ADVENT INSPIRATIONS - DAY 22

PRINCE OF PEACE

Serrena

Many years ago, I sat in the Bismark, ND airport on a snowy December day, waiting for my flight to go back home. Because it was so cold the flakes of snow were not very big, and it was just lightly falling to the ground. My heart was heavy as I had just the day before attended my grandmother’s funeral. There was something so peaceful at that moment even as those around me there were busy talking. I had a bit of travel anxiety about connecting flights, the weather, and will I make it home for my daughter’s birthday. Even though all these were factors it was like the Lord had stopped the world around me for a moment of serene peace. I am sure some would tell me I was crazy as there is nothing peaceful about traveling when the weather is not too good.
But this example is exactly how I see our King Jesus the Prince of Peace. Not only does he calm my soul, but he brings order to all the chaos within our life. And yet he is so much more than just a peaceful moment. In Isaiah, the Prince of Peace is literally translated as Yahweh-Shalom. Shalom is the Hebrew word for Peace. It means wholeness in all of life, a completeness that cares for more than just a situation. It cares about our welfare and safety as well. Jesus, our Prince of Shalom, cares about me in the good and bad times, because I have put my faith in Him.
Paul tells us in Philippians:6-7, “Don’t worry about anything, instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” God wants me to bring everything to Him in prayer. His peace will calm my heart and mind. Bring everything to the Lord. He is with you with every breath you take. You just need to call on Him. He wants us to have a completeness, a wholeness for our well-being and safety.
Jesus came so we would no longer be separated from God and brought us the peace we seek in our lives. He connected us to our life source the God of the universe. Jesus, the Prince of Shalom, my Savior, rescuer, healer, provider, and defender. This is who he is to me. 

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ADVENT INSPIRATIONS - DAY 21

EVERLASTING FATHER

Rick

When I think of the word “everlast”, I think of boxing gloves. Back in the heyday of boxing (when I used to follow the sport) it seemed that all boxers wore the “Everlast” brand of gloves. Ali, Foreman, Frazier –all the really good fighters. As good as they were, I consider by far the greatest fighter of all to be our everlasting Father God.
“For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory” (Deuteronomy 20:4). “…it was the Lord your God who fought for you” (Joshua 23:3). “…because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised” (Joshua 23:10). God has fought for us throughout history and has sent his Son Jesus Christ to “fight” alongside us. “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take
hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses” (1 Timothy 6:12). Faith = our trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior; Eternal life = everlasting. We are to fight the good fight through Jesus, who is God, who is everlasting. We have always been able to count on him, and we always will. 

ADVENT INSPIRATIONS - DAY 20

EVERLASTING FATHER

Lorelle

The first word of this name for Jesus, Everlasting, refers to a span of time. It reminds me of Rev. 21:06 “….. I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.” He was in the beginning, He is now, and He always will be. The name Father refers to a relationship. Since I love and trust Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I am his child and He is my Father. As my father, He:
Forgives my sins
is Accessible to me
Trustworthy
Heals all my hurts and woes
Exemplifies all that is perfect, good and Holy
Redeemed me
Thank you, Everlasting Father, that all my life you have been and will continue to be faithful and good. –

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ADVENT INSPIRATIONS - DAY 19

EVERLASTING FATHER

Caden

To me, Everlasting Father is how I would describe God. Everlasting father means a father that will never leave you. Our God is our Heavenly Father and has promised to never leave us. Human fathers are unfortunately not always there for us but because our God is an everlasting father, he will never leave us.

 

ADVENT INSPIRATIONS - DAY 18

EVERLASTING FATHER

Summer

For years, I completely misunderstood God–the Father. I was afraid of Him, in fact. In my own understanding, I separated God and Jesus. Add that to the way we often try to compare God to a human father. Anyone who had negative experiences with their human father, attributes those qualities to God. It becomes very difficult then, to call God our Father and see that as a positive word.

Jesus came down to the Earth and was all things loving, and accepting, and good. He showed us who the father is and just how much he loves us. Jesus explains clearly in John 14:7, “If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” And again in John 14:9, “. . .Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father “. To know Jesus is to know the Father. As I seek to know him more, he does not disappoint. He has proven time and again that he is for me and not against me. I can be confident that nothing can ever separate me from his love. Romans 8: 31-39. Unlike any human, he never changes. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. “ Hebrews 13:8.

