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As part of our Lenten journey, we will be posting reflections, prayers, and disciplines and practices from a variety of sources. Click on the links below as we journey together to Easter.

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Welcome to Musings! As participants in the conversations on this blog, we covenant together that we will maintain a spirit of good will, of openness to each other, and of mutual respect in our discussions; that we will listen to each other and endeavor to understand each other, especially those whose views differ from ours; and that we will remember that we are brothers and sisters in Christ.

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  • The Musings Page will be a place to consider thought-provoking, evocative, sometimes polemical but not overtly political, writings, quotes, ideas, and poetry on the Christian life in all its facets: spiritual, religious, ethical, and practical.

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Musings

December 2, 2011

posted on December 2, 2011 by Musings

First Friday in Advent — Be Still and Know That I am God


Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure.
Psalm 16: 9

When I think about Psalm 16: 9, I think about the prayer that I learned when I was Dubby’s age, “Now I lay me down to sleep.” Now, when I add my personal prayers, it helps me go to sleep, to rest, because I have told God everything that is going on. In general, I am a happier person and feel safer because I have God, or God has me.

In the Children’s Worship Center, we learned a song, “Be still and know that I am God.” In this song God is telling us that we can be calm and He is letting us know that He is always around. The whole reason we have Advent is to prepare for Jesus, but people have turned it into all about buying presents, decorating and parties. People make themselves too busy. People sign themselves up for too much. We all need to set aside time in all our days to focus on Jesus. We need to be calm. “Be still and know that I am God.”

Today’s first reflection was written by Emma Day Grantham, a member of the Middle School Youth Group at First Presbyterian Church, Shreveport

During the Advent season all eyes need to be on Christ. We have made that increasingly more difficult as we continue to change the Advent season into one big holiday blur. We need to stop, remember, anticipate. In her book Hurry Less Worry Less at Christmas, Judy Christie says, “By focusing on Jesus and beginning to anticipate his birth, we can change ourselves and begin to change the world one person at a time.” We think that all the hurry and preparations in an effort to make everything just perfect, will make ourselves and others happy.  In fact, we are only left tired and yearning for a better way to connect to God.  However, the peace of mind that comes with quiet times with our Immanuel, God with us, is what truly makes our souls rejoice, our bodies rested and secure.

Prayer: Come, thou long-expected Jesus, born to set thy people free; from our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in Thee.  Amen

Today’s second reflection was written by Hillary Grantham and her mother Karen Yoder Day, members of First Presbyterian Church, Shreveport

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