Still, still, still,
One can hear the falling snow.
For all is hushed,
The world is sleeping,
Holy Star its vigil keeping.
Still, still, still,
One can hear the falling snow.

Sleep, sleep, sleep,
‘Tis the eve of our Saviour’s birth.
The night is peaceful all around you,
Close your eyes,
Let sleep surround you.
Sleep, sleep, sleep,
‘Tis the eve of our Saviour’s birth.

Dream, dream, dream,
Of the joyous day to come.
While guardian angels without number,
Watch you as you sweetly slumber.
Dream, dream, dream,
Of the joyous day to come.

From Salzburg, 1819
Literal English translation

Photo by Kathleen Connally
I found this online in a photo grouping by Kathleen Connally, thought it fit together with the lyrics of the evening Hymn below.

The Moravian Single Sisters’ House on Church Street was used as a combination dormitory, industrial and religious center for single women within the community. The Moravians had a unique and highly-controlled social system which divided men, women and children into groups based on their sex, age and marital status. The groups were known as “choirs” and they participated in common work and worship together within their own residences.

O Radiant Light, O Sun divine, Of the God the Father’s deathless face,
O Image of the Light sublime that fills the heavenly dwelling place.

O Son of God, the source of life, Praise is your due by night and day,
Our joyful lips must raise the strain, the strain of Your esteemed and splendid name.
Lord Jesus Christ as daylight fades, as shine the lights of eventide, we praise
The Father with the Son, The Spirit blessed and with them one.
Presbyterian Hymn (third century Greek, translated)

This song is sung beautifully by Michael Joncas and the Cathedral singers available on ITUNES.

Photo supplied by Google Images
I love finding great photos like this one! This 12-week-old macaque was rescued on Neilingding Island, in Goangdong Province, China, after being abandoned by his mother. Taken to an animal hospital, he was weaned back to physical health but still showed little appetite for life. It was not until a fellow patient, a white pigeon, took him under her wing and showed him love and affection that he perked up. Now the two are inseparable, say staff.

Micah 4:3 (New International Version)

3 He will judge between many peoples
and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.

Can we even imagine a world such as this? Only one person and one person alone has what it takes to bring this about and we celebrate His birth this month. While this prophecy is looking ahead to a future time in history, we can be assured that while there is turmoil around us, we can recieve His eternal peace in our hearts at this very moment. The peace that reconciles us to Him forever. Click here to find out how.

Have you ever experienced an unexpected peace as a direct result of prayer….recently? I would love to hear about it.

Elijah and the Baal worshipers….
I Kings 18:27 “At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened!”

Here’s a lesson not to taunt God’s prophets……
2 Kings 2:23-24
From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road some youths came out of the town and jeered at him. “Go on up, you baldhead!” they said. “Go on up, you baldhead!”
He turned around, and looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the Lord.
Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths.

Proverbs 29:20
There is more hope for a fool than for someone who speaks without thinking.

If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom. Job 13:5

Give beer to those who are perishing, wine to those who are in anguish. Proverbs 31:6

And just to clarify: And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled
with the Spirit Ephesians 5:18

When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. (I heard it say that this was proof that there are no women in Heaven…NOT funny)Revelations 8:1

Genesis 25:30
He said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stuff, because I’m exhausted.”

Poor Job….
Job 38:1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said,
2″Who is this that darkens counsel
by words without knowledge?
3″Now gird up your loins like a man,
and I will ask you, and you instruct Me!
4″Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding
and later in the same Chapter….
18″Have you understood the expanse of the earth?
Tell Me, if you know all this. 21″You know, for you were born then,
and the number of your days is great!

1 Thessalonians 4:11 “Also, make it your goal to live quietly, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we instructed you.”

And from 2 Kings 9:20 “The lookout reported, “He has reached them, but he isn’t coming back either. The driving is like that of Jehu son of Nimshi–he drives like a madman.”
(Guess they had crazy drivers in Bible times too!)

Jeremiah 31:1-6

Jeremiah 31
1 “At that time,” declares the LORD, “I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they will be my people.”

2 This is what the LORD says:
“The people who survive the sword
will find favor in the desert;
I will come to give rest to Israel.”

3 The LORD appeared to us in the past, [a] saying:
“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
I have drawn you with loving-kindness.

4 I will build you up again
and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel.
Again you will take up your tambourines
and go out to dance with the joyful.

5 Again you will plant vineyards
on the hills of Samaria;
the farmers will plant them
and enjoy their fruit.

6 There will be a day when watchmen cry out
on the hills of Ephraim,
‘Come, let us go up to Zion,
to the LORD our God.’ ”

When I read Jeremiah 30-33 the compassion of God seemed to leap from the page this morning as I was reading in my “prayer closet” I selected just a portion above….when I think of how many times Israel turned their backs on God and yet, He reached out to them with hope and healing, longing for their restoration.

What are you exiled from today? A child, a church, God, a marriage, a friendship? It seems in life there are many forms of exile we face, but God seeks to restore us; always there is hope. Cling to His word, there is promise there.

I close with this verse, again from Jeremiah, 33:3….”Call to Me, and I will answer you, and i will tell you great and mighty things,which you do not know.”

This is my first ever post, and after much procrastination I finally made the first foray into the world of blogging. It is my hope that someone reading my posts will give encouragement to others in their walk of faith.

I chose the name “prayer closet” because of the verse in Matthew 6:6 that says, “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret will reward thee openly. That is the King James version, but I love what Eugene Peterson’s message translation does with it, “Here’s what I want you to do, find a quiet secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense His grace.”

In His Peace, Lori