Jesus came at Christmas so that I could know the Father, experience Him, and live with him forever, here on Earth and forever. No wonder the angels sang in praise, “Glory to God in the highest , and on Earth peace, goodwill toward men!” Luke 2:14.

 

ADVENT INSPIRATIONS - DAY 17

EVERLASTING FATHER

Galen

I lost my earthly/biological father over 40 years ago! I still miss him at times and often wonder when I have a problem at work-(my dad was a great mentor!),or with a Life matter, what would he do or say in that instance, but it’s not the same of having an actual conversation! At best ,maybe a good guess!
That said, I know I have an Everlasting Father, (and have had for over 40 years!), that I can talk to ANY time, under ANY circumstance or predicament ! Big or small, my Everlasting Father, is there to hear my concerns, my requests, my prayers, and my praises! No matter what, when, or where, He is always there, and will answer in his time!,(sometimes slower than I want,!) But always faithful to reply!
How thankful and comforting and peace giving it is to have my Everlasting Father with me ALL the time!
Than You Lord and Hallelujah to Our EVERELASTING FATHER!

 

ADVENT INSPIRATIONS - DAY 16

EVERLASTING FATHER

Julie

EVERLASTING… I spontaneously think of “from this point forward”, forever, for eternity; yet I know Our
Father has always been, as well as always will be. FATHER… generally what comes to my mind is provider
and protector. Personally, what comes to my heart is the memory of the one who rocked me, read to
me comforted, guided, disciplined, taught, encouraged, lead, entertained, and listened to me – an
earthly father who knew our Everlasting Father well.

Especially this time of year, some may feel a sense of loss because one’s own loving father is no longer
living; others may have an unfulfilled longing for the kind of father wished for. Fortunately, we all have
been given the gift of a father that is perfect and will be with us forever. My introduction to the
Everlasting Father was natural and desirable. Because of the faith I saw in my parents, I yearn to know
Him more fully and deeply. Rest assured, this Everlasting Father is waiting to hold, protect, provide,
guide, teach and fully love every one of us. We rejoice that Jesus the Messiah is the only one who can
reveal God’s fatherly character to us, for He is one in nature and essence with the Father. He came to
this broken, sinful world to fill our hearts with heaven’s love. His compassion is constant and will never
fail. Jesus manifested the power of the Mighty God, but the heart of the EVERLASTING FATHER.

 

ADVENT INSPIRATIONS - DAY 15

EVERLASTING FATHER

Jon

Everlasting Father was one of the names given to Jesus as described in Isaiah 9:6. This is such an incredible title as it means that He is, and will be, our father forever, for all of eternity. He is the father of all things created and all people on earth. All that we have are gifts from Him and as our Father, he is not only our Savior but also our Provider. As an earthly father, we try our best to set a good example for our children and as our Father, He sets the perfect example for us to follow.

 

ADVENT INSPIRATIONS - DAY 14

MIGHTY GOD

Lynn

My inspiration for Advent is the Hope candle. Without hope none of us would survive this upside down world. Our hope & our faith is through our salvation of Jesus. We will either be with Him when we pass on or when He comes back.

ADVENT INSPIRATIONS - DAY 13

MIGHTY GOD

Kim

To me the name Mighty God is a title that represents strength, power, and the ability to do the impossible. Mighty God brings comfort and healing in ways that surpass human understanding. It signifies a source of strength and hope that goes beyond what is ordinarily possible, providing a sense of security and faith in the face of challenges.
Over the past few years, I’ve had the chance to witness the incredible might of our God. It’s astonishing to see how He can transform seemingly hopeless situations into something truly beautiful and remarkable. He has the ability to mend the most broken of hearts, filling them with life, laughter, and love once more. Unlike any human, our Mighty God offers unparalleled comfort and loves unconditionally. I can truly say that our God is a Mighty God.

ADVENT INSPIRATIONS - DAY 12

MIGHTY GOD

Erin

My first thoughts for the name “Mighty God” is my hero. God is simply a staple of strength and authority. We put on the armor of God because He is mighty and protects us. I know anything I am burdened with or worry about will lay on the shoulders of my savior and because He is mighty, He will take it all with grace and love.

