Emily Parke Chase
Welcome to the fourth of these Advent devotionals on “Preparation.” Perhaps you want to invite a friend to join you on this journey. About 35 years ago, when my children were still very young, I wanted a way to help Tim, Prisca and John grasp the true meaning of Christmas. The world around them distracted …
Read More Advent 2021 – Day 4Glad to see you have returned for a third day as we tackle the Advent theme of “Preparation.” Our family always remembers the year that my young daughter Prisca opened a Christmas package to discover she had received a package of light bulbs. Her face said it all: Disappointment combined with confusion. Little did she …
Read More Advent 2021 – Day 3Welcome back for the second of our Advent devotionals on this year’s theme of “Preparation.” When I was a child, one of my older brothers loved to make model airplane kits. Every Christmas there was a new kit under the tree. The pieces came already formed. All he had to do was follow the instructions …
Read More Advent 2021 – Day 2With Christmas less than a month away, it is time to begin another series of Advent devotionals designed to prepare our hearts for the arrival of the infant in Bethlehem. Advent marks a season of self-examination and soul preparation, and thus the theme for this year is “Preparation.” Over the next weeks, we will look …
Read More Advent 2021 – Day 1And now we come to the end of another Advent series. As we wrap up this collection of devotionals on HOPE, I challenge you to look at the host of other verses in Scripture that mention the topic of hope. As you all know by now, last August, my husband Gene contracted the coronavirus and …
Read More Advent 2020 – Day 24It may sound strange, but I often feel a certain letdown when we draw near to the end of Advent. These devotionals give a special focus to my days. I “HOPE” you feel the same way. Yet, we can’t forget that the climax of this season still lies ahead! Some years ago, I was at …
Read More Advent 2020 – Day 23Can you feel the excitement in the air? Christmas is drawing near. Thanks for continuing to read these brief Advent thoughts on HOPE. Most of us look forward to a feast at Christmas. This year, due to COVID, things will be different from other times in the past. Some relatives have moved on, to celebrate …
Read More Advent 2020 – Day 22Today is the shortest day of the year, so let’s not waste time. Here is a new twist on HOPE. For her husband and three teenage boys, my daughter Prisca made 13 pounds of cranberry relish the week before Thanksgiving. By the time the holiday rolled around, only 2 pounds were left, a quantity she …
Read More Advent 2020 – Day 21Thank you for staying with me throughout this Advent series on HOPE. This time, we will find yet another result of our hope in Christ. I mentioned a friend of mine who is recovering from COVID. She hasn’t had energy to do any holiday shopping. Like others who have contracted this awful virus, she is …
Read More Advent 2020 – Day 20Have you finished your shopping? Wrapped your gifts? Mailed them off? No? Feeling tense? Take a few moments here to sit down with a hot cup of cocoa and read another Advent devotional on HOPE. After months of sheltering in place, many people living alone are experiencing forms of stress and depression, and not just …
Read More Advent 2020 – Day 19