Home Sanctuary

The Best of Home Sanctuary

Hey there, friends,

I've been blogging here since 2006 - the "olden days" of sharing on the internet! I'm working on a new and different blog space that reflects where I am today, but until that's ready for you, I thought I'd dust off some of my best posts from the past. I've loved re-reading these and hope you will too!

Enjoy:

Older Kids and Empty Nest

Dear Lonely Mom of Older Kids - my most loved and shared post of all time

Mama, There is Hope

Motherhood, From the Way Back Seat

Dear Mom Who Feels Lost

Dear Mom of Teenagers: You're Doing a Great Job

The Art of Letting Go

How Does it Feel When Your Last Child Gets Married?

Dear Mom of a High School Senior

 

Motherhood

Have a Nice Guilt Trip

Prayers for Your Teens - Free Printables

You Belong to Me

On Medals, Awards, and a Rock Named Stretch

Life, and the Things That Can't Be Measured

 

Marriage

With Words, Timing is Everything

What Does it Feel Like to Celebrate 30 Years?

Yes, It's Possible to Have a Good Marriage that Lasts

 

Home as Sanctuary

The Power of Sanctuary to Change the World

My Easy, Real World Housekeeping System (with downloadable PDF)

Small Things Matter

Homekeeping Advice for New Moms

Five Ways to Simplify Your Life Today

Best Ever, Super Easy, No Fail Menu Planning Guide

Why Are You So Messy? The Answer May Surprise You

 

Friendship and Relationships

Not a Girlfriendy Girl

Two Questions That Will Transform Your Relationships 

Five Communication Tips from Marketers

 

 

Encouragement

When You're in the Middle of Drought

Start Where You Are

For When You're Just Surviving {remember this}

 

And I've shared some of my best heart on these wonderful websites:

 

Why It's Time We All Got a Lot More [Good] Stubborn - A Holy Experience (Ann Voskamp)

Five Excuses Jesus' Donkey Didn't Make (But We Do) - Faith Street

Three Things to Tell Your Teen Today - Raising Generations Today

For When You're Not Enough - Going Beyond (Priscilla Shirer)

You've Hit a Roadblock - Now What? - Christianity Today

1 Powerful Thing Every Parent Can Do to Make The World Feel Safe These Days - Ann Voskamp

 

 

I'd love to connect with you.

Sign up for my newsletter and receive more inspiration for your life!

Never miss a blog post.

My encouraging daily posts can be delivered right to your email! Here is the form:

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Dear Mom of a High School Senior

 

Dear Mom of a High School Senior,

Hey, friend. How ya doin'?

I see you there, and I've been thinking about you. You've been holding your breath all year long, blinking back tears, bursting with pride, and simultaneously fighting a feeling of disbelief that your child is graduating this year.

What?! How is this possible?

My baby!

Where did the time go?

I know just how you feel.

During each of my children's senior years I swung wildly between excitement and dread, wonder and anxiety, joy and grief. I helped pick out graduation announcements and put a party date on the calendar, cooked dinners, and planned our "last summer together" times. I fussed at their messy rooms and admired their youthful confidence and listened to their ideas and sighed at the late nights.

I'll be honest, I looked forward to going to bed earlier after they left.

I couldn't wait for a less complicated family schedule.

I was so ready for fewer conflicts, no eye-rolling, and an end to seeing plates and cups left in the living room.

But...I couldn't hold back the tears when I looked in on their sleeping faces at night. Somehow, alongside their nearly-adult forms, in my mind I could see their toddler-selves in footie pajamas, with their soft hair on the pillow, and those eyelashes resting on rosy cheeks that smelled so good. I could see a tattered stuffed lovey under one arm.

Wasn't that just yesterday? How is it that they now fill up the entire bed?

And when I looked in the mirror I saw a woman who had been through the trenches of motherhood: stretch-marks, a few more wrinkles, more than a few gray hairs. My arms, once toned from carrying diaper bags and small children whose legs randomly refused to work and who insisted on being held, now tell me I need a personal trainer and a diet.

I'd savored as much as I possibly could, but you know....life. The pressures of my job, the constant scramble to make it to the next appointment or meeting or sports event, the last minute "Mom my project is due tomorrow" runs to the craft store for supplies, the youth group fund-raisers, and flat tires and pizza orders...it all seemed like a blur and I wondered if I'd banked enough memories to last me through the loneliness I knew was coming.