ADVENT INSPIRATIONS - DAY 11

MIGHTY GOD

Keegan

The word mighty means strong or powerful. There are many examples in the Bible of God’s mighty power. A few are: parting the Red Sea when freeing the Isrealites from Egypt, when the chariot came and took Elijah, when David defeated Goliath, and all the miracles Jesus performed. It’s crazy to me that he has that kind of power. No human has that kind of power. I know that when I feel sad or scared, that same God will help me.

ADVENT INSPIRATIONS - DAY 10

MIGHTY GOD

Randy

Merciful
In control
God in three persons
Holy
To worship
Yearns for us!
Giver
Omnipotent
Divine

ADVENT INSPIRATIONS - DAY 9

WONDERFUL COUNSELOR

Jenn

“Mighty God” reminds me of God‘s power in saving, providing for and protecting His people. I love the many images in the Psalms and prophets, about how powerful God is to protect the poor, the needy and the oppressed. Zephaniah 3:17 refers to God as the “mighty warrior” who saves and rejoices over the people He saves. I know that I am entirely safe in God‘s care, and that when I am weak, He is strong.

ADVENT INSPIRATIONS - DAY 8

MIGHTY GOD

Kathy

On reflecting on Mighty God I was directed to Ephesians 3:20. God gives me the power to overcome problems and tribulations that I could not handle on my own. He also blesses me more abundantly than I could ever imagine. An example of this in my life is when I lost my first baby a day after birth, then experienced an ectopic pregnancy four months later! I thought I would never be a mom and was utterly devastated. However, God had a different plan for my life. Today I am the mother to three wonderful children and five grandchildren. I can’t imagine going through the ups and downs of life without our “Mighty God!” –

ADVENT INSPIRATIONS - DAY 7

WONDERFUL COUNSELOR

Kellie

Long after I realized who was really behind all the gifts under the tree, my mom kept writing “From Santa” on gift tags, and I still love the feeling of magic as Santa appears throughout the season to hear our wishlists, hand out candy canes, light up the big tree downtown. I am so fortunate to have had a safe and secure childhood that let me believe in the magic of Christmas. And yet, as life got heavy and hard, I had to learn where to find real help. When jobs are lost, babies die, trusted friends betray us, there is no magic dust to keep our lights on. But there is someone who will show us the way forward — Jesus, our Wonderful Counselor. And while writing a Christmas list and mailing it to the North Pole is a really fun tradition, I’m glad I have a more reliable line of communication to the Wonderful Counselor. In my most troubled times, my prayers have been a desperate, “Help me.” Sometimes I can ask for specific advice from Him, but when I don’t know what I need, I can trust that He always does. And when I listen to His counsel, I find something better than Christmas magic — real, deep, lasting peace and joy.

ADVENT INSPIRATIONS - DAY 6

WONDERFUL COUNSELOR

Audrey

Let’s start off with some definitions:
Wonderful- incomprehensible, unimaginable, without understanding, amazingly awesome!
Counselor-someone who gives advice to someone else: king’s advisor, school counsellor.
Wonderful Counselor- someone unimaginable who gives advice. (a.k.a. God!)
Imagine you were really interested in something. For example, like playing the flute. Wouldn’t it be awesome if the person who created the flute came to you and said, “I’m going to give you some tips on how to play it.” Or maybe they said, “This is why I made it in this shape, so it could do this.” Wouldn’t it be amazing?
Well, God is like the person giving tips, and we’re like the kid wanting to play the flute. He created us, and wants to help us. You see, sometimes we think we’re experts on how to live life, but really, God is the expert. God came down to earth, and He gave us tips on how to live life. He gave us the ten commandments, He gave us the Bible, He even came down to Earth as a human, and told people with His own mouth and words.
So, what wonderful counselor means to me, is a God who gave His life and His time to come and help us learn how to live life. He made it so we had a person to trust, to be able to tell our feelings to, even when no one else is there to hear them. God is our Wonderful Counselor.
Shoutouts to… Rachel and David (my parents), for giving me advice and for helping me through it all. I would also like to thank Silver Creek Fellowship (SCF), for helping me have this chance to touch other’s hearts!
God can change people’s lives, and I’m so glad that God has chosen me to help people see Him through me! I hope you have enjoyed this article, and I hope that you can become even closer to God! I hope that you will remember our Wonderful Counselor this Christmas season! – Audrey (age 10)

