Advent Devotional: Christmas Eve!

Luke 2:10-14

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Advent Devotional: December 23

Watch A Charlie Brown Christmas.  Have a hot cocoa bar and answer the question, What is the true meaning of Christmas?

Advent Devotional: December 22

Make a Christmas ornament out of Popsicle sticks.  Try to make a star or Snowflake, or check out the link below for a neat guide to making Advent ornaments.  

www.ncpcnursery.blogspot.com/2015/11/how-to-popsicle-stick-nativity.html

Anna: Knowing What You're Waiting For

Read: Luke 2:22-40

In this final story before the celebration of Jesus birth we learn about the faithfulness of a two seemingly insignificant people, Simeon and Anna.  They both spent much of their lives at the temple, Praising God and serving him.  And yet they knew that they were a part of something much bigger.  They were waiting to meet the Savior of the world. 

Not knowing what you’re waiting for can be tough but knowing what your waiting for can almost be tougher, but in a very different way.  Have you ever looked forward to a big event.  It could be a concert by your favorite band, a sporting event, the premiere of a beloved movie franchise, or a big birthday party!  Whatever that event is you can be sure it’s circled on your calendar.  You count down the days till the big day.  As it gets closer you figure exactly many hours you have to wait till the event starts.  During that waiting, time seems to crawl by, minutes feel like hours and perhaps you wish you could simply skip forward in time to the big event.

 But then would we really appreciate that concert or birthday party.  What makes that event so special is the endless waiting beforehand.  If we never had to wait for anything would we ever truly appreciate something?  What if we jumped from what life highlight to the next?  None of the highlights would seem like highlights.  The only reason that event is special is because of all waiting involved with it. 

For Simeon and Anna they had been waiting their entire lives for this exciting event.  The longest I can ever remember anyone waiting for anything is about a year.  One of my best friends loves Spiderman and counted down 365 days to the release of The Amazing Spiderman 2.  For Simeon and Anna it was 60 to 80 years of going to the temple and asking the question, will this be the day that I meet the Lord?  The wait must have been almost unbearable for them.  But ultimately God rewards their faithfulness and patience.  And I’m sure that both of them would say that meeting Baby Jesus would not have been nearly as significant if they didn’t have to wait for a lifetime.  So next time you want to skip forward in time, remember the example of Simeon and Anna.  Remember that without the waiting the joy of event itself might be lost.

Advent Devotional: December 21

Go to the library and pick out some Christmas stories.  Read them together.  Some suggestions of great Christmas stories are: 

·     Papa Panov’s Special Christmas: Leo Tolstoy

·     The Christmas Stories of George Macdonald

·     The Holy Night: Selma Lagerlof

Advent Devotional: December 20

John 3:16-17

For God so loved that world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

The fourth candle of Advent is the candle of love.  As we light this candle we remember God’s love for us.  And He showed us that love by sending his son Jesus into the world.  May we love others in the same way that God loves us.

Advent Devotional: December 19

 

Make a Gingerbread house out of gingerbread or graham crackers.  Decorate with candy and other sweet treats.  Wait to eat it until Christmas.

Advent Devotional: December 18

Draw a picture or write a story about the animals that were in the stable when Jesus was born.

Advent Devotional: December 17

Pray this prayer with your family.

Dear God, with joy we acknowledge that our help is in you, the Maker of heaven and earth, our Maker and our re-Maker through the life and death of the One born in Bethlehem. Through faith in him, grant us solid joy that lasts long beyond this Christmas season and that equips us to face the adversities of life. Amen

The Baptizer: Between the Times

Read: John 1:19-31, Matthew 3

The Bible tells us a lot about Jesus.  We learn about his birth, his 1st trip to the Temple, his numerous miracles, teachings, and finally his crucifixion and resurrection.  But the Bible is completely silent on his life from the age of 12 to the age of 30.  Instead during this time we learn about John the Baptist who was preparing the way for Jesus. 

Just like we celebrate and enjoy the time of anticipation and waiting during advent, Jesus waited until the right time to begin his earthly ministry. 

So many times in our lives we want things in our time versus God’s time.  We live in a consumer oriented culture that is always focusing on getting what we want as soon as we want it. 