You too?

I'm thinking about you today.

I want you to know a few things.

First of all, I know your kid is going to make it.

I know it seems impossible that a teenager who can't remember to close the pantry door will remember to get to class and do his homework on time, but eventually he will. I know it sounds crazy to think that your girl who can't make up her mind about which earrings to wear will figure out what major to study...and will finish strong. To be clear, your child is going to make some of the same mistakes you made at his age, (a thought that probably isn't very comforting,) but in your heart you know it IS part of the process of growing up.

 

 

I know there is plenty to fear, but I'm not going to go into the "what if's" of our modern world. Cable news and reality TV can scare you silly with everything that's "out there." Let me encourage you though. Keep fighting through the worry and anxiety. Keep on praying. Keep on believing the very best for your child. You'll be amazed at what the next few years will bring: maturity, gratitude, joy, and a new season in your relationship as your kid becomes an adult friend.

There is so much to look forward to, I promise.

So, keep on looking forward.

As graduation approaches, everyone asks your kid about their plans. Will they go to college? Will they begin working right away?

"What do you want to do with your life?" people ask. I remember listening to my kids answer those questions...even as I felt that question sink down into my own soul.

What do I want to do with MY life, now that an empty nest is staring me in the face?

I had invested so much into my high school senior. For eighteen years I'd loved and cared for the most precious and most exasperating gift imaginable. It was such a roller coaster ride. And now...who will I be in this next season of life?

Maybe you're asking this, too.

Let me tell you: you will be amazing.

Everything you've done in life has prepared you for now. All those sleepless nights and endless conversations about texting and driving and being a person of character; all those spaghetti nights and booster clubs and slumber parties. You've given your all, sacrificed until it hurt, and loved that kid like nothing else in the world mattered.

You've loved hard, and deep, and well.

And that love will propel you forward into your own future. It will make a way for your dreams and your secret longings. Love will inspire you and give you courage to step out into the new world that is yourself.

Who will you be?

You'll be that woman who leans into the next season with all the passion you put into the last one.

You'll be the one who blooms, who becomes, who flourishes.

Like your kid, you'll make new friends, find new avenues of creativity, and set new goals for yourself.

Maybe you'll sleep a little bit more.

 

My dear friend, as you let go of your graduate, remember that you will never be "done" being a mom, just like you're never "finished" being your own person. You'll find yourself on the other side, so grateful and aware of your blessings. You'll be humbled by the immensity of what just happened, and you'll feel tremulous on the verge of a new voyage.

Don't be afraid to lean in. To listen. To feel all the feelings.

Experience the rush of letting go, and beckon the tide that returns to lift you.

You were made for all the joy and all the depth and all the love. You made a life and a family with the circumstances that were handed to you, and you did it with class and style and grace. 

I may not know you by name, but I am so very proud of you.

This is your senior's time in the spotlight, and deservedly so. But I see you standing behind that cap-and-gown clad young person and know just how much this day means to you.

You did it.

You did what you set out to do.

Now, go breathe in the life that is you.

You've earned it. 

With love,

Rachel 

 

 

Rachel is an author, speaker, and empty nest mom.

Her latest book is about letting go, and learning to live free.

 

 

Want more encouragement? My newsletter never clutters your inbox, but brings a smile when it arrives.

 

Patient Trust, by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Patient Trust

Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are quite naturally impatient in everything
to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way to something
unknown, something new.
And yet it is the law of all progress
that it is made by passing through
some stages of instability—
and that it may take a very long time.

And so I think it is with you;
your ideas mature gradually—let them grow,
let them shape themselves, without undue haste.
Don’t try to force them on,
as though you could be today what time
(that is to say, grace and circumstances
acting on your own good will)
will make of you tomorrow.

Only God could say what this new spirit
gradually forming within you will be.
Give Our Lord the benefit of believing
that his hand is leading you,
and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself
in suspense and incomplete.

—Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ

 

Are you impatient with the "intermediate stages" of your journey? 

I am.

I want to "get there." I want my growth to be finished. I want to be able to measure the distance I've gone and stand proudly upon my achievement.

Yet God seems to take His time. He doesn't rush what He is doing.

God is every bit as involved in the shaping and maturing process--the "in-between"--as He is in the final masterpiece.