ADVENT INSPIRATIONS - DAY 5

WONDERFUL COUNSELOR

Ann

Isaiah 9:6 tells us of our coming Lord:
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Its easy to read over this and miss the richness of the promise in this scripture, the name, Wonderful Counselor. We all can think of things that are wonderful. And we can all explain what a counselor does. This Christmas season I want to soak in these promises. Really take hold of what they mean. So…
Jesus is my Wonderful Counselor! He alone knows me well enough to advise me, to guide me, to correct me. His advice is always wonderful because it is always perfect! I don’t always follow His advice, and sometimes I don’t even want to follow His advice. Sometimes, His advice is the hard path. And I would rather take the easy way out. Looking at this name, Wonderful Counselor, reminds me that He alone is where I find the right direction, the perfect advice, the answer I need, this is where I find peace. I wish you a very Merry Christmas, and am praying you find PEACE in your Wonderful Counselor this season.

ADVENT INSPIRATIONS - DAY 4

WONDERFUL COUNSELOR

Doug

Wonderful Counselor is to me:

Guide (directs my path….-> -> ->)
Listening Ear (always hears me…. sometimes I’m whining)
Advisor (got to trust Him; He’s got it right)
Encourager (I’m told to not give up on His plan… “I got you dougie”)
Future (counsel that leads to a great destination…greater than I can imagine)
Foundation (Rock Solid…I can build on this)

God Bless Ya’ll Hohoho – Doug

ADVENT INSPIRATIONS - DAY 3

WONDERFUL COUNSELOR

Kristie

When I was in high school, my dad was a high school counselor. I always admired him and thought he was so good at his job. Students loved him, community members held him in high regard, and he seemed to enjoy being able to help others. When I became an adult and chose a career path for myself, I had high aspirations of being just like my dad. I naively thought that since I really liked people and had a heart that wants to help, I would miraculously be the perfect counselor that would solve all the problems for all the kids. The only problem with that is that for the last 9 years I’ve been trying awfully hard to do that and it just isn’t working. I could blame it on lack of parental support, district budget cuts, the increase in social media, covid…..but the reality is that I can’t do it…..because I’m not God. I am not all knowing. I am not full of love all the time, in fact I am often full of sin. I sometimes lack compassion and patience and I can only see things from my own very limited viewpoint. I’ve not walked in these student’s shoes and no matter how much I WANT to help, I do not have control over a lot of things, like their homelife, their mental health, their support system, their cognitive development, their past trauma, and their desire for change. The good news is that God did not call me to do HIS job. He only called me to show up to mine. While I may not be the best counselor and the fixer of all things at Silverton High School, HE is the WONDERFUL COUNSELOR. He IS all knowing. He DOES have compassion and patience. He IS the one who sees the big picture and orchestrates everything for the good of those who love him. There is nothing that anyone can do that would change the way he feels about them. He is a comforter, a source of peace in a chaotic life, and he doesn’t only work from 7:30-3:30, he’s FULL time. – Kristie

ADVENT INSPIRATIONS - DAY 2

WONDERFUL COUNSELOR

Megan

Wonderful Counselor means we can trust Him to listen to our anxieties and lead us in the right direction. Because He loves us, we can be certain that His guidance has our best interests at heart. Our family recently had a bittersweet day when we spent Thanksgiving with my grandmother in her assisted living facility. But I know that Jesus loves her and has her in the exact place she needs to be in order to receive the care she requires now. I can lean on Him during these times and have that security and comfort.

ADVENT INSPIRATIONS - DAY 1

WONDERFUL COUNSELOR

 Dayna

It’s the promise we are taught from Isaiah that God through the baby Jesus will always be there for us, to guide us, listen to and talk with us. For me he is the Father I can go to anytime, anywhere and he is never to busy. I know if I come to him he will be there waiting for me.