As a child it’s hard to wait for privileges that come with being older.  Later bedtimes, able to watch more movies and shows, and ability to stay home alone are just a few of many exciting freedoms that come with each birthday.  Just like children aren’t allowed to have everything they want from the age of 2, God doesn’t give us everything we desire exactly when we want it.  Sometimes God says, “I love you and know you and know that this isn’t what you need.”   When God tells us to it can often be hard to hear.  But whether we are parents or children, let’s try and embrace the waiting period instead of complaining about it. 

Advent Devotional: December 16

Christmas is a time to help others and bring others joy.  How can you help someone this Advent season?

Advent Devotional: December 15

Luke 1:46-55

And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Might One has done great things for me- holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but he has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors."

Why does Jesus birth bring us so much joy?  Discuss that question with your family.

Advent Devotional: December 14

Listen to or sing, O Come O Come Emmanuel.  This song was actually written by an unknown monk sometime before  800 AD.  Between the Old and New Testaments there is a period of 400 years of silence from God.  During this time God did not speak to his people Israel.  This song expresses the longing that Israel felt during that period of silence.  The joy the shepherds expressed at the birth of Jesus, is the joy of God coming down to his people after 400 years of silence.

Check out the video to listen to O Come O Come Emmanuel being sung by a traditional choir.

Advent Devotional: December 13

Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

We light this candle because, like God’s people centuries ago, we know that God has come in Christ and that Christ will come again. We rejoice in God’s work in history and in the future.  The candle is pink because pink means joy.

Advent Devotional: December 12

Make nativity finger puppets.  Put on a short show depicting the birth of Christ for family or friends. check out the link below to find a handy guide for making finger puppets.

http://www.ncpcnursery.blogspot.com/2015/11/christmas-craft-finger-puppets.html

Advent Devotional: December 11

Christmas is a time to connect with old friends and family.  Write a letter or make a card for a friend or family member you haven’t seen in a while.  Mail it and wait for a reply.

Advent Devotional: December 10

Pray together as a family today.  Pray for Christians around the world who might not be able to celebrate Advent in the same way we do.  Pray for those around the world who need to hear the message that Jesus is born. 

Joseph: The Unexpected Expectation

Read: Matthew 1:18-25,

Have you ever thought that a situation was going to go one direction and it ended up going in a completely different direction? 

For example when I was 15 all I wanted was a new video game called Super Smash Bros Brawl for the Wii.  But because of basketball and some other situations I didn’t have the money to buy it when it came out.  I thought I would have to wait until I saved enough to get the game.  Now my mom has never liked video games and always thought they were a waste of time.  And also my mom has never bought me any video games even  for my birthday and Christmas.  Imagine my surprise when I arrived home the day the game came out and my mom handed me Super Smash Bros Brawl.  I was more surprised than almost any time in my life! 

Well much like my mom giving me Super Smash Bros Brawl, in this story Joseph receives a big surprise!  He is engaged to Mary and suddenly he finds out that she is pregnant.  This itself  is a big bummer for Joseph who had probably been preparing and working towards getting married his whole life.  Then an angel shows up and tells Joseph to go ahead and marry Mary because she is pregnant with the Son of God!  1st Joseph thinks he’s going to have to call off his engagement and then he finds out that he is going to be the earthly father of Jesus Christ, God’s Son!  That is a crazy change of plans!  But Joseph didn’t question God’s plan even though it was very different from Joseph’s plan.  Rather he obeyed God and accepted his role and responsibility joyfully.

In our lives this Advent season everything will not go as planned.  Maybe we won’t be able to see our relatives like we hoping.  Perhaps money is tight and we can’t afford to have the Christmas we want.  Maybe the Christmas cookies are burned because something else grabbed our attention while they were in the oven.  Maybe we didn’t get that really cool toy or gift we were hoping to get.

Whatever it is, the Christmas season and Christmas day rarely are as wonderful and perfect as all the Christmas movies and ads portray them.  But that’s okay a perfect Christmas isn’t the point and it isn’t what matters. 

