Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Advent

One of our biggest goals as parents is to make sure our children know the real meaning of Christmas.  In our society where it is all about getting stuff and pleasing self.  This is not always easy but we are trying.  This year I really wanted us to spend some time each day in the weeks leading up to Christmas reading and talking about Jesus and what His coming meant for us.  I researched a bunch of different ideas and came across this neat way to do advent scriptures.  I made simple ornaments for each day to hang on a tree that is on our kitchen table.  Each night at dinner we get the ornament for the day and there is a scripture on the back.  They all talk about God's promise to send a rescuer for His people.  The kids are really enjoying it as are Matt and I.  It is such a great way to focus everyday on the true meaning of Christmas.  I got the idea from here. 

We also found a great daily advent book based on our absolute favorite Christmas album - Behold the Lamb of God Advent Book by Russ Ramsey.   If you have never heard the album go buy it right now - it is amazing!.  It is the best representation I have ever heard of the gospel message.  The advent book is also awesome.  It brings words to the story like I have never experienced. 
We are so excited to be celebrating the birth of the Lamb of God that came into the world to take away our sins so we would not have to be condemned but would have a way to stand before a Holy God! 

In the excitement of Matt's big news yesterday I forgot an advent verse.  I am studying Genesis this year in BSF and it is so wonderful.  One of the biggest things I wanted to get out of the study was to see the gospel message even from the very first book in the Bible.  And guess what Jesus is all over the pages of Genesis.  It is so amazing to think about how God had His rescue plan laid out for mankind from before the foundations of the world.  So today's verse is the very first reference to Jesus in the Bible...

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.  Genesis 3:15

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