Advent is a season that is close upon us. It usually begins the Sunday after Thanksgiving and as it does this year as well. Advent is the beginning of the liturgical year, a tool used by the church since early times to learn about and focus on the life of Christ. Advent is a time to prepare for and remember the birth of Christ, the beginning of God's plan for our redemption through Christ.
Something that our family has really enjoyed doing together during Advent the last few years is an Advent Wreath. This was something from my childhood I wanted to share with my children. It turned out to be the best thing to include my husband in as he can't be with us for all the daily Jesse Tree readings. And if a Jesse Tree is just to DAILY for you (and I certainly understand that) this is a very simple but meaningful way to prepare your heart for the coming of Jesus.
This blog post explains a really simple method of using an Advent Wreath. Our family's tradition is similar. We light the candle for that week, my husband reads the scripture, we pray, and then we sing a hymn together. Simple, yet very powerful. We have found that it really helps us to focus on what Christmas is really about, the coming of the Savior of the world. Now that is something to celebrate!
If you do like daily there is another option here. These are made by a young boy and the proceeds go to support a child through Compassion International. A very worthy way to remember Christ this season.
This was posted on the Nativity Carnival at A Ten O'Clock Scholar's blog. Check it out for other great advent ideas.
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