"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion — to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair."~from ISAIAH 61 Bible verse for this Blog

APOLOGY to READERS who followed a SEARCH to HERE & didn't find it

On July 18, 2017, I drafted almost 3000 blog posts that I had published since 2008 when I began blogging, rather than edit each one. So if you clicked here from somewhere else and ended up with the post unavailable or error, I am sorry but this is why. It'd be too much work for me to go back and fix them. There's an explanation on 7/19/17 as I'm still learning.

Sunday, December 3, 2017

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)


To my faithful visitors;
all of you who spend your valuable time here with me
I do appreciate you so much!

Thank you for taking your time to visit!

Love, Sweet blessings & Hugs!

DIOS TE BENDIGA
GOD BLESS YOU

always

Peggy