What matters is that a baby boy named Jesus was born in a manger and one day he would die on a cross and rise again from the dead so that we can have a relationship with God.  This advent season don’t stress when things don’t go as planned and we once again miss out on the perfect Christmas.  Instead remember the old and somewhat cheesy line, “Jesus is the reason for the season!”

Advent Devotional: December 9

Go through your toys and choose several nice toys to give to a local charity.  Check out the link below to find some places to donate to in the Seattle area.

www.redtri.com/seattle/where-to-donate-used-toys/#

Advent Devotional: December 8

Read the book, The  Berenstein Bears and the Joy of Giving.  If you don’t have it or can’t find it at the library check out the video below of the book being read aloud.

Advent Devotional: December 7

“What has happened to the old-fashioned, spiritual Christmas? The cause is our disregard of Advent. The church set aside this four-week pre-Christmas season as a time of spiritual preparation for Christ’s coming. It is a time of quiet anticipation. If Christ is going to come again into our hearts, there must be repentance. Without repentance, our hearts will be so full of worldly things that there will be ‘no room in the inn’ for Christ to be born again…  We have the joy not of celebration. Which is the joy of Christmas, but the joy of anticipation.”  -John R. Brokhoff.

How can your family celebrate quiet anticipation during Advent this year?

Advent Devotional: December 6

Luke 3:4-6

As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet; “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.  Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all people shall see God’s salvation.’”

The  second candle of Advent is the candle of preparation.  As we light this candle we ask God to help us prepare our hearts to welcome his true son Jesus Christ.  As we prepare for this special celebration may we help other welcome Jesus as the savior of the world.

Advent Devotional: December 5

Make a batch of your favorite homemade Christmas cookies together.  While their baking discuss what’s it like to wait for something sweet.

Advent Devotional: December 4

Draw a picture or write a story about your favorite thing to do on Christmas morning with your family.

Elizabeth: The Wait of a Lifetime

Each Thursday, There will be a preview of whatever character we are going to be learning about in service on Sunday.  Today we are going be getting a little preview of Elizabeth's life.

 Read: Luke 1:5-25, 57-80, Genesis 18:9-14

What is the longest you have ever had to wait for something?  Nine months for a new baby a year for your birthday?  When I was growing up in MT I remember my best friend turned 12.  And he was so excited because he was allowed to go hunting at the age of 12, he said, I’ve been waiting to go hunting my whole life!” 

Well the characters in our story, Elizabeth and Sarah, like my friend have been waiting for something their whole lives.  Except they have been waiting much longer than 12 years.  Elizabeth and Sarah are both very old and have never had children.  In the Jewish culture at that time, bearing children and raising them were the primary functions of women.  So not being able to have children brought shame to both Elizabeth and Sarah. 

Imagine wishing and waiting for something your whole life.  When someone tells you that you will finally receive what you’ve been hoping for it’s almost too good be true.  No wonder Sarah laughed or Zechariah, Elizabeth’s husband, doubted.  But God rewarded these women’s patience by giving them sons who would be very important to the nation of Israel and Christianity. 

Many times, especially as a child waiting can be hard.  We can’t wait to be older so we can stay up later or have more privileges or stop having to follow our parents rules.  However one thing I’ve learned is that along with all those privileges there are a lot of responsibilities that come with getting older as well.  I’m sure your parents will agree with me. 

But at the same time, it’s okay to be excited for Christmas and everyone has a hard time waiting for something!  But let’s try and enjoy the waiting and anticipation. 

Take time to thank God each day for the gift of Jesus and for this season of waiting.  Enjoy and participate in the advent activities found in this devotional and in the Advent Calendar.  These can range from scripture reading’s to attending a Christmas concert to decorating a gingerbread house. 

Remember that Christmas isn’t just about December 25 but about the entire Christmas season.  And our anticipation and waiting finishes in the joyful celebration of Jesus’ birth! 

And remember we only have to wait 27 days unlike Sarah and Elizabeth who waited their entire lives. 

Advent Devotional: December 3

Prayer is one of the most important things we can do, both as a way to connect with God and with each other.  Pray together as a family.  Pray that God would prepare your hearts for the busy season of advent.  And that he would help you remind you to enjoy his peace and presence during this stressful time of year.

