celebrating advent

How do you celebrate Advent? Our usual game plan is: buy the Lindt chocolate calendar from Costco, try not to fight over who gets the delicious chocolate each day...and that's about it. Sure, we talk about the birth of Jesus, but I wouldn't say it is a family focus.

This year, I thought we could raise the bar and focus on what this season means to us, not so much on chocolate. Sooooo, I didn't buy the Lindt chocolate calendar this year. I wondered if I would have a mutiny on my hands, and that is yet to be seen. Instead, I revamped a reusable Advent calendar I bought a couple of years ago.

Each closed space used to house a Christmas decoration that you would hang on the tree - new day, new door, new decoration. Well, when I got the calendar out last week, Ro and Vi immediately got out every decoration and hung them on the tree. "Perfect," I thought. "Now I could move forward with my plan."

With some inspiration from Pinterest (where else, right??), I decided I would fill each slot with a family activity that would focus on relationship leading up to the birth of Jesus, since He is relationship. They range from watching "Frosty the Snowman" together and eating popcorn, to dancing to Christmas carols, to doing a service for someone in need. Ro will love this idea for sure!

Then, each night, we will talk about why Jesus came to earth as a baby, and an attribute of Jesus. On pieces of card stock, I wrote "Jesus is..." and then listed a characteristic. I referenced a Bible verse or passage on the back so we could discuss it further. For example, the first day we are starting with "Jesus is...peace". Two of the cards have "Tam's story" and "Ben's story" referenced on the back so we can share with the girls how the listed attribute attracted us to Jesus/informs our relationship with him. The last characteristic we will discuss on Christmas Eve is how "Jesus is...a gift". We will then display the cards so we can look them over whenever we so desire.

To finish it off, I have put together a daily reading list of Christmas/seasonal books and Bible stories, segmented (for easier comprehension and discussion, and so that I have 24 things to read), that highlight the season and the birth of Jesus. Some of them are quite short but this was intentional so that it left time to talk through ideas, reflect on stories, make comparisons to other stories we have read, and relate them to our lives.

Now, some of you will be howling at this point. I hear you. And I agree - this might be ambitious for an almost 5 year old and not quite 2 year old. But I have never thought there is anything wrong with setting the bar high, as long as we are muddling through together, keeping our minds and hearts open. And there is never anything wrong with trying to maintain singular focus in a muddled world.

I would love to hear how your family celebrates the Advent.

Here's to another dose of intentionality,
Tam