preparing

I experienced the season of Advent more this year than I think I ever have, so I just wanted to briefly share why I think that was (apart from simply God's grace for me)... what it was that pointed me to Jesus amidst the chaos of shopping and planning and decorating and socializing and traveling.

 1. Behold the Lamb



We fell in love with this humble musical performance a few years ago in Nashville, and we have been listening faithfully and tirelessly to the album each Christmas since. No other Christmas music can remind me of the Truth about Christmas and the God's unique plan quite like these songs. This year's performance, which happened to be at the very beginning of December, was no exception. I left that night feeling more in love with Jesus than I had felt in quite some time. That evening was the perfect kickoff for Advent because it focused my vision squarely on the One who deserved it. (Now, in preparation for next year, please go purchase the CD- one of the best $10 purchases you will ever make- and mark your Google calendar for a show next December. You will not regret it.)


2. Jesse Tree

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(from About.com) The Jesse Tree is a unique Advent tree that can be very useful for teaching children about the Bible at Christmas, and a fun activity, too! The Jesse Tree represents the family tree, or genealogy of Jesus Christ. It tells the story of God's salvation plan, beginning with creation and continuing through the Old Testament, to the coming of the Messiah. The name comes from Isaiah 11:1, "Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit."
Each day of Advent a homemade ornament is added to the Jesse Tree, a small tree made of evergreen branches. These symbolic ornaments can each represent a prophecy foretelling of Christ. Other variations include creating ornaments that represent the ancestors in the lineage of Christ...

I remember someone explaining this to me before I had children and thinking, "Seriously? That is waaaayyy too much effort for a Christmas tradition". Two things changed my mind. First, I was invited into a Jesse Tree Exchange, which meant that I just had to make 25 of the same ornament (and then we had a party and everyone got one of each), so I didn't have to be uber creative. Second, we bought this book (though there are many) and just started doing it. Cooper loved it and looked forward to it every day. Wonderfully, I found that I could only lead him in a devotion if I had spent time reading the Scripture on my own. Hence, I was encouraged to spend time with God (which, if I'm honest, is especially rare that time of year), watching the story of the Messiah unfold throughout the Old Testament.

On Christmas morning, we all gathered around Cooper's bed and- before we even entered the realm of presents and stockings and treats- we read the final Jesse Tree devotion and the Bible verses about Jesus' birth, hung our baby Jesus ornament on the tree, and prayed. It was such a sweet and perfect way to begin the morning. 


3. Amazon shopping

This is not a joke. I know I am basically putting the "little guy" out of business and I'm sad about that, but I cannot help it- Amazon shopping saved my Christmas.  From the comfort of my living room, I ordered almost every present that we purchased and had them all delivered to my door for free. So much time and energy and emotional well-being preserved by not going out into the holiday madness! And great deals too! I'm telling you- online Christmas shopping is where. it's. at. :)

Okay, so there's my prescription for a great Christmas. 1, 2, 3.  All joking aside, these really blessed me this year... hopefully they will bless you as well!

Sidenote: in trying to find a link for "advent", I stumbled across this site. Please peruse, especially the "About" page. So beautifully true.