Christmas Advent Reflections 2024

 

The start of Advent for 2024, I am still in a mess stage. 

Special Christmas Tree for you ! 

Tilt the picture to see it.

4 Dec 2024

https://annkroeker.com/2022/12/22/whats-your-christmas-reflection/

Christmas Childhood Memory :-

I remember one of the most special cloth doll my parents bought me when I was 8 or 9 years old. It was such a special gift to hold a cloth doll. 

5 Dec 2024

https://drmichellebengtson.com/christmas-reflection-prayer/

What is my reflection Prayer?

For peace within my heart, to accept what is my portion, my trials, my challenges in this phase of my life. Come what may, the Lord is with me to handle it together !

For peace within my family, the harmony and love to accept one another as we are, that our children will grow to love God dearly, follow Christ nearly, Obey the Spirit closely. May the path of the life they travel on be full of testimonies for the Lord, always overcoming challenges, and always leading back to the way of the Lord.

For peace among my friends and colleagues, may they know God more in their lives, get to experience the true unconditional love, and able to accept this wonderful gifts from God.

For peace within Malaysia as we usher in election for Sabah in 2025, peace among the people and peace among the politicians. Let all strife be arrested in the righteous truth. Let the best leaders come into power, the ones who are willing to serve the people.

For peace within this world, the tension in the middle east, the wat between Russia and Ukraine and the many other conflicts, let there be ceasefire and let the peaceful negotiation begins ! 

223 December 2024

Twas, the eve of the eve of Christmas 2024, 23 December is a crucial day that is weighing on the balance scale, hang in the balance, sense of suspense whether ALL the Wishful To Do List for this Christmas Wish List can be achieved or not. It is a time to drop wishful thinking or good ideas off the list, it is often very sad to take note that important things that got to be let go, while the urgent things got to remain in the Final To Do List. The tension of the days before Christmas Eve ! This is called the time pressure stress ! 

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43171/a-visit-from-st-nicholas

A Visit from St. Nicholas

By Clement Clarke Moore

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds;

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;

And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,

Gave a lustre of midday to objects below,

When what to my wondering eyes did appear,

But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny rein-deer,

With a little old driver so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment he must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:

"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;

So up to the housetop the coursers they flew

With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too—

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,

Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a pedler just opening his pack.

His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath;

He had a broad face and a little round belly

That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight—

“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

Just like that, Christmas comes and be gone in matter of hours and days ! If we do not make the effort to quiet down to reflect, we would not be able to do so. 

The Hope of Hospitality



“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written: “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing the praises of your name.” Again, it says, “Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.” And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; let all the peoples extol him.” And again, Isaiah says, “The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; in him the Gentiles will hope.” May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭15‬:‭7‬-‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/111/rom.15.7-13.NIV

Ephesians 2:14-16

Romans 15:

Galations 3:28

No longer master or sleeves, no longer

Advent

highlight the fulfillment of God’s Promises

God’s plan is for all people

calls us to reconciliation and unity

reflect His reconciling love by foster unity

teaches us Hospitality

inspires Hopes for all people

hospitality is the heart of the Gos

its all about Welcome



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