Today, let's be patient with our incompleteness. Let's remember that God is with us at each step of the journey. He is for us and He is creating something beautiful in us.

We can trust Him to complete His work...even if it takes a very long time.

Blessings,

Rachel

 

 

Walking with Henry is my newest book, available now.

 

In Praise of All Who Keep Plodding

Never underestimate how far plodding can take you.

 

 

Plodding gets a bad rap.

 

Plodding doesn't get its due.

Glory seems to go to sprinting, to making a splash, to vaulting to victory.

There are those who seem to rush toward achievement, while others simply plod on...step by step...day by day...moment by moment toward their goal.

Plodders can feel like they've missed out. They feel frustrated by lack of apparent success. They can be overlooked by others who seem to grab the spotlight.

But the plodders of this world are really the ones who hold it all together.

 

 

Plodders are the ones who rise early, do the hard stuff, stay late, and come back the next day to do it all over again.

They are the mamas who make breakfast (and wipe up spills) for little ones morning after morning.

They are the dads who rock babies so mommies can sleep.

Plodders are the dog-walkers, the coffee-makers, the bus drivers, the teachers, the nurses, the police, the firemen, the computer programmers, the care-takers, the weekend-warriors, the helpers, and all the people who do their jobs--and live their lives--day in and day out, sometimes without thanks or praise.

 

We need you.

 

You don't always see progress; in fact sometimes it feels as if you're moving backwards.

But step by step, you make a difference.

 

You matter.

 

Your strength and resilience is the backbone of our society. Your determination inspires everyone around you. Your efforts aren't unnoticed.

You give this world stability; your community solidarity; and your family--pride.

You don't give up.

You don't back down.

You just keep going.

Plodding may not be glorious, but it is powerful.

Inch by inch you are softening the edges of the world and giving grace and light to everyone around you.

You won't stop giving and loving and leading.

 

That's what plodders do.

 

They quietly go about their business and get things done.

 

Never underestimate just how far plodding can take you.

 

You can climb mountains by plodding.

You can earn degrees by plodding. You can finish manuscripts, raise children, fight injustice, paint masterpieces, create beauty, build businesses, grow gardens, and make a life...if you are willing to plod.

To plod is to keep taking small steps forward, even when it is hard. 

And one day, you'll turn around and marvel at just how far you've come. You'll see just what a difference you've made. You'll be astounded by the beauty that's come from all those little steps.

You'll see just how powerful your plodding has been.

You didn't give up.

 

You plodded on, and you changed the world.

 

 

Walking with Henry is my newest book, available now.

What to do when life's interruptions make you feel afraid, anxious, and overwhelmed

 

 

But first, an embarrassing story.

 

 

When Toy Story 3 came out in 2010, we were super excited to see it. We had loved Toy Story 1 and 2 – they'd been family favorites and the source of perfect quotes ("That's not flying, it's FALLING....with style!") for years.

But what made Toy Story 3 so anticipated was the fact that it had 3D animation.

Every review we read regaled us with how this incredible new technology made the colors more vivid, the action so real, and the animation unbelievable! On and on went the accolades, so that the entire country was abuzz over it.

We couldn't wait! When it finally arrived at our theater, we bought our tickets, received our packages containing special 3D glasses, and sat down in the best seats, ready for this transcendent experience we'd heard so much about.

 

 

I put my glasses on, and then good golly, oh for crying out loud. I immediately needed to make a last minute run to the ladies' room. I put the glasses in my purse and made a beeline so I wouldn't miss anything.

I made it back to my seat just as the movie was beginning, so I pulled my glasses out and sat back to enjoy the new wonder of THREE DEE.

Instantly, I knew we'd been had.

This whole 3D hype was a sham!

Not only was the animation NOT better, it was worse! The colors were muddy. The picture was blurry. The animation was dim.

It was terrible. Ridiculous! A huge disappointment!

And the worst part was that everyone in the theater was pretending to enjoy it!

Well, I was upset. I felt like the little boy in The Emperor's New Clothes, the only one in the crowd with the courage to see right through this hoax. I was about to stand up and shout the naked truth to the capacity crowd, when my husband glanced at me...and then did a double-take.

"Rachel, why are you wearing your sunglasses?" he whispered. He had that one-eyebrow-up look I've come to know so well.

