Practical Advent is a daily blog series I’m doing throughout Advent this year. Join me on my blog each day for practical faith tips.

Practical Advent, Day 17

Since childhood, I’ve observed Advent each year. It’s been a wonderful way to build my faith and increase my anticipation of Christmas for all the right reasons. I highly encourage you to observe Advent as well, because it can help you be more intentional in this busy season.

In this Practical Advent blog series, I’ll have the same post format to give you about 10-15 minutes of practical tips for loving God, loving others, and loving yourself during the Advent season.

Praise

Each day of Practical Advent, I’ll share one of my favorite songs to listen to during Advent. Take a moment to praise God while you listen.

Here’s one to bless you – a double dip of Christmas hymns from Francesca Battistelli.

Ponder

Every day of Practical Advent, I’ll share a quote or idea from an Advent book in my collection for you to ponder, along with my thoughts and a few reflection questions.

Today’s quote is from The Miracle of Christmas by Stormie O’Martian. Yes, I quoted from it yesterday, and this quote was too good not to share.

Here’s the quote I’ve chosen to share today:

“When the angel was gone and the dream ended, Joseph woke with such a start he had trouble breathing at first. Gasping, he sat up suddenly. He could remember every detail of the vivid dream and each word spoken by the angel. The awesome sense of God’s presence he had felt in the dream still permeated the dark room.

Immediately words came to his mind that he had heard spoken by rabbis in the synagogue as they read from the Scriptures. ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.’

He got up and went to the window and looked out at the starry night.

‘Mary is…the virgin,’ Joseph said with great wonder, his voice catching in his throat.

‘Oh, Lord,’ he cried, as he fell to his knees beside his bed, ‘forgive me for doubting her. Forgive me for doubting You. I’ve seen it as in a dream, but I know I have heard from You tonight. It’s easy to understand why Mary has found so much favor with You. But that she will fulfill the prophecy of the coming Messiah is…well, it’s…it’s too great to comprehend.’

He wiped the tears from his eyes, but they would not stop flowing.

‘Thank You, God, that I am no longer troubled and torn. Thank You that I can wed the Mary I love. Thank You for the privilege of caring for her and this Child of Your promise. And I promise You that she will remain a virgin until the Messiah is born.’

He lay back on his bed to wait for daybreak, but his mind would not rest. Recalling how his own father had often traced their family lineage back to Abraham, through Isaac, Jacob, Boaz, Ruth, Jesse, and King David, suddenly Joseph was able to put it all together. I am that descendant of King David spoken of in the Scriptures, he thought to himself in amazement. ‘And I am just a simple carpenter,’ he said softly.

Reflection questions:

1. In this wonderful story, the prophecy from Isaiah brought Joseph comfort and perspective right when he needed it.
   How has God’s Word given you comfort and perspective right when you needed it?
2. How does knowing that God spent generations weaving Joseph and Mary into his master plan for humanity encourage you in your purpose today?

Pray

Today I’m sharing the prayer from the chapter in the book above because it’s so good.

“Lord, I know You do great things for those who love You. And You do great things through those who live Your way.

Help me not to doubt the great things You are doing in my life. When You are bringing one of Your promises to fulfillment in me, help me to see it and have faith.

Give me discernment, just as You gave to Joseph, when You speak to me concerning Your will for my future.  I don’t want to anguish over the things You are bringing to pass just because I don’t understand what You are doing. Give me ears to hear, eyes to see, and faith to believe. Forgive me for ever doubting Your ability to make things turn out right.

It’s so easy for me to think small in relation to what You want to do in my life and not see the bigger picture. I don’t want to ever be a hindrance to Your purposes on earth. I want to be Your instrument to accomplish them.

I don’t want my first reaction to difficult situations, or things that don’t go my way, to be that of doubt, discouragement, depression, or fear. Instead I want to trust that You are in charge of my life and will bring good out of everything that happens. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

Pour In

Static electricity is so annoying this time of year. In order to avoid those painful, surprising shocks we all hate, I spray my clothes with Static Guard each morning, and this really helps cut down the unwelcome irritation in my life. You can get a convenient travel size HERE.

Pour Out

My podcast episode, Handling Drama at the Holidays, will prep you to be more loving, patient, and understanding this season. Listen to it HERE.

Just for Fun

Yesterday I listened to this jazzy instrumental version of We Three Kings by one of my favorite artists, Harry Connick Jr. For a moment, it transported me back to the streets of New Orleans, where I once enjoyed a delicious beignet from the famous Cafe Beignet, while admiring the beautiful architecture and being charmed by the unique dialects of local residents. I hope it helps your spirits rise today. Watch/listen HERE.

See all new and/or previous posts in this series on THIS PAGE.

Find all my additional resources for Advent on THIS PAGE.

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