GIVE THANKS FOR THE COMING OF THE CHRIST

“. . . give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

“On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived.” Luke 2:21
 

“The name the angel had given him . . . “ Wow! Jesus was the long expected Messiah and His name was written in Heaven before he was even conceived! Give thanks for the coming of the Christ!

 

A very full week has begun. My husband Bill’s birthday and my book signing at Barnes and Noble were on the first day of the week, yesterday, Sunday. Thursday is Thanksgiving and an opportunity to give God thanks for all He has given us: family and spouse, friends and community, meaningful and loved work, and so many more blessings if they were stars in the sky the entire Heavens would be ablaze with light! And yet, many of us set aside only one day a year to be thankful. The rest of the year, we complain about what we don’t have.

 

Starting on the first day of next week, Advent begins and the time until Christmas when we keep our mind stayed on the Child of Christmas, not the gifts or the clamor. Beginning next Sunday, the first day of Advent, remember to give thanks beyond Thanksgiving Day. Churches light the first Advent candle and homes often do the same. My Advent Devotional, Waiting for Jesus in a Can’t Wait World, has a devotional for each day and Social Network “shares.” Tweet or text the young people in your life with questions to dwell on for the day, like, “If Mary and Joseph slept in your garage tonight, where would you put the donkey?”

 

My Advent devotional book is available online at Cokesbury, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and others. Each of these outlets and standing Christian bookstores in your area, have Advent Devotionals of all kinds. You have until next Sunday to browse the stores and online to find the Daily Advent guide right for you and your family. Let this be the year when you are thankful in all circumstances, every day, Thanksgiving and each day leading up to and including Christmas. Practice thankfulness during these days leading up to Thanksgiving and each day proceeding Christmas – Advent. Practice can develop a turning of the mind and heart to God and what He has given to us, His beloved Children. Let us pray:

 

“Father God, Abba – Daddy, I bow before your holy name. Your angels in Heaven experience your glory every moment of eternity and yet, in sorrow, I admit that I do not given thanks always for the wonderful life you have given me. If I would be more faithful, I too would experience your presence as do the multitudes in Heaven. May this be the day when I begin a daily practice of thankfulness and say, ‘To God be the glory,’ speaking these words in my heart and to others around me, before the setting of the sun. Forgive me when I have assumed too much, felt entitled too much, and remembered you too little. I love you Lord, and choose to recognize, ‘To you belong all thanks and glory.’ In the name of your precious son, the Hope of the world, wrapped in swaddling clothes and full of light, love and song, Jesus the Christ of the World, I pray. Amen”

Doris

God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine.”

Copyright 2014 by Doris Gaines Rapp

Non-Fiction:

Waiting for Jesus in a Can’t Wait World – Advent 2014

Prayer Therapy of Jesus

Promote Yourself
Novelette:
News at Eleven (Glo Magazine Jan, Feb, March, and April 2015)
Novels:

Length of Days – The Age of Silence

Escape from the Belfry

Smoke from Distant Fires

Hiawassee – Child of the Meadow

Length of Days – Beyond the Valley (January 2015)

News at Eleven – A Novel (April 2015)
Children’s:

Lincoln’s Christmas Mouse

SNOW - A Four Letter Word

“Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:15-18 (NIV) 

“It’s snowing already!” Katy moaned as she hurried back in the house from the mailbox. 

At our house, snow has been a four letter word, something not spoken of and not acknowledged as “good.” Certainly, snow is neither welcomed nor valued. Remember, I said, in our house, not in our family. Our son James’ children love everything white, icy and cold. They have cross-country skis, ice skates and a snowmobile. Under their coats, they have insulated long-johns and socks. They are prepared, not to endure but to enjoy. 

In Thessalonians, we learn to give thanks in all circumstance because that is “God’s will for [us] in Christ Jesus.” Think about those few words. God wants us to be thankful in all things as grateful followers of his son Jesus Christ. Also, if we are in Jesus Christ, inheritors of his peace and grace, we are given the ability to give thanks in everything, through Christ, because that attitude of thankfulness will keep us healthy in mind, body and spirit. We are perfected in Christ in many ways. One way is through the ability to find “good” in all things and give thanks. 

“Love” is also a four letter word. Perhaps if we close our eyes and see “love,” in the embodiment of the Son of God, we can open our eyes to our circumstances, and see that which we can be thankful for, because we are seeing life through the eyes of Jesus. Let us pray: 

“Father of peace and love, I bow at the sound of your sacred name. May today be the day when I see life through the eyes of your son, Jesus, and give thanks. I have prayed for your warmth and have gotten snow. I have prayed for your peace and live in chaos, with new flooring being installed and whole-home  disruption. I ask today, for the ability to choose to see my circumstances through the eyes of your precious son, to let your four letter word be - love, your five letter word be – peace, and your six-letter word be - thanks. You give me the ability to see these blessings so that I will be healthy and strong. Forgive me when I resort to complaining and display an attitude of “ain’t it awful.” May I live in such a way that others may see you, and see not awful, but recognize “awe-full” - full of awe. May my circumstances be seen through the loving eyes of Jesus, that I might give thanks and find health and peace. In the name of your son, Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen”

Doris

Doris Gaines Rapp

"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine.”