What???? 

No.

Seriously?

I slowly removed them and took a look.

Yep.

Sunglasses.

Ignoring Tom's snicker, I rummaged around in my purse for the correct pair and put them on.

Oh. my. word.

AMAZING! Such vivid colors! Such incredible animation! The picture just sparkled!

It was magical! I was mesmerized.

Here's the thing: It was the same movie...I just had different lenses on.

 

You see, the right lenses made all the difference.

 

This weekend, I spoke to a wonderful group of people in Arkansas, who had read Flash as part of their state-wide book club, and asked me to come and share personally with them "beyond the book." It was so much fun to hear their stories, and learn how my four-legged "interruption" had impacted them through the lessons I wrote about in the pages.

I was reminded that no matter what our stories are, it seems that life's interruptions are unavoidable.

Problem is, not all of them are cute, fuzzy ones with long ears.

Some of them are just plain hard. They can make you feel afraid, anxious and overwhelmed.

Things like a divorce, a job loss, a relocation, loss of a loved one...things that just knock the stuffing right out of you.

Even the "good" interruptions like new babies, kids growing up and moving away, job promotions, new marriages...well, they can make you feel off-kilter and anxious as well.

But even though we may not be able to change our circumstances, we CAN change the lenses we view them with.

Viewing our interruptions through the right lenses transforms how we respond to them.

And our responses have the power to change the world around us, because transformed people transform the world.

 

If you are facing an unexpected or uninvited interruption today, let me suggest three lenses that will make all the difference in how you view it.

 

 

The first is the lens of Faith.

This is not a "just believe harder" kind of exercise, but more of a "rest in God's presence" point of view.

This lens doesn't deny that what you're experiencing may be hard. It is hard. It may be very hard. But it also acknowledges that God is present with you in it.

He is with you.

He will never leave you.

He will never abandon you.

He is at work in the reality you can't see...behind the reality you CAN see. Think of a microscope, and how it sees beyond the surface to the amazing world going on beyond what our natural eyes are able to see.

The lens of faith is the lens of trust. Today, choose to trust Him with your circumstance...even if you don't understand the "why" or "how" of it.

He is Emmanuel, God with us. And He is with you.

You can trust Him. Jesus says, "I am with you always, even to the end of the world." John 28:10

 

The second is the lens of Hope.

This is the lens that looks past the present and toward the future. It takes the long view, like binoculars would.

It sees a harbor, waaaay off in the distance....and tells you to keep on rowing.

This is the Romans 8:28 perspective that all things really WILL work together...some day, somehow, some way. And it will be good.

God will make all things right.

He is redeeming all things.

Restoring all things.

Wherever you are right now, remember that THIS IS NOT THE FINAL CHAPTER.

This is not the end.

The good stuff is yet to come.

Keep on going.

 

The third is the lens of Love.

This is the lens that, like a prism, takes and bends the light of God's love toward you, and sends it out in all directions, in a rainbow of magnificent colors.

This lens changes our words from "IF God really loved me," (this thing wouldn't have happened) to "BECAUSE God loves me..."

Because God loves me, I have strength for today.

Because God loves me, I am surrounded by people who care about me.

Because God loves me, this difficulty has not destroyed me.

Because God loves me, I'm still standing.

Because God loves me, I can freely love others.

God IS love, says 1 John 4:8. Just THINK about that for a minute! God is love.

Wherever you are, whatever you are facing...you are loved. You are being held by His loving arms.

He will not let you fall.

 

We are told in 1 Corinthians 13 that when all the gifts pass away, there will always remain faith, hope, and love.

Yet how seldom we think about their significance and power!

Faith: God is present, here and now.

Hope: God is taking care of our future.

Love: Because He loves you, you are free–FREE–to let that love bend, reflect and refract out in all directions.

 

Choosing new lenses with which to look at our interruptions allows us to see the "God moments" that we wouldn't otherwise see.

And something else happens, too.

All that fear, anxiety and overwhelm?

They seem to fade into oblivion, just like when you take off your sunglasses in a 3D movie....and put the right glasses on.

All the beauty, the vividness, the brilliance, and the incredible pictures of God's love come to life, before our very eyes. 

Same circumstance, new lenses. 

But what a difference they make.

 

 

More stories and life lessons like this one are in Walking with Henry, my newest book.

