It's December 3rd and I've already slightly felt the 'hustle and bustle' of the Christmas season. Have you?
Christmas is my favorite holiday. Not only is it the birth our Savior but it's a time to focus on family and making memories. To me anyways. And now that Lil' Hunkie is starting to understand things I've started some new traditions to make our Christmas experience ours.
One of those is doing an Advent. We just did a countdown while growing up but a true Advent is more than just counting days. At first I wasn't going to do one thinking Lil Hunkie wouldn't understand but God wouldn't leave me alone about it and I truly believe He lead me to find Truth in the Tinsel. It's an Advent geared towards younger kids and I'm loving it. I don't quite have everything prepared for it (that's me feeling the 'hustle and bustle'!) like I want yet but we've been reading and talking (as much as you can with a 2 year old) and after reading the scripture last night I said "Amen!?" to Lil' Hunkie and he said "Amen!" right back to me!
That was awesome I must say!
Here's the true meaning of Advent from Got Questions.org:
"The word 'Advent' has a Latin origin meaning 'the coming,' or more accurately, 'coming toward.' For Christian believers, Christmas is one of the greatest events in the yearly cycle, being the celebration of the greatest gift ever given by God to mankind. "
Believers a long time ago would do more than just mark off the days of December with chalk on their doors. They would use the time before Christmas day as a time of mediation on God's greatest gift and reflect on advent or "the coming". Then in the 19th century in Germany a mother made her son an Advent calendar that was 24 small sweets stuck in cardboard. That boy enjoyed that tradition so much that as an adult he and his printing business partner made the first ever printed Advent Calendar. And things went from there.
I'm glad I found the true meaning of Advent. And however you and your family celebrate Advent just don't forget Christ's coming as a babe.
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
Isaiah 9:6 TNIV
Merry Christmas and Happy Advent!
Amen Jennifer! Love it thanks for sharing! Too many times we get so busy we all that we have to do for Christmas that we forget it's true meaning! And that is exactly what it's all about! Our sweet Jesus coming into this world to bear our sins. Isaiah was right, He is our wonderful counselor, Mighty GOD, Everlasting Father and Prince of peace. Thank you JESUS!!!!
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