward to the 4th Sunday in Advent

 

I'm a little bit behind for this week.  Yesterday was a very busy day.  At the church that we are now attending, our music ministry presented "Sights and Sounds of Christmas," an annual Christmas concert that involves all of the music ministry groups -- children & youth, Handbell Ringers & Singers, Chancel Choir, Acapella Praise, and a full orchestra!  

It was a glorious day that began with the handbells ringing at two of the morning services.  It was wonderful to be able to be a participant this year instead of being the one "in charge."  And so begins a new chapter in my life.

I'm still passionate about worship and have found myself focusing on the Word this Advent season and the messages that I've heard through scripture and sermons and musically.  I am continuing to keep up with most of my Advent daily devotionals. I've been doing my daily icons, reading the daily devotionals published by our church, and reading the daily entries from "When God Calls the Heart at Christmas."  I've baked several of the recipes in the book, although I'm a little behind in this aspect.  I have been keeping up also with my Random Acts of Kindness.

Yesterday I posted a blog from last Sunday's sermon (the 2nd Sunday in Advent) about how our pastor had shared a paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 13.  The other highlights of the past week were making a donation to a military organization and a donation to a local spay/neuter clinic where we had our dog, Rosie, spayed when we first got her.  I make a donation to this organization every year in honor of Rosie.

Today I invite you to prepare for this 3rd week of Advent and look towards the 4th and final Sunday of Advent.  We've lit the candles of hope, peace, and joy.  Last week I asked you to take a look at why the 3rd Sunday of Advent is Gaudete Sunday.  Gaudete, in Latin, means rejoice, which is why we light the candle of Joy.  We also light the pink candle on the 3rd Sunday of Advent to symbolize joy.  The scripture reference for this Sunday is from Philippians 4:4-5 -- "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near."

This week's emphasis is on Random Acts of Kindness.  Please join me in the following special tasks, as well as your daily devotionals:

Monday, December 13:  Bake Austrian Linzer Cookies

Tuesday, December 14:  Grant a wish via OneSimpleWish.org

Wednesday, December 15:  Deliver some Christmas goodies to your local fire or police station

Thursday, December 16:  Share a favorite family holiday recipe

Saturday, December 18:  Sign up for Cake4Kids.org to provide birthday cakes

Sunday, December 19:  Prepare yourself for the 4th Sunday of Advent as we light the candle of Love

1 Corinthians 13: A Christmas Version

 

Last Sunday, one of the pastors at our church used "1 Corinthians 13: A Christmas Version" by Sharon Jaynes as an illustration for his sermon.  It was the "aha" moment for me during the sermon.  So I decided to find the paraphrase and sketchnote it.  Sketchnoting a sermon doesn't always mean sketching or outlining the entire sermon.  Sometimes it means taking the nugget of wisdom, isolating them, and sketchnoting them.

 

 

 

This paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 13 is by Sharon Jaynes.  This Christmas Version is a free resource on her website.

2nd Sunday of Advent and Looking Forward to the 3rd Sunday in Advent

 On the 2nd Sunday of Advent we light the candles of Hope & Peace.  

During this week, I was able to keep up with my daily devotionals -- my church's devotional & the one I'm reading from "When God Calls the Heart at Christmas."  I also did my daily December icons.

I did one of my RAK's -- I texted two of my best friends from high school and told them how much I treasured our friendship.  One of the other RAKs was to deliver a cookie message.  I'm still working on that.  I've made my sugar cookie dough & will be baking and decorating cookies today.  One of the people I plan on giving a cookie message to is our postal delivery person and a friend I'm having lunch with this week.  I'll also be putting together my Christmas package to my mother which will also contain baked goods & cookies with a message.

I did get one of my three baking recipes done this week.  The other 2 I'll work on getting completed this week.

Looking Towards the 3rd Sunday in Advent

Monday, December 6th:  Bake Sugar Cookies, RAK:  Become a Soldier's Angel

Tuesday, December 7th:  Make it a priority to Mail your Christmas Cards with a personal note inside

Wednesday, December 8th:  Gingerbread Men with Orange Icing, RAK: Help your local pet shelter

Thursday, December 9th:  Chocolate Coconut Pie

Saturday, December 11th:   RAK:  Compliment a store clerk or cashier

Sunday, December 12th:  Candy Cane Cookies, Light the 3rd Candle of Advent - Joy

The 3rd Sunday in Advent is also called Gaudette Sunday.  Do a little research and learn something about the significance of this Sunday.

Finally, the highlight of my week was from yesterday's sermon.  Our pastor shared a Christmas adaptation of 1 Corinthians 13.  I hope you'll read it and apply it to your life as you prepare for Christmas.

Have a blessed week.