Wednesday, November 28, 2018

It's That Time of Year




     I began this journey five years ago as I researched what I wanted to do with my own children during Advent. My goal was to get as many resources in one place as possible in order to make this accessible to all ages. I have a 7 year old, a 4 year old, a 3 year old, a 2 year old, and a 4 month old ... yes, we are tired. Since I began, soooo many resources have come out to help families during this season. I will share those below, but immediately here  are a few things that have helped us get into the habit of preparing for Advent.    

  • Have a set time (We read every morning after breakfast, because that's what works for us. Then we usually do something with daddy during supper or before bed)
  • Please don't shy away just because you think your children are too young ... or too old. They are NOT!
  • You need this too! Every phase of life is busy ... take time to read the Word for yourself even if you have no children. 
  • Pick one thing to do if you can't do it all (which I can't).  Read the stories or read the verses. Shorten them if you need to. Lengthen them if you need to. Talk about the theme, or simply read the theme verse. 
  • Repeat it throughout the day. (if you have young children, you have them for three meals a day. This is a great time to review themes or stories or verses or sing songs)
  • Use these 31 days to get you into a habit for next year of being in the Word.
    So.... all that to say:

PREPARE
I should have most of the work done for you or you can pick from any of the
excellent resources below
PLAN
I have found some teaching moments happen spontaneously at my home, but take advantage of this time of year to plan ahead and set a time to read with your children. This is a busy time of year (especially when you are a musician), so planning is crucial
PURPOSE
As you read and memorize and sing, remember the purpose is to reach the heart. 
PRAY
In the midst of all the craziness and Bible verses and stories and decorating, don't forget to pray with your children each day. Pray that they would know Immanuel and that they would understand the fullness of Grace in Jesus.
PONDER
Have I mentioned that this season is so busy, yet it should be about pondering and reflecting. Having a set time and committing to do an Advent reading each day will give you and your family a moment to sit, be quiet, and reflect on what God has done for us. 
PRAISE
The pondering should lead us to PRAISE our great and marvelous God who has sent LOVE down to us and Who has kept ALL of His promises.




Why 31 days?
  
   What I do is similar to a lot of resources that are coming out now, but different in that I use the entire month of December, not just 25 days or the Sundays leading up to Christmas day to share the Gospel with my children. I felt like my children needed the "so what now?" days after Christmas... you know, the toys have lost their charm, the decorations coming down, etc. It can be really bleh after Christmas, so I decided 5 years ago that I would not stop on Christmas day, but that I would keep going and tell the full story of Jesus and how we are to prepare for His next Advent. 

The goal of this blog is not to be fancy or high tech. My goal IS to make this as easy and accessible to people as possible in order to teach their children diligently. So feel free to share it with anyone who may benefit. 

 The Gospel is the best legacy we can leave our children. And these could be some of the best memories you could bring to your children - sitting down with them and learning of God's plan and purpose in Advent. Join me in my 31 day journey from Genesis to Revelation as we follow the pathway of God's promises to celebrate the all the fullness of Jesus. My favorite resource for doing this is The Biggest Story.

RESOURCES

     Not every resource is used every day. Each resource has interesting and unique art included. To help with determining which resource is best for your child (or yourself), here are some suggestions. The ages are just my suggestion. You can definitely stretch them to be younger or older: 

 You might want to snag some of these since it is cyber sale week either for you or for gifts. 

   I also included a student's hymnal, Hosanna Loud Hosanna, in the resource list. If you don't have this one, grab whatever hymnal you have and open it up with your children and sing! Having a hymnal is one of the best tools and resources you have to train your child with the truths of Jesus. Another resource if you don't have a hymnal is hymnary.org. You can look up pretty much any song and it will show you music and let you listen. Gettymusic.com also has some wonderful new Christmas carols, as well as older ones. These are fun and lively, but also cause me to ponder Advent anew. 

 Some other fun resources that I thoroughly enjoy with my family are the Jacquie Lawson Advent calendar (it does cost, but is worth it! You can keep it on your computer forever and always for your kids to enjoy), and Professor Carol which I really enjoy personally. 
And here are a few family/personal resources you might be interested in this season.


  • Christmas Playlist by Alistair Begg -This would be a GREAT resource to give to someone who is searching for answers. It gives the Gospel clearly
  • Prepare Him Room by Marty Machowski - GREAT to do with a family. This is still a little beyond my kids, but it is very good. Anything by this guy is spot on. 
  • The Dawning of Indestructible Joy by John Piper - good for family's with older children or for your personal use
  • Come Let Us Adore Him by Paul David Tripp - a great NEW resource for you personally or for those with older children (teens)
  • God is in the Manger by D. Bonhoeffer - if you have not read anything by this man, you should! 
  • Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room by Nancy Guthrie - she is a friend of mine and is a firm believer in getting the BIG PICTURE of the Bible into the hearts and lives of people.
  • The Greatest Gift or this family version or this new one by Ann Voskamp - the first would be for a mother. She is good, but her language is flowery if you haven't read her before. Her family  one is good and her new one just came out a couple of weeks ago and it looks really great for children using the Jesse Tree. So if you do not have time to make ornaments with your children, this would be a great option.
There are many more ... Advent writing has exploded over the last 3 years. Nancy Guthrie also has some great ones. 


     So there's a start on resources. The next post will feature what you will need if you want to make a Jesse tree with your children and will also have the readings listed out in advance for you. Happy prepping! 

      


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