Download or read book Doorways Into Hope and Joy at Advent and Christmas written by Michael McGirr and published by . This book was released on 2020-11 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It's that time of year ?Advent and Christmas are supposed to be seasons of quiet anticipation and peaceful wonder. Yet, despite what the carol says, we have few silent nights and even fewer days when all is calm. Advent and Christmas have become times laden with every kind of expectation: work parties, school break-ups, present buying, heavy traffic, people to remember, and so on and on.These prayers are a little breather. A rest from the hype. A chance to just be ourselves for a moment, just as we are, with the God who wants to keep things simple. Hopefully these words and images can help turn the silly season into the sanity season. They aim to bring us closer to the one we love.

Download or read book Doorways Into Hope and Joy at Advent Christmas written by Michael McGirr and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 86 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Hope Peace Joy Love written by Michelle Vanoli and published by . This book was released on 2019-11-05 with total page 61 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Often, Christmas can come and go far too quickly, leaving us in holiday whiplash and wishing we had been more intentional to prepare our hearts for the TRUE Reason for the season. This study aims to remind us why we celebrate Christmas and to be drawn into a deeper relationship with Christ as we consider the four aspects of the Christian faith represented by the Advent season: hope, peace, joy, and love.

Download or read book Finding Joy and Hope in Advent and Christmas written by Pope Benedict XVI and published by . This book was released on 2010-10-20 with total page 72 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Taking themes of hope and joy, Pope Benedict guides us through the scripture and liturgy of Advent and Christmastide with one aim: a true encounter with the living Christ. The very real and valuable fruits of faith - forgiveness, justice, hope, and peace - amount to our inheritance as brothers and sisters of Jesus, and they enable us to meet the great challenges of our time. Benedict admonishes us to 'Stay awake and live in the present moment' at the service of humanity. Drawn from Pope Benedict's homilies and addresses of 2009.

Download or read book The Fear Nots of Christmas written by Debbie Short and published by WestBow Press. This book was released on 2020-08-17 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Do not be afraid” was the message brought by angels to four people, while telling them life-altering news. Anxiety would be any humans response to protecting themselves from hopes being dashed again, a dramatic change of plans, dreams being crushed or feeling exposed—no longer able to hide the truth. The lives of Zacharias, Mary, Joseph and the Shepherds from 2000 years ago will show you that even though the packages of life may appear barren, God is indeed a gracious giver, that He comes to save lives, not destroy them—for he is a Savior and a dream re-maker. You are one of His favorites, and He can come into the darkest of lives, flooding them with brilliant beauty and grace. The messages are rock solid even for you today, ready to hold you steady, going forward with hope, joy, love and peace when you, too, fear what next might happen. Daily worship songs and activities will lead you to live loved as you are beloved, and the study questions are perfect for individual use, groups, or family devotions. You will find a page to journal on each day as well as full color photos to accompany the activities, a few recipes, and gift ideas that will help you make joyful traditions in your own family for generations to come.

Download or read book Good News Great Joy for All People written by Laura Cave and published by . This book was released on 2019-11-14 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discover God's good news of great joy for all people--including you! Originally written for Church of the City New York's 2018 advent season, this book is an invitation to encounter the hope, peace, joy, and love of Jesus and to discover why Christmas is good news for 21st-century people in a hurting world. The Christmas season can be full of joy, but it can also be hectic and hard on those who are hurting. We can drown those feelings in eggnog, leaving these tensions unexamined, or we can step into the light of the Advent candles to see, maybe for the first time, that a loving God with good plans for our future has stepped into our broken world to set things right. An energizing read whether you're full of faith or questions, find a quiet place to unwrap the gifts of Advent and see why the baby in the manger is good news for people like us. This book was written for my community at Church of the City New York (visit church.nyc) and is the outpouring of my writing about Advent, which you can find at www.theadvent.co. It was inspired by a desire not to go through the motions at Christmas but to deeply and personally connect with the hope, peace, joy and love that Christmas dares to offer us. This book contains four weekly reflections to guide you through the season of Advent, following the rhythm of the candles, which symbolize the Hope of the patriarchs who expected Christ, the Peace the Messiah will bring, our Joy when we receive Jesus, and God's powerful Love for us.

