ADVENT ~ UNWRAPPING JESUS' ...

PRESENCE - PRESENTS

the true

GIFT

is

wrapped up in one verse for me this year
ISAIAH 9:6

Isaiah 9:6The Voice (VOICE) Hope of all hopes, dream of our dreams,     a child is born, sweet-breathed; a son is given to us: a living gift. And even now, with tiny features and dewy hair, He is great.     The power of leadership, and the weight of authority, will rest on His shoulders. His name? His name we’ll know in many ways—     He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Dear Father everlasting,ever-present never-failing,     Master of Wholeness,Prince of Peace.

JESUS
the Child, a Son
Wonderful Counselor
our *(Hope)
Mighty God our *(Joy)
Everlasting Father our *(Love)
Prince of Peace our *(Peace)
attributes and names
of
JESUS
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*the traditional focus of each candle, each week - not necessarily in this order -  corresponds with the liturgical year and virtues of Jesus
I have put them in this order to correspond  with the scripture verse only
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I have "hemmed and hawed"; browsed and searched; considered and contemplated my plan to prepare my heart for JESUS, with JESUS, for the celebration of JESUS - His first coming and His second coming, this Advent until Christmas; I've looked at books and Advent reading plans, purchased some new ones and perused through some old ones, then started reading, but I keep coming back to this scripture verse and focusing on:
... JESUS ... 
these particular names and attributes found in Isaiah 9:6

Love God Greatly (LGG) is doing "His Name is ..." and one of the books that I acquired because of the wonderful You Version plan "All is Calm: Receiving Jesus Rest this Christmas" - 5 days just baited me more and more to get the author's book, so I did {btw, I thought of "unwrapping" long before I knew of this book} ... ever since I began this blog, I have looked and listed the names of Jesus and God (from studies and reading of Ann Spangler's books and Names of God Bible) with a deep desire to know Jesus more personally through His names and attributes. 
This past fall, I began my mornings and ended my evenings with the Holy Spirit (through 2 beautiful devotional books) and time with Him after completing Bonnie Gray's "Whispers of Rest", and I really enjoyed His presence and finding "rest" in Him. This is why that You Version plan caught my attention with that "rest" once again which leads to the "peace" I long to fully experience, not just this season, but daily living with the Prince of Peace, that I have had the Joy of knowing, the Hope of believing, and the immense Love of my Lord and Savior, for most of this life journey with Jesus. 
So, as I walk through this season and ending my year with the One Word - Healing, I've decided to really focus on the presence (presents) of JESUS by unwrapping the gift of Jesus, one name and attribute at a time, using the resources to guide me, but mainly the names in Isaiah, as I've outlined for each week on SONday and daily specific names that go with the theme focus and that Name ... also praying the names of Jesus. Worshiping Jesus ... with carols and contemporary songs or just being still. 
Advent starts the 4th Sunday before Christmas, which is Dec. 3rd this year but I actually began reading on Dec. 1st my devos
This week on:
HOPE
with our
WONDERFUL
COUNSELOR
Jesus  
Pondering how Jesus is truly a "wonderful counselor" who brings and is Hope to many of us, who need healing ... who need Godly wisdom ... who have beheld His wonderful - in awe of His wonder and being filled with gratitude as we try to take in the immeasurable amount of His love shown to us. The wonder we sense in His magnificent presence. The wonder of coming to know Him better, more intimately and letting Him change us from the inside out as He continually gives us one more ounce of "hope" as we hang on and anchor our faith in Christ Jesus. 
My words are inadequate to express how "wonderful" He is and how much of a "wonderful counselor" His Spirit becomes in us through His Word, so it is through His Word we find this Hope and hold on to the Hope we have, in believing in Him and believing Him. Allowing Him to be my "wonderful counselor" in my everyday situations and living, listening for His prompting, leaning in to hear His advice, staying close in and through His Word, checking whatever as it lines up with what He says in God's Word - the Bible, His love letter and basic instruction to us


I can't help but keep singing this Hillsong worship song
which goes from
what a beautiful name to wonderful  name to powerful name the sweet name of Jesus Come along with me as we unwrap Jesus and rest in His presence as we find our Hope Joy Love and Peace in Him this season of Advent - Christmas born to us which can be born in us anew

"Ponder on how you might need to see Jesus  revealed as Counselor in your life, situation, or circumstances and which names of Jesus bring you Hope or  comes to mind as you think of Him as Wonderful Counselor? "

[Let's see if any are the ones I choose to focus on each day this week] Light the first candle of Hope
as you ponder with me about Jesus (Matthew 1:21) Christ (Luke 9:20) Messiah (Daniel 9:25) King of kings, Lord of lords (1 Timothy 6:15) the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25, John 14:6) the Light of the world (John 8:12)
Yes, LGG and Billy Graham, I agree a beacon of  HOPE
and of course Wonderful Counselor with our verse Isaiah 9:6
You could take each one of those names of Jesus like I'm doing one for each day this week then truly worship Jesus, our Wonderful Counselor, our anchor or beacon of Hope ...  "HOPE of all hopes"  May these names bring you more
HOPE
this week! (and every day hereafter)