Welcoming Advent

Advent

   [ad′vent′]

noun

1. In religion, the term advent is defined as the celebration of the coming of Christ.
   An example of advent is the four week period of time leading up to Christmas, the birth of Christ.
2. Advent is defined as the beginning or arrival of something.
   An example of advent is the start of a new season.

I have been intrigued  with the idea of celebrating the Advent season leading up to Christmas for several years now. I think it began with those beautiful wooden Advent Calendars. You know, the ones with little wooden doors to open each day and with beautiful pictures on the front. The expensive ones. Wesley & I saw some exquisite ones at the Christkindlmarkt  last year on our anniversary trip and confirmed them out of our price range.

This year I determined to make my own Advent calendar and thereby start a new tradition of incorporating some traditional scriptures and carols into our lives more purposefully as a way of preparing for Christmas.
  
After spending way too much looking through various options online and trying to find the perfect homemade option for an advent calendar (which, by the way, was very elusive!), I ended up at Michael's, where I found a box of 24 small, red, cardboard "milk cartons," some decorative washi tape, snowflakes and black number stickers. 

Thus armed, the children and I set to work decorating our own "Advent boxes" the night before Thanksgiving, while Wesley was at a men's meeting at church. Of all the activities one can launch out on when home alone in the evening with three active youngsters, this would have made the top ten, despite overturned trash-cans, refrigerator raids and permanent marker on the table by an overzealous 1-year-old!!!

Let loose with tape, scissors, markers and their imagination, the children thought they were in a decorator's heaven!!! I decided that their joy and involvement was much for important than 24 perfect little boxes on my mantle. After all, I am not Martha Stewart and never will be, so why not enjoy this season when I have eager little helpers with anything involving craft supplies? 

Preparing the Advent boxes was a special addition this year to some things the children already look forward to, such as setting up the manger scene...

After much more searching (are you noticing a pattern here?) I came up with two different Advent plans which we are following. The one uses a story out of The Jesus Storybook Bible (more on that in the book review tomorrow!) from Creation to the birth of Christ (you can see view the plan we're using here) and the other is a really nice Advent chart that has verses, a theme and usually a song outlined for each day. I cut the chart into strips and put a slip in each box, along with candy or some other little treasures or planned activity. 

In technical terms, Advent began yesterday, November 30th, as it was the first of four Sundays leading up to Christmas. Traditionally, the people who celebrate it light the first candle on the advent wreath and read passages regarding the coming of the Messiah.

Our Milk- Carton- Advent- Countdown began today, December 1st, and ends 24 days from now on Christmas Eve.  

After supper this evening we collected ourselves with quite a bit of excitement and Wesley read the children's Bible story, called "The Story and The Song." 

Then- FINALLY- it was time for the much anticipated Advent box! Elasa & Gavin had decided ahead of time that they wanted Parker to open the first one and he was more than happy to oblige! There was a hershey kiss inside for everyone and he passed them out with a will. After devouring his own, he came around and managed to pilfer mine. Oh, well! It wasn't dark chocolate anyway!!!

The reading for today was Psalm 78:1-31 and Elasa wanted to find the Bible verses in her own Bible. Since it was in the Psalms, she didn't have too much trouble and she went on to read the first verse (with a little help!) The theme was God's faithfulness to every generation and the verses were on the Children of Israel. 

The song for today was O Come, O Come Emmanuel, a lovely favorite of mine which has been ringing through my mind these past several days and which may have been responsible for the "REJOICE" banner hanging on my mantle! 

In this season of bustle and busy-ness, where for us an anniversary and a daughter's birthday are on top of a month already full of extra holiday events, plans and too much food, it is far too easy for Jesus to get thrown right out with the sanity. 

Celebrating Advent purposefully gives an opportunity to sit still, (or at least as still as it is possible to sit with a wriggling toddler ensconced on the lap!) to sing some of the most beautiful hymns out there, to read some very beautiful prophecies, passages and stories from the Bible and -bonus- to practice the carols we're preparing to sing with a small group in a few homes later this month. 

I was struck, however, with another meaning behind Advent...

I have always associated the word Advent with the Christmas season, but the word derives from the Latin word meaning coming, so it can also mean the second coming of Christ, which is truly the Advent to prepare for.

Let every heart prepare Him room.

Not only for the baby. But the for King.