Are you celebrating Advent this year? How so?
For us, we're doing a nightly devotional by Desiring God that is super brief and very compelling. Brad and I do the reading together before bed every night and I'm cherishing it. We'll likely do a family thing next year as Lily will be three and more able to sit still and understand (and until then we're reading Christmas stories with her occasionally and sharing themes of Christmas with her as we go), but this year I'm savouring it just being Brad and I. He has the best reading voice :)
Download the pdf ebook here, we're only two days in so it would be easy to catch up!
I also have an advent calendar that I bought at Naptime Diaries last year. I don't have a picture of it up yet, because, well, it's not up yet (oops!), but that's phase 2 of advent. Below is a picture form the website. Aren't the cards beautiful? Just a material reminder that's pretty and thoughtful. You can still buy them at the online shop for $15, if you're interested.
For us, we're doing a nightly devotional by Desiring God that is super brief and very compelling. Brad and I do the reading together before bed every night and I'm cherishing it. We'll likely do a family thing next year as Lily will be three and more able to sit still and understand (and until then we're reading Christmas stories with her occasionally and sharing themes of Christmas with her as we go), but this year I'm savouring it just being Brad and I. He has the best reading voice :)
Download the pdf ebook here, we're only two days in so it would be easy to catch up!
I also have an advent calendar that I bought at Naptime Diaries last year. I don't have a picture of it up yet, because, well, it's not up yet (oops!), but that's phase 2 of advent. Below is a picture form the website. Aren't the cards beautiful? Just a material reminder that's pretty and thoughtful. You can still buy them at the online shop for $15, if you're interested.
What I love about Advent is how it really does prepare my heart for Christmas. Like Lent does for Easter, Advent causes a stirring and yearning to celebrate what is to come (what has come and is nor commemorated). After a crazy day I love to sit alone with my husband and meditate on the short and sweet readings. Would love to hear how you're celebrating Advent, if you are!
I was inspired by that exact advent calendar for my own DIY. We couldnt afford the $15 + shipping so I made a slightly less visually appealing one for bout $2 (just to buy the clothes pins).
ReplyDeleteI also downloaded the pdf of the Piper book but havent started reading it. Maybe I'll do that with Dan before bed, such a good idea!
My husband and I are doing that same advent devotional and are really enjoying it as well, although we've made the mistake of trying to get our 18 month old son to sit through it with us. haha I think now that we're a few days in we've learned that just won't work for quite a while yet :)
ReplyDeleteWe also have a little advent family activity calendar where we do a little festive something as a family each day. Usually it's stuff we'd do anyway (like baking and decorating Christmas cookies) but by making it intentional we find it adds to the anticipation of each day and the enjoyment of it all and creates really wonderful memories as a little family.
I hope you and your little family continue to have a great advent season!
haha oh boy. Great intentions on your part - you love your kids and want to teach them about the Gospel - way to go! That said, there is a reason we decided to do ours after our kids were in bed. They just can't sit through it right now. We're trying to be intentional in other ways this year, and hope to do a family one with our oldest next year when she'll be 3 :)
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