Category: advent

Advent{ure} Season No. 2

And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years… (Genesis 1:14 NIV)

IMG_3833
My sister, J. Gillian, with her surprise Christmas gift!

At times during this season, I have felt behind schedule. I didn’t decorate my house is one full swoop. I bought presents and wrapped them right up to and including December 24th. I could have berated myself, but a still, small voice, reminded me:

“It’s not too late.”

And my friend, Jody Collins’ voice, gently encouraged me,

“Start small. Start now.”

Earlier this year, Jody Collins announced that she was publishing a book to guide us into the Christmas season. To slow down the rush, to re-calibrate with a different calendar, to observe sacred days with a new sense of wonder. I had the honor of being part of Jody’s launch team, so I read her book early, and it set my inner compass. Her words kept the holiday season from overwhelming me.

A few weeks ago…

I planned to write regular posts during Advent to reflect on this season. To rekindle a sense of adventure in the cold, dark nights of winter was my intent. Instead, I chose to live in the moments. Asking the Creator of the Universe how to celebrate this particular sacred time, over and over, as the days unfolded.

One morning, my sister and I were talking about what kind of things could stave off boredom in our lives. We recalled pursuits that brought us joy.We thought about how play could be incorporated into our lives to push back the blues of winter.

On a cold, wintry day, my friend and I strolled through the Botanical Gardens. We turned off the path into a warming meander through the Climatron. She remembered how her sister had wanted to go to film school. I shared my recent insight, “It’s not too late.” Maybe her sister could still go to film school. We both felt a lift in our spirits, just thinking about the possibility of doing something now, starting small, but not giving up on our dreams.

Some time earlier this year . . .

I believed that I had achieved most of my dreams. I finished my English degree in 2011, and at the same time self-published a little book of devotions. The past several years, my husband and I have traveled on our little boat, a dream come true, a dream we didn’t even know we had until we bought the boat. I imagined our sons growing up, and leading successful lives. And they are living happy, successful and love-filled lives. I often thought about opening a small coffee shop, which hasn’t come to be, but I do have a coffee machine, and a home art studio/classroom. Space where we come together and build community and share our hopes and dreams.

As I pondered these dreams, I had a sinking feeling that I didn’t have any more dreams to fulfill. Then I thought again. A dream for happiness, a dream for love, a dream for sharing life with others, a dream of trying something new, or a dream of rekindling an old love may seem impossible. But as I pondered anew, what it meant to dream, my hopes soared.

This year . . .

I have had the joy of witnessing a handful of friends bring their dream to life. Each one followed a similar path, a path to self-publish a book. And their tenacity and hope, kindled in me a desire to re-publish my little book on createspace.

It’s not too late. Check out these labors of love, and cherished dreams:

Jody Lee Collins (Living the Season Well: Reclaiming Christmas)

Cecelia Lester (Times of Trouble Bring Rays of Joy: Thoughts of God and His Word)

Dawn Paoletta (Journaling for Discovery and Delight: Creative Journal Prompts for Your Journey)

A. R. Stanley (Dandelion Jane: Strawberry Jelly)

And my little dream . . .

Kel Rohlf (Defining Moments: Overflowing with Living Words)

 

Posted on by kelrohlf 5

Weary: Lacking Strength, Energy, or Freshness Because of a Need for Rest


The Sovereign Lord has given me his words of wisdom,
    so that I know how to comfort the weary.
Morning by morning he wakens me
    and opens my understanding to his will.
(Isaiah 50:4 NLT)



Just as a tree drops its leaves to rest for the winter, from time to time we need to shed a few things in order to rest and renew ourselves. Each month this year, I have been listening to hear the voice of the Shepherd.

For November, Jesus is calling me to rest. To lie down in the green pastures of silence and solitude. To be led in paths for His name’s sake. To have Him prepare a table before me. So that I may return with mercy and goodness at my heels, and fresh words for the weary.

Stay tuned for a brand new series in December . . .

Advent{ures}:The Favor of God


I really enjoyed putting together and participating in the 31 Days of Quiet series. I will leave the page up in November, in case, you’d like to revisit some of the “ways to wake up your quiet time.” I hope you have been refreshed. That was my intention. I see the posts and Pam Farrel’s ideas as a great resource to infuse life into our devotional time with God, because we do get weary and stuck some times. 

