Saturday, December 1, 2012

Oh, Advent, I Hear You Knocking. Please Come In.

After spending so much time focusing on things I'm thankful for, it seems only natural to transition into the Advent season.   I have been looking forward to this time for weeks, actually. 

Not sure what has been going on with me these last few years.  I keep blaming it on the weather, or our schedule, life circumstances, or a myriad of other things.  The truth is, I just haven't been able to get into the Christmas spirit until right up to the day of, or sometimes not until after.  Last year's advent was awesome.  I loved it.  However, I didn't connect the Advent to the celebration of birth of our Savior in my heart.  There was still something missing.  The heart was there, the activities were certainly not missing, the prayer before, during, and after was definitely present, but the connection to Christmas was kind of missing.

This year, we are trying something different, yet similar.  I wanted to try to remedy some of the disconnect from last year yet keep the activities, prayer, and heart.  So, this year we will follow a devotional as well as have service oriented activities.  Also, sometimes, we will be doing things that connect us as a family, as well as with the heart of God.  Some people might say these activities are "filling up our own cups".  Those people would be me, so I'm OK with that.  And that is exactly what we are doing.  Activities that refresh and renew so we are more excited and able to give and serve with a heart full of love.

So, this year, we are following Ann Voskamp's Jesse Tree Devotional.  I got it here, for free last year.  I love the idea of starting our journey in the Old Testament and rediscovering or maybe even seeing for the first time, how this baby in the manger, Jesus, was the plan all along.  I have been able to use some of her activities, as well as integrate some of our own, to match the heart of the devotional each day.  Just like last year, I'm not too concerned with photographing each and every day, nor getting to the blog each day to document.  It's just too overwhelming, and, if I'm honest, it sucks the joy out of the time I have with my family when I am too focused on documenting things "just so". 

Here's what we'll be up to this year:
November 29
Plant grass seeds for kindness.  Every time you do something kind, plant another seed.  On December 25th we’ll cut our grass and use it as straw for Jesus’s manger.
November 30
Write a letter to a friend.
December 1
Sing Christmas Carols together as a family. 
December 2
Go to the $1 store.  Hide dollar bills as an unexpected gift for someone to find.
December 3
Bring treats to someone you’ve never given treats to before.
December 4
Smile all day.  Look for 3 opportunities to make 3 different people laugh.
December 5
Write down 10 different ways that God has provided for you today.  Put your paper underneath our Jesse Tree.
December 6
Tape money and a note to vending machines/candy machines.
December 7
Leave a small gift along with our tip for our waitress or waiter.
December 8
Art Project: Engrave your names on the palms of His hands.
December 9
Fill up Hope House Stockings.
December 10
Collect carts and put them away in a parking lot.
December 11
Play with someone new at recess.
December 12
Put Christmas goodies in the mailbox for our mail person.
December 13
Light a candle and pray for family members who don’t know Jesus.
December 14
Put together a care package for a special family.
December 15
Encourage a friend.  Go to the Nutcracker at and watch a friend perform!
December 16
Pass out care packages to homeless people.
December 17
Give a treat and a special note of thanks and appreciation for your teacher.
December 18
Put together a care package for a special family.
December 19
Go through your toy room and donate your toys to a toy charity.
December 20
Surprise someone in our house with a special gift or service.
December 21
Repentance.  Turn on your lights on the Christmas tree in your room.  Spend some time with Jesus repenting.  Thank Him from turning your heart from darkness to light.
December 22
Take 10!  Spend 5 minutes in prayer and quiet with God.  Spend another 5 minutes doing something with someone else, giving them all of your attention.
December 23
Go on a carriage ride in the mountains.  Enjoy hot cocoa and time with your family!
December 24
No matter what the weather is today, go for a walk with your family and sing at least one Christmas carol.
December 25
Cut the grass that you have grown and make a soft place for Jesus in the manger.  Invite Christ into our home and to stay here all year long.

My prayer this year is that I (and my family) would draw nearer and nearer to the heart of God each and every day.  I want to anticipate, with the excitement of a child, each day as we get closer and closer to the day we celebrate the the birth of my Savior and King.  I want to barely be able to sleep at night on Christmas Eve because my heart is so full of joy and love it might burst.  I want to see this Christmas season with a fresh new set of eyes.  A set of eyes that doesn't care what the temperature is out side, or that isn't frenzied by enormous to-do lists.  Instead, I want my eyes to be firmly set upon the face of Jesus, my Lord, King, and Savior who came down from His heavenly throne, put on flesh, lived in our polluted world, and became"God with us".  So we could be with Him forever.

Just like He had always planned.

No comments: