the ordinary everyday

In the waiting: Do not forget his great faithfulness

by Jodie
In the waiting: Do not forget his great faithfulness

At the end of the year it can be easy to start focusing on the year to come. 2019 is only a few days away, after all, and it seems wise to start planning and thinking about what is to come.

Especially, if you are in a time of waiting. It can be easier to forget about the year that has passed in pain and waiting, and instead focus on believing and hoping again for the year ahead.

Yet this hope and belief is grounded in a knowledge of the one who holds your hopes and dreams, ‘in the waiting’. And it is good to remind yourself of the faithfulness of the one who holds you.

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the ordinary everyday

In the Waiting: Find strength in joy

by Jodie
In the Waiting: Find strength in joy

When the angel first appears to Mary her first reaction is not joy! In fact, one version of the account in Luke says she was “greatly troubled” and another says she was “thoroughly shaken.”

The angel has to reassure her and tell her “not to be afraid.”

In fact, the reaction from Mary followed this pattern: fear, questions, and then acceptance.

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the ordinary everyday

In the Waiting: Hold on to Hope

by Jodie
In the Waiting: Hold on to Hope

The birth of Jesus is not the end of the story. Yes, it is the advent, the arrival that we celebrate at Christmas. But this baby still had to live, he had to grow and learn, he had to start his ministry, he had to gather his disciples, he had to teach, he had to suffer and he had to die.

And there was persecution and challenges right from the start. The second chapter of Matthew details the jealous vendetta of King Herod against this newborn child.

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In the waiting: slow down

by Jodie
In the waiting: slow down

My youngest daughter decided she was going to read the bible. We suggested she start with the new testament, and after a short while reading she exclaimed, “there’s a lot of babies in this story.”

She had been reading the gospel of Matthew which lists the lineage of Jesus. Starting from Abraham, through David, to his father Joseph.  As the passage itself says, there are 14 generations from Abraham to David, and 14 generations from David to the Babylonian exile, and then 14 more generations from the exile until Jesus. As my daughter said, “That’s a lot of babies!” There is very long time between the promise of the Messiah and the arrival of him.

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In the Waiting: Advent Devotional

by Jodie
In the Waiting: Advent Devotional

This year has been one of waiting for me. At first it was a waiting that led to a disappointment. Then it was a waiting that I felt compelled to do, even though all that was within me yearned for movement.

I have been waiting on others, waiting on peace, and waiting on God. I feel like it has been a year of many reminders again, and again, of God’s promises to me and yet still I have had to wait.

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