Download or read book Home for Christmas written by Justin Coleman and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2018-09-18 with total page 88 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Home for Christmas brings inspiring stories of hope and second chances into the Advent season. Author and pastor Justin Coleman matches real life stories of struggle and triumph to the Advent themes of hope, love, joy, and peace to show how the light of Christmas shines brightly even in hard times. Each chapter lifts up a scripture reflection alongside tales of men and women who reflect on the Advent themes with love and longing. Throughout each of the four chapters and the accompanying DVD for a small-group experience, Coleman captures the stories of formerly incarcerated men and women as they find work and opportunity through Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, California. These men and women share their holiday memories and experiences in light of the hope and new life they’ve experienced at Homeboy. Forward by Father Gregory Boyle. Additional components for this four-week study include a comprehensive Leader Guide and a DVD featuring author and pastor Justin Coleman.

Download or read book Journeying with Hope into a New Year written by Paul R. Dekar and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2022-07-29 with total page 66 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Journeying with Hope into a New Year: Reflections for Advent and Christmas originated in 1982 when our family lived at Tantur, an ecumenical institute between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. My wife Nancy and I sent family and friends a letter highlighting our experience of Christmastide in the Holy Land. Inspired by writing this message from afar, we continue each year to write a letter with family news, a moving quote from a hymn or literary work, and spiritual reflections. These provide the basis for thirty-one meditations to be read daily through the month of December. Each includes a biblical text, a brief meditation, and a prayer. These may enable readers to experience more than the commercialism of the season and be led to magnify Jesus, the One who is at the heart of why we celebrate Christmas or write New Years' Resolutions. A line in The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery summarizes a crucial idea informing this collection: "And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."

Download or read book Heaven and Nature Sing written by Hannah Anderson and published by B&H Publishing Group. This book was released on 2022-10-11 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ECPA Christian Non-Fiction Bestseller, Christmas 2023 “Joy to the world—the Lord has come!” We sing these words every year, but what does it mean that the Creator came to his creation as a baby? How exactly does the “earth receive her King?” What does it sound like when rocks, hills, floods, and plains echo his praise? And what would it mean for you to join in the chorus? Heaven and Nature Sing invites you into a fresh reading of the Christmas story—one where earthy, overlooked things like snowflakes, trees, serpents, bodies, and swaddling bands reveal the glory of the Promised Son. Journeying from the first pages of Scripture to the last, you’ll experience the goodness of our Creator King and learn how the whole earth sings his praise. So this Advent season, join Hannah Anderson as she guides you through 25 meditations on the natural elements of the Christmas story. Accompanied by Nathan Anderson’s distinctive artwork, the entries gradually move you from hope to faith to joy to peace. Find your soul renewed and your heart restored, and discover once again why heaven and nature sing.

Download or read book Merry and Bright written by Kristin Demery and published by Tyndale House Publishers. This book was released on 2024-09-17 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discover what it means to come home for Christmas! As we prepare for Jesus’ arrival, how can we open our hearts and homes to Him and others in a way that adds joyful satisfaction rather than tension and stress? How can we experience Jesus in a way that celebrates the season and offers the respite that Advent promises? In Merry & Bright, beloved authors Kendra, Kristen, and Julie unwrap what coming home means this Christmas season--for ourselves, our families, friends, and community. Through this beautiful Advent devotional journey, we'll experience His hope, comfort, love, and joy, with an invitation to share these gifts with the world around us. By bringing a little bit of heaven down to earth, we’ll find the reminder that we are all invited home for Christmas.

Download or read book The Light of Advent written by Emma Witmer and published by . This book was released on 2021-05-25 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Advent season gives us an opportunity to slow down and focus on what Christmas means and brings. This collection of poetry is a devotional that follows the five candles of Advent: Hope, Peace, Joy, Love and Christ. May it help guide you as you reflect and meditate on the hope, peace, joy and love of Christ during the Christmas season, or at any time of the year.

Download or read book Come Discover Christmas written by Arnold R. Fleagle and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2024-09-03 with total page 137 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rediscover the Joy and Hope of Christmas This year, breathe fresh wonder and purpose back into the celebration of the Advent. Designed as a road map back to Bethlehem, this captivating devotional takes you on an unforgettable journey through the season. Complete with a takeaway thought and prayer, each daily entry is rich with biblical insight and comes to life through beautiful artwork. Rediscover the celebration of this season as you · experience anew the places and prophecies, sights and sounds, characters and colors of Christmas · explore the ironies, politics, and inconvenience of the first Christmas · embrace the true and enduring message and meaning of this holiday This season, infuse peace and joy back into your celebrations--and come discover Christmas.