This post first appeared here in 2017, but it's worth revisiting as I'm #preachingtomyself today.

It's Book Launch Day - Walking With Henry arrives today!

 

 

Walking with Henry arrives in bookstores and mailboxes today!

I am beyond excited to launch this book into the world, and I want to thank you all for helping it make a splash today.

Your pre-orders have put this little book about rediscovering faith and prayer into top spots for new releases on Amazon!

For new books, the first week "out" is everything. Book sellers and buyers look at the lists of books that are doing well and make their decisions on placement in stores and quantities to stock. I never knew anything about this before becoming an author! I never realized just how much those first purchases meant.

I've never been one to worry about numbers. I don't ever write thinking about making any kind of charts.

I only write from my heart and let the chips fall where they may.

Walking With Henry is that kind of book. It's about finding myself in the midst of questions, doubts, and honest wrestling with my faith...and what that looked like as I learned to walk with a little donkey by my side.

 

The reviews on Goodreads have warmed my heart. You can pop over there and read what early readers of the book are saying. It's made me realize that I am not alone, and that this world needs people to are willing to lay it all out there and let others see what real-life faith journeys look like.

 

A faith journey is not always pretty.

But there are real pockets of joy and hope along the way that propel us forward into peace and deeper faith. I hope that's what my story communicates.

 

What I learned during this pathway through my questions, is that God loves each of us dearly. He is not fazed by anything we throw at Him, and He will never condemn us for asking gut-level questions of Him or any of the things we believe.

Some of our old beliefs and practices can be left by the wayside as we make room for a God that is bigger and better than we ever imagined. His infinite care and grace for us draws us upward and inward--and allows us to live in freedom and compassion for everyone around us.

 

 

If you have not yet purchased your copy of Walking with Henry, would you do me a favor and do so today?

 

Maybe it will sit on your shelf until you have the time to read it, but it would mean the world to me if you'd take the time to order it now.

And when you do read the book, I hope you'll find a comfy chair with a cozy blanket, pour yourself some tea...and settle in for a journey with me. I'm convinced that you'll not only fall in love with darling little Henry as our companion, but you'll also rediscover God's love and find that your own faith can once again bloom.

 

 

So, thank you, thank you, thank you, my dear blog readers! You have made this book launch possible, and you're helping to bring this little book into the world with a Hee-Haw and a splash!

With deep love and appreciation,

Rachel (and Henry)

 

Prayer for the Week 6.10.18

 

 

This week’s prayer is a great reminder to think on God’s goodness:

 

O God, from whom all good proceeds:

Grant that by your inspiration we may think those things that are right,

and by your merciful guiding may do them;

through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

~Book of Common Prayer

 

Right thinking starts with recognizing that God is truly good. It begins with realizing that His only disposition toward us is love.

Meditate on this for a minute with me:

 

God is good, and He loves us deeply.

 

That’s a really reassuring place to rest our hearts today, isn’t it?

How often I find my thought patterns swirling downward into a negative spiral that refuses to see God’s goodness, which (in spite of me) is always around me, always working.

I love that we can freely ask Him for the inspiration to “get our heads on straight,” and change those thought patterns that distract us from His goodness and from His purposes.

When we align our thinking with God’s, we begin to see where we can be instruments of His love, vessels of His mercy, and bearers of His justice. 

He will guide us along the way. There is no need to worry, no need to be anxious about “missing” His will. When we start with His goodness and seek to share from the abundance we have received, we can’t go wrong.

I’m praying for you this week. May you experience all of God’s goodness, and may your mind be filled with peace.

Love, Rachel

When you still don't know what you want to be when you grow up.

This post first appeared in my blog in October 2015, but its still just as good now as it was then.

 

 

It seems like you probably ought to know what you want to be by now. Because technically you've been a grown up for awhile. :)

It seems like everyone else got it figured out in their twenties, or at least by their mid-thirties.

But you're still waiting on that epiphany that tells you, "This, THIS....is what I'm here for!" (There will, of course be a beam of light that will shine down upon you and there will be angelic choirs singing at that very moment. You will fall to your knees and open your hands to the heavens, releasing butterflies that will flutter around you in a magical dance.)

I've actually never known anyone who has had that kind of experience, but somehow we all kind of think that we will have "A MOMENT" in which all will become clear, even if it only happens in the Starbucks line.

