Last year our church did a great job celebrating Advent. Honestly I didn’t really understand what Advent was all about until last year but it just made Christmas so much more meaningful. I didn’t even know that Advent meant “coming” or “arrival.” This season marks the 4 weeks leading up to Christmas, historically set aside as a time of anticipation and preparation for the coming of the King.
Our church here in Portland is also doing a great job celebrating Advent and pointing us to the real reason we celebrate. They handed out devotionals that we can do as a family throughout the month so that our hearts are more engaged and focused on Christ and not just the chaos of the season. So Last night we made an advent wreath that we’re using to go along with our devotional that we got from our church. It just makes Christmas so much more rich and meaningful when we stop and actually think about why we’re celebrating in the first place. Jenna loved helping with the candles and putting the greenery around them. I pray that it won’t grow into a tradition that we just go through the motions with but that will help us engage our hearts and minds with the God who loved us enough to send His only son into this world to be our rescuer, our King. What an amazing gift.
Soon we’ll start reading the Advent book with Jenna that we got last year. She can’t wait and she anticipates each new door that we open. It’s so fun to celebrate with kids. I love seeing life through their eyes. It makes everything more exciting.
What traditions do you have at your house?