Advent 2023

Christmas can be such a distracting time for everyone. Those who have experienced loss feel the pain a little deeper; those who have little feel the strain of finances and want to give more but can’t; those with much can be tempted to take for granted what they have. No matter the situation, the season can be more busy than joyful; it can easily be more about getting gifts and the pressures of giving them than what Christmas is intended to be, and so when the tree is put away, the mundane becomes a relief or a dread- depending on your life story.

When my children were growing up, I wanted to intentionally center the holidays around Jesus and teach them to treasure the season as it was meant to be by celebrating Advent.

Advent means “coming.” It is a time of expectancy and anticipation of a great event- the birth of Jesus. Advent allowed us to focus for a few minutes each day and teach them the gospel story. Kids naturally believe, so when you walk them through the story of Christ, from the prophets’ forth-telling to the moment of His arrival, they understand and remember. And most importantly, YOU do too. Taking time to meditate on the prophecies of scripture makes you aware of God. You cannot know the Father without the Son, and you cannot know the Son without the Spirit. To see Jesus is to have eternal life- to know God.

How to:

Either purchase an advent wreath or gather four candles and place it on a table or shelf. (purchase a simple wreath or a handcrafted Daily calendar - one I love is here- or get a simple paper calendar from Trader Joe’s or World Market).

Each day, beginning December 1, read the scripture provided and discuss it with your kids. Take a minute to pray and listen to the hymn. (At the bottom of each graphic is a symbol- if you are creative, you could make an ornament or something fun for your kids to color. )

If you have a four-candle wreath, each Advent Sunday (December 3, 10, 17, and 24th) will be the candle lighting day- I will provide instructions for each day. Before you read the scripture, light the candle and rehearse the readings from the days before. If you have an advent calendar, open up each day as you read along.

I pray you have a wonderful time creating new memories this Christmas season!

Additionally, these are some books I read to my kids during the advent season: Jotham’s Journey, Tabitha’s Travels, Bartholomew’s Passage, Ishtar’s Odyssey