Isaiah 7:14
Well then, the Lord will himself give you a sign: a young woman who is pregnant will have a son and will name him Immanuel.
As I write this it’s mid-July and another in a string of days with temperatures in the mid-90’s. With the exception of a few ambitious retailers who are trying to stir up more business with “Christmas in July” sales, I doubt that very few of us are giving much thought to Christmas while we are sitting on the beach reading the latest bestseller.
by Ella R.
However, a song from one of my Celtic Women CD’s gave me pause to turn my thoughts to Christmas, even in the middle of summer. The refrain to “Green the Whole Year Round” is “Green the whole year ‘round/Green the whole year ‘round/The holly yew and the ivy tree/Are green the whole year round.”
Hearing these lyrics made me think, why is it that we celebrate the presence of God with us so intently at Christmas, but we don’t seem to retain that sense of peace, joy and wonder in the heat of the summer? This Advent it is my hope that we can know that God is with us every day.
Prayer: Dear God, may we rejoice in and be guided by your presence the whole year ‘round.
Ken Lantz, Jr.