Please visit on Thrilling Guest Thursdays in November, as I have a few of my favorite guests lined up to feed your soul with their lovely words!

For this mini sabbatical, I will be resting, reading and relying on the Holy Spirit to rejuvenate and realign my focus as we near the new year, which liturgically speaking begins with Advent. See you in December!  

Linking with Soli Deo Gloria Party!

Posted on by kelrohlf 6

Rejoice: To Welcome Again

We are here in the presence of God,
    Stripped of pride
    and a false sense of importance.

God has called us to be still and quiet,
     To sense the comfort of his Spirit
     and the satisfaction of his presence.

O fellow pilgrims,
let us put our hope in the Lord
     Both now and forevermore. Amen.

Psalm 131, paraphrased (found in Sing to the Lord hymnal)

Posted on by kelrohlf 1

Silence: Absence of Mention

When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.  Job 2:11-13 NIV
 


Silence. No words. No explanations. No answers. Just troubles multiplied upon troubles. Nothing to be said. Nothing to be heard. For seven days and seven nights. For four hundred years. For nine months. Joy comes in the mourning.

Sometimes the journey takes a twist. Irony enters the story. The liturgy of this week invites us to rejoice. To rejoice with Elizabeth and Zechariah who went from barrenness to fruitfulness. To remember Mary’s Magnificat. To hear the angels bring glad tidings of great joy.

Really? Now? Rejoice?

I need definition and meaning. The dictionary offers delight as a meaning for joy. It falls hollow. Further down under antonyms, rejoice juxtaposes with lament.

Lament feels better. Feels like the right word. First, Jeremiah comes to mind as the great lamenter. He expressed his grief through prophetic and poetic language. And then I think of Job, whose name is one letter short of joy. And whose life joys were destroyed by death.

Yet, joy surfaces in the language of lament. Strange.

As we journey closer to Bethlehem, I plan to take a side trip to the land of Uz, to better understand how joy can even be mentioned in the midst of devastation. Dare you join me?

Posted on by kelrohlf 1

New Year’s Eve

Advent{ures}: Let’s Go to Bethlehem

Yes, according to the church calendar it is New Year’s Eve. The eve of the new liturgical year. Tomorrow marks the First Sunday of Advent. As we enter the season, I have been grateful for this extra week of preparation.

After cleaning up from last week’s company, I have time today to decorate the house for Christmas. With our children away from home, I ran into some unexpected emotion last night. But it is not an unfamiliar meltdown, you could almost say that this reaction is a tradition.

The Christmas tree and I have a love/hate relationship. Here’s a vintage post from the archives…that tells you about my heart and God’s persistent grace.



 
 

“This is the LORD’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.”
(Psalm 118:23)
 
 

It was my designated time to clean the family room, and then decorate the tree, and put up other decorations. I really was hoping to not hear myself complain this year, as I went about this task. I started out well, but cleaning always takes longer than I expect. I had a bit of headache. And I just wasn’t feeling the Christmas mood, even with the carols wafting through the air. I even heard myself ask, “Whose idea was it to decorate Christmas trees anyway…grrr…?”

My oldest son, who was sitting in the other room tried to encourage me by reminding me that four years ago, we all decided that I only had to decorate as much as I wanted. His comment helped me relax, and enjoy myself. And I put a few things back in their boxes, and decided once again I didn’t have to put all the ornaments on the tree.

It’s kind of strange that I had already forgotten the inspiring answer I gave to my mother earlier in the week, when she asked a similar question:
 
“Why do we rearrange our whole house for this holiday?”
 
I immediately answered, “We’re making room for Jesus.”
 
We both were stunned for a moment at the simply profound answer that came out of my mouth. But I had spoken it to myself in years past.

This time I noticed an even more amazing parallel thought. Jesus rearranged his whole life to enter our world. He took on flesh. He humbled himself to be born in a manger. He humbled himself to die on the cross. He humbly followed and devoted himself to the Father’s plan.

Maybe the music of Christmas and the mood I long for, and the joy that eludes me are not resonating with me because I have neglected to acknowledge, that this is God’s doing.
 
Christmas is his way of reaching out to me, to all mankind. And it is indeed marvelous when I really take the time to contemplate all that it means to honor Christ in all aspects of life.

How will you decorate your life this season? What ways can we celebrate Christ in our homes and our hearts this Christmas?

Mom’s Christmas Tree 2010
Posted on by kelrohlf 4