Awhile back, I wrote a devotional/workbook for Women of Faith, about discovering your life purpose. It really challenged me to work through my presuppositions, and ask questions, and truly think about what purpose is all about.

 

 

I realized something important.

Those epiphany "MOMENTS" rarely happen.

 

Mostly, we find our purpose by bits and pieces.

You might even say, by fits and starts.

 

And sometimes, we bump into it without much of a plan. One day we might look up from something completely unglamorous and say, "Huh. So this is what it's all about. Cool!"

And that's perfectly okay.

 

Because you don't need an epiphany to be operating in your purpose.

In fact, you are probably already living it, even as you're waiting for that "other thing," that thing that you think you're supposed to do that's really remarkable, to happen.

 

Your greatest purpose in life is right in front of you, today.

Purpose is not for tomorrow. It's not for someday.

Your purpose is for today.

It's for the hours you're given today, for the decisions you face today, and for the moments that make up your life...today.

 

Your purpose is to simply do what's before you, in the best way that you can.

 

This is what I know: Your purpose is to do the right thing, which is to show up today.

Show up for the laundry, and for the job, and for the people who depend on you. Show up for your art, or that volunteer clean up crew you signed up for, or that blog you think no one reads, or that marriage that feels lifeless. There aren't any shortcuts, and there aren't any get-rich-quick schemes that will put you on the road to "success."

 

There is only faithfulness in the small things, and trust.

You can trust that God is working to bring about his purposes in you each day.

He sees you.

He knows you.

He has you in his hands.

God's got you.

So if you're still wondering what you're supposed to be when you grow up, just relax.

Because you're already who you're supposed to be.

So now? Just go live into it.

 

I'm praying for you today, my friend!

Love, Rachel

 

With Love, Mom

It's a book giveaway day!

 

I'm so excited about a new book called, With Love, Mom - by Dawn Camp. If you are a mother or a daughter, or HAVE a mother or a daughter, this book is for you!

With Love, Mom is a collection of stories about the remarkable bond between mothers and daughters. I had the immense honor to both contribute a story (one of my favorite blog posts ever), and write the foreword to this sweet book. Here is a bit of it:

My own two daughters are grown. They burst into my life as two little redheads, so full of life and energy and creativity. I wondered sometimes, well, lots of times, how on earth to raise these darling hooligans. They tested my patience, tried my mothering skills, drove me to my knees...and they delighted me to no end. They taught me, truly, how to love. My girls, Lauren and Meghan, now have daughters of their own. As I watch them raise their girls, I have a chance to see what I could not always see clearly when we were in the thick of figuring this "mother-daughter thing" out: I see just how precious this gift is.

I see how beautiful it is.

 

 Aw, MAN. I get teary just thinking about my girls.

This book is an invitation to pull up a chair and listen to other moms and daughters. No matter where you are in your journey, you'll find encouragement, inspiration, and wisdom from this sisterhood of friends.

 

I'm giving away a copy of With Love, Mom today!

 

Simply leave me a comment here that says something you love about your mom, or that you love about your daughter. We will all love reading the comments, and I'll draw a random winner over the weekend.

BTW, This would make a wonderful Mothers Day gift as well....just saying.

 

O Come, Emmanuel

 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel - (Piano/Cello) - The Piano Guys

 

I love Advent.

I didn't grow up in a tradition that formally observes the church calendar, but my parents still made sure we appreciated the anticipation of the season. As an adult, as soon as I learned that there was an actual tradition with candles to be lit each week, I started doing it with my own family around the dinner table. We would read scripture, light the candles, and sing "O Come Emmanuel" together. It was a simple way to bring our focus from the busyness of the season, to the wonder of a baby in a manger.

Advent is the time of anticipation, when we look for a Savior to rescue the world. This song still makes me stop in my tracks, both for its longing and for its hope.

In the hustle and bustle of these activity-filled days, and in the midst of a tumultuous world, we invite the King of Peace, Emmanuel, to come into our hearts and reign.

Emmanuel....the God who is with us.

Turn up your speakers and enjoy.

 

O Come, Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who orderest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death's dark shadows put to flight.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, great Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai's height
In ancient times once gave the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Root of Jesse's tree,
An ensign of Thy people be;
Before Thee rulers silent fall;
All peoples on Thy mercy call.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace