Devotional for today - Preparation & Expectation
Read: Luke 2:8-12; 21:25-28
When our children were young, we observed Advent (the time beginning on the fourth Sunday before Christmas through Christmas Eve) by making a wreath and lighting candles each night after supper. We sang a carol and read a short Bible passage about the birth of Christ. This was a special time of preparing our hearts to celebrate Christmas.
But Advent is more than that. When Christians first started practicing it in the fourth century, they viewed it not only as preparation for celebrating Jesus' birth but also as a time of looking forward to His second coming. They found hope and cheer in the sure promise of His return.
The gospel of Luke describes "the glory of the Lord" that shone around the shepherds when the angel announced the Savior's birth (2:9). Luke also records Jesus' promise that He will return "with power and great glory" (21:27). These two events frame the purpose for which the Son of God came into the world.
In Latin advent means "a coming." The weeks before Christmas can be a wonderful season of repentance and expectation as we celebrate our Lord's first advent in Bethlehem and anticipate His second advent when He returns in glory. Christ has come! Christ is coming again! - David McCasland
An angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. Luke 2:9
The Bible in One Year
· Ezekiel 47-48, Daniel 1-2
· 1 John 3-4
Late Night Stampers Challenge 98-Another no red or green
I'm a bit stuck on this technique lately, but I like how it looks. Ink up your stamp with Versamark then a color, dunk in clear embossing powder and heat set for a Woo Hoo effect! It also give a neat vintage look with brown inks. Important tip: Clean your stamp between inkings as the color will transfer to the Versamark pad. The color doesn't hurt anything. And I discovered that a baby wipe will absorb most of that color. (Can you guess how I know this? Yep, multicolored Versamark pads bother me. ;o)!
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All supplies are from the big Idea Book and Catalog:
Stamps: Serene Snowflakes, pg 42 115438
Christmas Greetings, pg 44 115448
Cardstock: Whisper White, pg 169 119952 - cut 6"x6" , score & fold at 3"
Ink: Peach Parfait, pg 165 119783
Concord Crush, pg 165 119785
Blushing Bride, pg 165 119786
So Saffron, pg 167 105213
Marina Mist, pg 167 119668
Night of Navy, pg 168 102977
As soon as I finish this post I am going to submit my preorder from the Occasions Mini Catalog (available 1/4/11) and Sale-a-bration Catalog (available 1/25/11). Oh, just wait until you see the clever and beautiful new stamps, papers, die cuts and embellishments that are on the horizon. Just when I think they can't possibly think of one more pretty thing, they create dozens! My challenge is limiting my choices. I predict you will agree when you see these new catalogs, but you can host a workshop with me to earn credits or join my Make It LSB team. Early access to these new items is just one of the great reasons to be a Stampin'UP demonstrator. This is a very generous and ethical company. And I am so blessed for the friendships I've made with other incredibly creative and inspiring demonstrators and customers.
It's a lovely winter day in New Mexico, the sun is shining, the sky is blue like nothing you'll see anywhere else, Christmas music is playing and my darling hubby just made me a cup of coffee. Life is very good!
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