Who can believe that Thanksgiving is THIS week? Not me! They say that the older you get, the faster the years go by…and I totally believe it. To me, it feels like summer just ended, but here we are now at Thanksgiving! And soon it will be Christmas. Ahhhhhah!!! Are you ready?
I don’t know about you, but Christmas decor has been for sale in the local stores for several months now, and houses in my neighborhood are putting up their Christmas lights already. I’m sure most of you have already done at least a little Christmas shopping or have Christmas events already scheduled on your calendar. Yes?
In the hustle and bustle of the busy days ahead, I don’t want to lose sight of what we are really celebrating this season. Do you?
For the first time in years, I think my heart may be more ready to celebrate Christmas than my house and “to-do” lists. (Usually it’s the other way around.) I’ve been learning about the Christian year, and how each season causes us to seek and enjoy every stage of Jesus’ life and our lives with Him.
This cycle begins with Advent, which focuses on the expectation of the arrival of something or someone important. In the season of Advent, we anticipate the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ the Savior, God in the flesh, His Gift to us for salvation. In many circles, Advent begins the weekend after Thanksgiving and lasts until Christmas Day.
Within the coming week, many who believe in Jesus Christ will be celebrating Advent.
This is a rather new addition to my holiday celebrations. We’ve only been paying attention to Advent for the past decade, but I never want to experience another Christmas season without it. I love the focus Advent brings to my eyes, mind, and heart during the days leading up to Christmas. If you’ve never celebrated Advent, may I beg you to let this be your year to try it?
An easy way to celebrate Advent is to sign up for one of these FREE resources to be emailed to you daily. Read the Scripture, meditate upon its Truths, and set your day’s focus on the topic covered in that particular day’s Advent reading. It may be a good idea to save that day’s thought or verse on your phone, or on a post-it-note so that you can keep it visible. (Be sure and see Ann Voskamp’s Sticky Notes resource below.)
Several of my favorite websites and authors have compiled FREE Advent email devotionals, and I wanted to pass them along to you.
1. From Lifeway Christian Resources:
The holidays—especially the month of December—can be some of the busiest times of the year, filled with fun traditions but also with the chaos and bustle of busy schedules. And if we’re honest, it can be easy for the important things to get lost in the busyness of the season. When we think about what we want the month of December to look like, we imagine slowing down, enjoying rest, and delighting in the coming of our Savior. We don’t want Christmas Day to come and go only to realize we’ve not really meditated on the coming of Christ and all that it means. And that’s why this year we’re inviting you to join us in celebrating the Advent season!
So what will our celebration of Advent look like?
Each Friday starting November 30, we’ll send you an email with some ideas for celebrating Advent in the coming week. There will be a short Bible reading plan for the week and ideas for fun ways to celebrate the season and reflect on Christ’s coming. We’ll also include a phone wallpaper with Scripture each week and some fun printables along the way. And maybe even one of our favorite cookie recipes. 🙂
Our goal is not to add more to an already busy season, but for us to step back and soak in all that Christ’s coming means for us this season and every day.
You can sign up for Lifeway’s 2018 Advent Devotional here.
2. From Focus on the Family:
Through all the ups and downs of this past year, I’m reminded of the true reason behind the season — not the colorful presents and pancakes, but the story of the newborn King. The birth of Jesus is the gift that gives meaning to all gifts, and I want our boys to have a genuine understanding of the mighty Savior who arrived as a baby and was laid in a manger. I want them to truly know Jesus and His role in our lives.
As a father, I’m pleased to present Focus on the Family’s 2018 Advent calendar, a practical, convenient way to journey through the season with your children. This year’s theme teaches the names of Jesus, and we’ll focus on how Scripture uses different names to describe the character and role of the Savior. The pages of our calendar are filled with faith-based activities that will help your children develop a deeper understanding of the identity of Jesus. He is the Word, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Lamb of God!
As you and your children study the Scriptures and enjoy the activities, I hope you will gain a new understanding of Jesus and of that silent night in Bethlehem.
You can sign up for Focus on the Family’s Advent Devotionals here.
3. From Bible Gateway: (BibleGateway.com) always has great reading plans.
You can sign up for this year’s Bible Gateway Advent Scripture Reading plan here.
Last, but not least, are my two favorite ladies who study, write,
and present beautiful materials to draw us to the Heart of God and the season:
4. From Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth and Revive Our Hearts:
Elizabeth, Mary, Zechariah, Simeon, and the angels . . . this is the first band of Christmas carolers, the first ones to declare Christ’s arrival through song. Spend this Advent season exploring The First Songs of Christmas in this 31-day devotional. Beautifully written and elegantly designed, this resource reminds us that Christ’s birth gives us all a reason to sing.
Like the daily Advent calendar you may have loved as a child, The First Songs of Christmas Blog delivers a daily dose of wonder throughout the Christmas season. Journey with us through The First Songs of Christmas devotional. Sign up, and and open the door to joy every day in December.
You can Sign Up for Nancy’s 31-Day Advent Devotional Blog here.
