Preparing

The holidays are coming! For the first time ever, we're going to travel to be with extended family for Thanksgiving. Fun! (We had Will's parents and youngest sister visiting us one year at Thanksgiving, way back in 2003. This year we'll be visiting his other sister in Odessa.)  We're heading out on Wednesday, to arrive on Thursday and celebrate on Friday.  Excitement levels are very high in this home!

Advent will also be starting while we're gone, so I've been preparing for that. Advent is a time of preparation; I've been preparing to prepare.   We'll be doing a Jesse tree, using Ann Voskamp's book of readings. (I highly recommend it!)  I do think that will be more for Will and me, but the Bible stories are ageless, of course.  And I might draw from some of these devotionals, for something more at the children's level.  On the side, I'm also planning to repeat my version of Noel Piper's Advent story from what we did last year.

But back to the cards: that's what the picture above is.  Our children love cards, especially pop-up cards, so I made one for each person.  I'll be packing these cards to bring out as a surprise in Odessa. . . an invitation to start preparing to celebrate Jesus' birthday.  Ann's book starts off with an invitation; I copied out a good bit of that, and the Bible verse, and added notes to each child.  I had such fun making these invitations, savoring the words I was working with, and praying that this upcoming season really will be a time when we come face to face with "the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD."

I'm sure you'll hear more about our preparations for Jesus' birthday.  This is just a start. . . .

(By the way, I'd love to hear about what others are planning, how you prepare for and celebrate Christmas, with Christ at the center.)