Copyright 2014 Doris Gaines Rapp

Christmas and Advent books by Doris Gaines Rapp available on www.cokesbury.com, www.amazon.com, and www.barnesandnoble.com and others:
Waiting for Jesus in a Can’t Wait World – Advent 2014
Lincoln’s Christmas Mouse – a children’s story and picture book including a mouse that 
          talks, President Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War
Prayer Therapy of Jesus
If you are out and about next Sunday, November 23, I will be at Barnes and Noble, Jefferson Point Mall, Fort Wayne, signing Hiawassee - Child of the Meadow and Smoke from Distant Fires at their Discover Weekend and Local Author Fair, from 2-4 pm

God - My Completion

"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:3-6 NIV

How is it possible that Christmas advertisements are on TV already and trees adorn the stores? Wasn’t winter just six months ago? Didn’t the crocuses bloom only yesterday? Weren’t the trees full of color a few days past and most are now barren and waiting for the freezing snow? Will I ever make peace with the calendar?

I don’t mind getting older. I mind my life flying by like a movie in speed mode. How can I possibly see everything in my life that is so beautiful? How do I not miss the tiny miracles that fall around me like a mist of diamonds? How do I talk to each blessed soul that comes my way and not miss a single smile or falling tear?

As an author, I spent three hours on Saturday at the Allen County Public Library at a large author fair along with seventy other writers. The wonderful expressions of joy from readers who were obviously comfortable visiting the library on an afternoon were exciting to see. Yet, there was so much, I couldn’t take it all in. I had to wonder what I may have overlooked.

I’ve decided that I don’t have to worry about sights I miss or melodies unheard. God will hold every precious memory in His own heart. "I thank my God every time I remember you . . ." can be thought of in two ways. 1. Every time I think of you, I thank God for your presence in my life. 2. Every time God reminds me of you, I thank him for those memories.

God can hold every moment of our lives close to His own heart and keep it there forever. I can spend eternity seeing the sights and hearing the sounds that I didn’t really missed, I just didn’t attend to as I hurried by. For God holds all that was and is and will be in His heart, and when I am in harmony with Him, He will sing the words of my life over and over to me, so that each darling face will always be before my eyes. Blessed is He, my memory, my daily companion and the joy of my future. May He fill your life to perfect completion as well, both now and in the always. Let us pray:

"Holy Father, wise council, memory-keeper of all that is good, I praise your precious name. May your eternal kingdom come and dwell within me, that I may enjoy the peace of Heaven even as your angels do. Today, I ask that the joy of living may continue in me and spread to all those around me. Take away any fear of doing or saying so that your glory may be visible. Let my life touch another’s in such a way that any fear of living may be healed within them, but do not let me know when, or with whom so that I cannot boast. Forgive me when I have missed one of your children who needed your smile, as testified to through me. Let your peace, presence, love and companionship fill me, and all of us here, to overflowing so that all those who witness our lives may see you. In the name of your precious son, our Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen"
Doris
Doris Gaines Rapp
Copyright 2014 Doris Gaines Rapp

I will be signing Hiawassee – Child of the Meadow and Smoke from Distant Fires at Barnes and Noble, Jefferson Point Mall, Fort Wayne, on Sunday, November 23 from 2-4pm during Discovery Weekend.


Books by Doris Gaines Rapp available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Cokesbury and others:

Prayer Therapy of Jesus - Training in Prayer Therapy as used in all of these devotional prayers
Waiting for Jesus in a Can’t Wait World – Advent Devotional for 2014 including Social Media Shares
Hiawassee – Child of the Meadow
Smoke from Distant Fires
Escape from the Belfry
Length of Days – The Age of Silence
Lincoln’s Christmas Mouse – Reformatted to smaller size – available soon

Calm or Chaos?

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27 (NIV)

“Now, where did I put my coffee cup?” my husband, Bill asked as he maneuvered through the stacks of furniture piled in the middle of the living room and family room. He is painting the walls in preparation for new flooring to be installed.

Here I am, in my Lazy Boy, in the middle of all the pulled-up carpet and chaos, with my laptop in place, typing out twitter posts, an important email and sending out a message of peace to you all. As long as I focus on the computer screen and not my surroundings, I am clutter-minded free.

November is Native American Month and I think of Hiawassee (Rachel Meadows) and all she went through. She walked from North Carolina into Indiana with her settler husband in the early 1800’s but was shunned by his family, his community and his church. She was never bitter. She chose Christian love and forgiveness, and the Cherokee tradition of balance, over the hatred of those around her.

We too can choose Christ and his peace when we face chaos. Dwell upon these things: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” Let us pray:

“Father of peace and love, you allowed “forgiveness” to come into the world when you sent your son, Jesus, to live among us. Holy is your name and greatly to be praised. May your kingdom of peace come to my life today, just as it is in the realms of Heaven. Today, allow me to see those aspects of my life that add to the chaos around me and spill over into the space of others. Forgive me when I have fanned the flames of discord by not seeking your face and when I am intolerant of others who lack harmony. I love you Lord, and I lift my hands to you. May this be the day when I can bring a peace to another, by touching their life with your words and love. Do not let me know when that happens so I cannot brag. Only you are worthy of praise, Father. I pray in the name of, and by the power of your son, Jesus, the Christ. Amen”

Doris

"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine.”
Copyright 2014 Doris Gaines Rapp

I will be signing books and meeting readers at the Allen County Public Library Local Author Fair, downtown Fort Wayne, next Saturday, November 8, 2014 from noon until 3 pm. I hope to see you there. It is Native American Month and a good time to read, Smoke from Distant Fires and Hiawassee – Child of the Meadow.

It is also Alzheimer’s Disease and Caregivers Month. I will post an encouragement to caregivers, Al’s Talking, tomorrow on www.dorisgainesrapp.blogspot.com

Don’t forget to vote tomorrow! Read Length of Days – The Age of Silence.