Advent Activities - Day 20

Lesson- Create in me a Clean Heart

In verse 21 we read, “But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”

Part of Advent is giving up distractions that are keeping you from seeing and savoring Jesus. 

What did you give up?

How has that been going for you?

Have you been able to draw closer to God because you don’t have that distracting you anymore? 

Part of drawing closer to God is by confessing sins or ways you haven’t been living in the will of God.  Verse 17 tells us, that, “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”  That is good news.  1 John 1:9 tells us, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

           

Possible Activity-

Have each person write privately (or with help for smaller children) their sins or failures on a small piece of paper. Take time to pray and confess these sins to the God who will not condemn, but will faithfully and justly forgive.  Place the “sins” in a metal bowl and use the advent light to burn them.  Take joy that your sins are gone!

Advent Crafts

An amazingly crafty friend of mine recently made these adorable nativity finger puppets... 

A good addition to any family Christmas.

Nativity Finger Puppets

Reading for Advent

Our family has enjoyed some Christmas reading recently. Here are some of our favorite books for children.  I tend to not really like books that make up stories about "what might have happened" when Jesus was born... you know, stories about the shepherds or children who gave Jesus their coat or something.  It is hearsay, and I think that the Word of God has plenty of amazing things to focus on with having to add or make something up.  But, I did add "Room for a Little One" mainly because the art work is so beautiful and it really just talks about the animals and not adding much to the Nativity Story.  

"Christmas Cookies: Bite-Sized Holiday Lessons" is a book that defines and illustrates words that are exemplified this time of year. For example, "Charitable means setting a big batch aside to give to people who maybe don't have any cookies at all."  It is great to read while you wait for cookies to bake. 

One of my utmost favorites is "The Stable Where Jesus was Born." The art is beautifully done and it brings you full circle in the Nativity Story. "One Wintry Night" is a perfect book to read through out Advent... it starts in the Garden of Eden and walks through our need for Jesus to come as our rescuer.  As is "The Tale of Three Trees."  The "Jesus Story Book Bible" is a must have for any time of the year! Seriously, do get it, you will love it!

The rest you will just have to read to find out about! So curl up with cocoa and enjoy a book or two! 

Advent Activities - Day 9

Possible Activity-

Read “Christmas Day in the Morning” By Pearl S Buck  or "Bobby Decker's Santa Claus".  They can both be googled and found complete.  Plan a service project to do together as a family. Don’t just write a check, but allow your children to participate in the full experience of giving selflessly to others.

 

Some ideas are…

Bake cookies or a meal for a shut-in and deliver it together.

Go clean house for a new mother.

Go shopping for new clothes for a single parent and child.

Offer free babysitting to a young couple

Make a care package for a soldier, missionary or foster child.

Mentor a child! 

Pack up a huge amount of clothes, toys and un-needed items for a women's shelter.     

Find someone in immediate need and meet it.                                    

Advent Activity - Day 7

Lesson- Trust and Obey

Mary is thought to be a teenage girl, unmarried, yet very virtuous when she was told that she would be the mother of the Messiah. This would have been very hard for Mary, others would have thought she was being sinful by having a baby out of marriage. However, Mary trusted God to do what was best when she said, “Let it be to me according to your word.” Trusting others can be hard. But Mary knew God and trusted He would work out all of the details she was worried about.

 

Family Activity-

Take turns putting a blindfold on one person and have a child safely lead that person from one room to another.  Or older children can give the blindfolded person verbal directions to get from one place to another. Talk about how it is hard to trust when you can’t see what is happening, but when you know the person leading you, you can feel safe.

 

Advent Activity - Day 3

Luminaries

There are several different ways to make luminaries. 

1. Use tin cans. Fill a washed out can with water and freeze it. Then use a nail and hammer to punch holes in it in a decorate or random pattern.  Allow the ice to melt or run hot water over it until the block of ice will fall out. Place a candle in the can and decorate your porch with the cans... they really are quite pretty! (This is a good activity for older kids or boys.)

2. You can also use small lunch size paper bags. Cut the bags with scissors or crayons and put a bit of sand in the bottom. Put a candle in each and light your porch with this each night. 

3. Use washed out glass jars.  Cut a strip of paper to a right size to wrap around the jar. Decorate the paper with paint, crayons and use a hole punch to create holes in the paper. Tape the paper around the jar and put a candle inside... again, light your porch with it.

An Object lesson... Light in Darkness

Isaiah 9:1-2 and Luke 1:76-80 speaks of people living in darkness and a "great light" coming to illuminate their lives and world.  Ask your children who that light was.  Tell them that our world is dark in sin and that we have the light of Christ and we pray our lights will shine like our luminaries to show people the way to Jesus.