Advent Devotional: December 2

Listen to the song, Waiting for Christmas by Johnny Reid.  Thank God for the gift of music and think about how Christmas music impacts our celebration of the season.

Advent Devotional: December 1

In The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe., C.S. Lewis describes the never ending winter in Narnia with the harsh description of, “Always winter but never Christmas.”  That descriptions sets forth a cold, bleak and very dreary season.  Snowflakes and snow are beautiful but they are even more beautiful as a part of a cheery and bright Christmas season.  So to celebrate Advent today make some paper snowflakes to hang in your window. 

Check out the link below to find a handy guide to making paper snowflakes. 

www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-6-Pointed-Paper-Snowflakes/?ALLSTEPS

2nd day of Advent, November 30

Sometimes the hardest thing about life is waiting for a certain privilege or experience.  Have a discussion as a family about what the hardest things in life to wait for are.

1st Day of Advent!

Advent Season is upon us!  Today, Sunday November 29 is the first day of Advent.  I have written a family Devotional for North Creek Presbyterian Church for the season of Advent.  Each day I will publish that day's Advent devotional or activity, from this family devotional.  May this Advent Devotional help your family celebrate and and anticipate the joy of Christmas and Christ's birth.

Micah 5:2

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.

This first Candle of Advent is the candle of Hope.  We light it and remember that above everything else Jesus birth brings hope into a world that desperately needs it.  May we constantly be reminded and remind those around us of the hope of Jesus this Advent season.

Finding Joy in the Stillness

The leaves are changing, more people wear Seahawks gear than tank tops, and the pumpkin spice latte has once again become our drink of choice; all these trends tell us one thing; fall is here.  And while I love the sunshine, weekend trips, and ice cream runs that summer brings, I’m excited for the cooler and grayer fall days.  Along with the cooler weather, fall brings us a chance for lots of fun activities and excursions.  These range from apple picking with family or friends to enjoying a cup of hot tea on a cold and cloudy day.

And yet for some of us, all these opportunities don’t bring us the intended joy, but rather add to our stress and worry.  Sure our kids are back in school, but along with that comes extracurricular activities, like boy scouts, soccer practice, piano lessons, drama rehearsals, PTA meetings, and various other time consuming demands.  And those are just the week to week appointments.  Add in shopping or making Halloween costumes, visiting the pumpkin patch, trying to decide where to spend Thanksgiving, and being reminded by your local department store to get a head start on your Christmas shopping; it’s no wonder our hair starts graying prematurely.

 

In the midst of all this, we’re supposed to make time for church, youth group, our small group and the potluck after church.  Not to mention find time to spend with God each day in His Word or in prayer or both.  How can we juggle all this along with the normal challenges that come with raising a family?  The answer to this question does not involve Hermione’s Time Turner from Harry Potter but rather a tough reality.  We can’t have the perfect fall experience. 

Our culture is obsessed with living life to the fullest.  And thanks to social media we have an outlet to tell the world about just how much fun we’re having.  We share our smiling Instagram picture from the corn maze and two minutes later, our face is lined with worry because we’re late to the Jack o’lantern carving party.  But what does our culture’s social media quest to portray happiness really tell us about our lives?  It tells us that we long for joy and a sense of fulfillment and purpose.  But what many of us overlook, is that joy isn’t found in the perfect family outing or using the Valencia filter on Instagram to highlight it. 

Joy is found in communion with God and in the quiet moments spent with him.  In 1 Kings 19, God tells Elijah to stand on a mountain and wait for the Lord to appear.  And God sent a great wind and earthquake and fire, but God did not appear in any of these rather he spoke to Elijah in a low whisper.  In Psalm 46:10, God says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” 

Instead of planning endless activities this fall, spend time reading your Bible and ask God to renew and refresh your spirit during this busy season.  And don’t just do this on your own; use this time as an opportunity to teach your kids that God is the true source of our joy.  Instead of going to the pumpkin patch for the 3^rd time in as many years, spend a day at home, praying with your family and then relaxing together by playing some board games.  This fall, let’s be more intentional about creating space and time for God in our lives, and worry less about creating the perfect family moment.