Download or read book The Gifts of Christmas written by Sheila Walsh and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2023-10-17 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When you think of Christmas, what do you see? Glittering lights, decked-out trees, brightly wrapped gifts, a tightly packed schedule? Look closer. What do you hear? Ringing bells, familiar carols, Mariah Carey on an endless loop at the grocery store? Listen harder. In a season that is busy and bustling, there is a deeper, softer, quieter truth that we too often miss in the mayhem. God in our midst. God with us. The greatest gift. The only reason for the season. And the source of all our joy. If you've been feeling overwhelmed and exhausted by what Christmas has become, this beautiful Advent devotional will refresh your faith, reactivate your wonder, and restore your joy. With stories of simple Christmases past, inspiration from Scripture, and pearls of wisdom from beloved author Sheila Walsh, The Gifts of Christmas offers you grace, peace, hope, and a sense of expectation for what truly can be the most wonderful time of the year.

Download or read book Living in Joyful Hope written by Suzanne M. Lewis and published by LiturgyTrainingPublications. This book was released on 2005 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A collection of meditations and prayers that guide our journey from Advent into Christmas by using familiar biblical narratives, rites of the Church and original compositions. The book may be used daily by adults involved with Catechesis of the Good Shepherd or by those who simply wish to enhance their prayer life during these liturgical seasons. Great for whole community catechesis.

Download or read book Home for Christmas Leader Guide written by Justin Coleman and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2018-09-18 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Home for Christmas brings inspiring stories of hope and second chances into the Advent season. Author and pastor Justin Coleman matches real life stories of struggle and triumph to the Advent themes of hope, love, joy, and peace to show how the light of Christmas shines brightly even in hard times. Each chapter lifts up a scripture reflection alongside tales of men and women who reflect on the Advent themes with love and longing. Throughout each of the four chapters and the accompanying DVD for a small-group experience, Coleman captures the stories of formerly incarcerated men and women as they find work and opportunity through Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, California. These men and women share their memories and experiences in light of the hope and new life they’ve experienced at Homeboy. Additional components for this four-week study include a comprehensive Leader Guide and a DVD featuring author and pastor Justin Coleman.

Download or read book Because of Bethlehem with Bonus Content written by Max Lucado and published by Thomas Nelson. This book was released on 2016-09-13 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For some, Christmas is a time of excitement, celebration, and quality time with loved ones. For others, it's full of loneliness, grief, and loss. Join New York Times bestselling author Max Lucado as he unwraps the enduring promises of Christmas and discovers a lifetime of hope, all because of one baby born in Bethlehem. It's easy to lose sight of the remarkable story of Christmas. We forget that a king ordered a census, Joseph was forced to travel, Mary bounced on a donkey's back, the hotel was full, the hour was late, and the event was one big hassle. Yet, out of that hassle, hope was born. In Because of Bethlehem, Max invites us to look at the Christmas story from a different perspective. He reminds us that Christmas is about more than a pretty tree with presents piled up underneath it. Christmas begins what Easter celebrates: the child in the cradle who goes on to become the King on the cross. Because of Bethlehem, we have a place on earth and a Savior in heaven. In the midst of your hectic Christmas season, Max will give you the encouragement, advice, and tools you need to: Rekindle your connection to the Christ of Christmas Receive the promises of the Christmas season Lay down your endless Christmas to-do list and trust what Jesus has already done Heal your heartache by embracing the God who is always near you, always for you, and always with you Each copy of Because of Bethlehem will also include an Advent Devotional Guide designed to help you reflect on the miracle of Christ's birth and the promise of his return. As you curl up in a comfortable spot and take a closer look at the wild and wonderful story of Bethlehem, may you find enduring faith for all seasons of your life. No matter what this season holds for you, rest in the truth that the promise of Christmas has the power to bring you a lifetime of hope and healing.

Download or read book Hope Peace Love Joy written by Marcia Hotchkiss and published by . This book was released on 2020-11 with total page 82 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How do you prepare your hearts for Christmas as you prepare your homes, meals, and gifts? Underneath all the busyness of Christmas lies the true purpose of the season - the celebration of the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. Hope-Peace-Love-Joy is a four-week Advent study focused on preparing your hearts for the coming king. Start your day with a short devotional reading. Each week an engaging video teaching from our authors, Marcia and Gilda, will lead you into discussion questions included in the small group study guide. This Advent season, create some time to study, reflect, and discuss the significance of Jesus coming to dwell among his people. Invite your neighbors for a weekly coffee, teaching, and discussion, or gather your best friends to share in this special Advent study. Make time this Advent to focus on rekindling and sharing your faith.