Thoughts on Advent

Good morning, friends! Do you love the cold weather, or what? I have had the most fun ever getting in the Christmas spirit. I think we've had a different kind of soup every night for the last week. I always love cold weather food. Mmmmm. I love walking in from outside into my warm, cozy house. I love snuggling on my couch with my sweet kiddos and watching White Christmas for the 10th time this season-and it's only December 6th! I love reading the Christmas story with my kids and watching them learn and be able to answer my questions when I ask them about it. Like, "What did the angel say to Mary? What was her baby's name to be? What is so special about her baby? Who came to see baby Jesus?" We have had a blast really working through Christmas this year. Chad and I know that there is a way to do Christmas in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. There is a way to celebrate with your kids that doesn't turn them into little materialistic monsters, constantly revising their wish lists. But what does that look like? How do you create excitement in your kids about something that really is very abstract for them at this point?

So, I'm a researcher. I've heard about Advent. Even lit candles a few years. I've never known the significance of it or fully understood it. So I started to research. My first stop was the Desiring God website (www.desiringgod.org). There is a terrific radio interview with Noel Piper about traditions during the Christmas holidays. I totally recommend it. I began to understand that the word advent means 'coming'. The season of Advent is to celebrate the coming of Christ. We celebrate and reflect on the people of the Old Testament who hoped and longed for the Messiah to come. We also celebrate the fact that Christ is coming again. I also began to understand that Advent isn't a set thing. There aren't special Advent verses that you must go by, neccessarily. It is just the act of celebrating and reflecting. It starts 4 weeks before Christmas. Each Sunday you light a candle and read scripture, turning your heart toward the coming of Christ. Focus on the Family has a list of scriptures that you can use to read everyday with your family (28 days leading up to Christmas). As I read through those scriptures I got so excited. I read about a world who was longing for a new king. They were so oppressed and longed to be delivered from their sins. They were without hope...except for the hope of Messiah. They prayed and longed and begged God to send the promised One. Then I read about an angel appearing to a young girl. She would have a baby. How would this be? A long donkey ride, no room in the end. And finally, a tiny king being layed in a manger. The long awaited king. Glory to God in the highest!
I'm understanding how to create this excitement in my kids. They can understand sad people. As I read the scripture to them each day they can understand that the people were sad. The people want a new king. They know what it means to wait. They can understand that the people were tired of waiting. I think that if this is built and built for a week or two they might be thrilled to see that the king is finally here! They finally have a king and a Saviour. And He's a tiny baby. I'm really excited about this new understanding. My prayer is that the Lord would grant my children some small measure of understanding. And that this understanding would build and build. That they will understand the significance of this new king...what He came to save the people from.

Merry Christmas, Friends! We love you guys.