5. Ann Voskamp’s Sticky Notes for the Soul .
These are free download squares that you can print, cut apart, and pull out one each day to hang on an Advent Tree, or on a fireplace garland, or use them like I do: hang them above the kitchen sink. I have used these for several years and they have help me stay focused on the Season’s Reason so many times in the midst of hectic days. You can find them here. (You’ll have to sign up or sign in to her blog.) They are under the “Free Tools” section on page 3. You’ll also find other Christmas downloads in that section as well.
***Just FYI, Ann has written three beautiful books for Advent: The Greatest Gift, Unwrapping The Greatest Gift- Family Edition, and a super-cool 3-D book, The Wonder of the Greatest Gift – an Interactive Family Celebration. I wanted to share these books with you because this particular Jesse Tree Advent has been a special one to me for several Christmas Seasons.
From the back cover of The Greatest Gift:
WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR CHRISTMAS?
“I don’t want a Christmas you can buy.
I don’t want a Christmas you can make.
What I want is a Christmas you can hold.
A Christmas that holds me,
remakes me, revives me.
I want a Christmas that whispers, Jesus.”
–Ann Voskamp
Hundreds of thousands of readers have already fallen in love with Ann Voskamp’s One Thousand Gifts, and this Christmas, Ann invites readers into the rich and meaningful celebration of Christmas we all long for — a celebration of the complete love story that’s been coming for you since the very beginning.
In what is certain to become an instant holiday classic, Voskamp reaches back into the pages of the Old Testament to explore the lineage of Jesus — the greatest gift — through the majestic advent tradition of “The Jesse Tree,” each day featuring its own exquisite ornament highlighting the Biblical story (free download of each of the 25 ornaments available from Voskamp’s website, annvoskamp.com ).
Beginning with Jesse, the father of David, The Greatest Gift retraces the epic pageantry of mankind, from Adam to the Messiah, with each day’s profound reading pointing to the coming promise of Christ, so that come Christmas morning you find that the season hasn’t blurred past you but your heart’s fully unwrapped the greatest gift you’ve always yearned for.
You can get the Hardcover version below:
And the Kindle Edition here:
The Greatest Gift – Family Edition
Based on the overwhelming success of The Greatest Gift, Ann Voskamp has expanded her presentation of the timeless Advent tradition of the Jesse Tree so families can celebrate together. Each day, families can read the provided Scripture passage (in connection with the original book), engage with a specially written devotion to help children of all ages understand the Advent theme for the day, and participate in suggested activities to apply the theme.
This special edition is beautifully illustrated. It can serve as a precious guide to help recapture the sacredness of the Advent season and to help the entire family understand and celebrate the epic pageantry of humankind from Adam to the Messiah.
(I actually enjoyed doing this one myself, and will be reading it again this year! ***You can also download Jesse Tree ornaments that go with the Scripture stories in this book from the same page on her blog as her “Sticky Notes for the Soul.”
The Wonder of the Greatest Gift – an Interactive Family Celebration. (This is the cool one!!!)
Based on her bestseller Unwrapping the Greatest Gift, Ann Voskamp expands her presentation of the timeless Advent tradition of the Jesse Tree with this beautiful keepsake that can be handed down and enjoyed for generations. Each December, families can celebrate the coming of Jesus by opening the book to see a stunning 13-inch, three-dimensional Jesse Tree pop up from the page. At its foot are 25 doors, one for each day of Advent, which hide meaningful, beautifully detailed ornaments―including the Christmas star―that are ready to be hung on the tree. Also inside is a simple devotional book with a reading for each ornament. Create precious holiday memories with The Wonder of the Greatest Gift pop-up book and recapture the sacredness of the Advent season as you celebrate the epic pageantry of the coming of the Messiah.
Includes the following:
13-inch 3D pop-up tree
Booklet with 25 family devotions
24 ornaments with hangers
Star-shaped tree-topper
You can get The Wonder of the Greatest Gift – an Interactive Family Celebration here.
I’ll share a few more favorite books for Advent in a later post. But today, I wanted to get these links to you so that you could take advantage of the free resources provided straight into your inbox.
Advent daily devotionals can help us stay focused on the True Reason for the Season. Whether it is a free email, download, or a book you’ve found…I want to challenge you (as I challenge myself) with some encouragement to decide right now that your Christmas holiday is going to be different this year. Not so rushed. Not so stressed. Not so commercialized… because it will be MORE focused on Jesus.
Jesus –
Christ was truly God.
But he did not try to remain
equal with God.
7 Instead he gave up everything
and became a slave,
when he became
like one of us.
8 Christ was humble.
He obeyed God
and even died
on a cross.
9 Then God gave Christ
the highest place
and honored his name
above all others.
10 So at the name of Jesus
everyone will bow down,
those in heaven, on earth,
and under the earth.
11 And to the glory
of God the Father
everyone will openly agree,
“Jesus Christ is Lord!”
Jesus – God’s gift of salvation to each one of us – The True Reason for the Season!
Anticipating and Celebrating Jesus ~
