What Is Advent?
The journey from Advent 1 to Epiphany unfolds as all good stories should, step by step, so we don't get too stunned by the awesome truth it bears. There's enough direct truth there to keep us on track and focused on it, and enough mystery and open room to fire the imagination -- from ordinary imaginations like mine, to great imaginations like T.S. Eliot and Dr. Seuss, to transcendent imaginations like your average 6-year old. And in 2009, Advent starts on November 29. That means Advent 2 is on December 6, Advent 3 is on December 13, and Advent 4 is on December 20. (The number means the week, thus Advent 2 is shorthand for "Second Sunday in Advent" or "Second Week", etc.)
The word 'advent' is Latin for 'a coming or arrival'. The idea behind it is that God came to earthly life and lived among us, which is news to stop the presses for. It's something to celebrate, rejoice, because just by being in it, God was giving the supreme blessing to the created world. But this birth led to an execution of this same God, by us on behalf of us, and then the greatest news that death will not end it all. So it's not something you just go rushing into. We need to take stock of what that baby Jesus was here for. When we go all goo-goo over the baby and the birth, the adult Jesus and His execution are also in sight.
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Celebrating Advent with Kids – How to Make an Advent Wreath
Advent marks the start of the Christmas season. It begins on the Sunday nearest November 30, the feast day of St. Andrew the Apostle, and lasts four Sundays. The date it begins changes from year to year. As a result, so does the length of each Advent season.
The word advent, from Latin, means "the coming." It is a time of spiritual reflection as well as cheer and anticipation. The home or family Advent devotion includes the ceremonial lighting of candles in the Advent wreath. An Advent wreath is made from greens to symbolize continuous life and contains four candles— three purple and one rose. Often a fifth candle (white) is added to the center of the wreath for lighting on Christmas Eve, in celebration of the birth of Jesus.
An Advent wreath is made from greens to symbolize continuous life and contains four candles— three purple and one rose. Often a fifth candle (white) is added to the center of the wreath for lighting on Christmas Eve, in celebration of the birth of Jesus.
Read more at www.amazingmoms.com
Celebrating Advent and Christmas
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Because Christmas has become the most important holiday of all in the traditionally-Christian countries, Advent has become a preparation not just for the Christ child but also for everything else that happens Christmas day. Most people spend all four weeks of Advent (and then some!) buying or making gifts to give out for Christmas, scheduling Christmas travel, and setting up the bounties of the big Christmas meal. By the time it's over, we need a vacation from the holiday! In colder, wintry countries, Christmastide is when we celebrate what winter holds in store -- snow, skis, sleds, warm drink, icicles, glittering ice-covered trees, fireplaces, snowmen, snowball fights, skating, and a refreshing nip in the air.
Advent and Christmas Foods
Everyone has their favorite holiday foods. Good old-fashioned puddings are made in advance with sweet soft fruit such as raisins, currants, citrus peels, figs, pomegranates, and prunes, plus brandy, and then jarred and chilled to age several days to a week, so that the flavors meld. Mince pies are made of a dried fruit mix, and sometimes finely chopped lamb or venison. (The meatless, low-fat varieties are most common today.)
A Gaelic custom is to bake cakes during the last week of Advent, store them, then take them out just before Christmas to spread on almond paste and/or a sweet goo such as cake frosting or honey. On the days before Christmas, Europeans bake plaited breads in a long oval shape, to look like a well-wrapped Christ child. Just as Lent is a fast, Christmas is a feast.
In some traditions, such as in the Philippines, families start the Christmas feast right after returning from the late-night or midnight Christ's Mass. The typical fare is some form of ham, cheese balls, and hot cocoa.
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Making the Holidays Less Materialistic
The "gimmes" are all around us during the holiday season. It can be hard for kids — and parents — to look beyond all of the product-driven hoopla and remember what the holidays are really about.
It's not the gifts but what's behind them that's important — the spirit of giving. Help your kids learn the fun of giving, and how rewarding it can be to look for, make, and wrap something special — or do something special — for people they care about and others who are in need.
Here are five ways to curb materialism in your kids and reinforce the real reason for the season:
1. Teach Kids to Question Marketing Messages
From the TV commercials during cartoons to the promos on the backs of cereal boxes, marketing messages target kids of all ages. And to them, everything looks ideal — like something they simply have to have. It all sounds so appealing — often, so much better than it really is.
The ads kids see around the holidays can help foster unrealistic expectations and lead to disappointment. After imagining their "wish list" items all around them, it's hard for reality to measure up when they actually open their gifts.
Of course, it's nearly impossible to eliminate all exposure to marketing messages. You can certainly turn off the TV or at least limit your kids' watching time, but they'll still see and hear ads for the latest gizmos and must-haves.
Explain, when your kids ask for products they see advertised, that commercials and other ads are designed to make people want things they don't necessarily need. And these ads are often meant to make us think that these products will make us happier somehow. Talking to kids about what things are like in reality can help put things into perspective.
Read more at kidshealth.org
Movie Review for “Saint Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving” (Veggie Tales 2009)
Discover the story behind the Christmas holiday in this entertaining tale put on by some of the world's favorite vegetables. This is not your typical Mary-and-Joseph story. Rather, it is about the little boy who eventually became known as St. Nicholas. Using cute songs and humorous dialogue that entertain adults and children alike, the Veggies tell the tale of a boy whose parents dedicated their lives to helping others. When they died, he set out to discover who he was and found out that his place in life was serving others. Political leaders of the day made it difficult for people to help each other, so Nicholas had to come up with the sneaky ways to help others. Tapping into several world traditions, the Veggies show young Nicholas using chimneys and shoes to provide gifts for those in need.
The DVD demonstrates how a love for God translates to a love for humankind. It shows how a person can benefit from selflessness and how the tradition of giving began with one individual. This DVD uses humor very appropriate for its audience and exhibits cinematographic, artistic, and musical excellence. The Veggie drawings are amusing and the moral values behind the title are exceptional. Not only does it bring in an international perspective, but it promotes service to and compassion for others. 50 min.; Ages 2-5.
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How to Handle Post Christmas Blues
Step 1: When the holiday season comes to an end so do the parties and family gatherings. The absence of a full social calendar can cause one to feel lonely. Prior to Christmas or shortly thereafter, make plans to spend an evening out with friends once a week throughout the year. Look for winter activities that you can attend that will provide you with an opportunity to mingle and meet new friends.
Step 2: During the Christmas season family members often travel to a certain location in order to celebrate the season with family that they seldom have the opportunity to visit with. Once everyone returns to their home, a sense of sadness may occur among siblings, parents, and children who would like to maintain a closer connection with each other. While everyone is together for Christmas, devise a plan for remaining more connected through phone calls, e-mails, photos, or snail mail. If at all possible, arrange a summer reunion.
Read more at ehow.com
Count Your Blessings Everyday This New Year
Looking for a great way to start the New Year?
Make a resolution to count your blessings every day. How? First you must decide just what you consider a blessing to be and second, you need to decide how to count it.
A Blessing is defined in the dictionary as "anything that gives happiness" so let's start with that. Starting January 1st resolve to find one thing in your day that brought you happiness. It could be as simple as someone smiling at you or as exciting as winning a game, maybe it was the happy feeling you got from helping someone in need, or being the recipient of the same. The point is whatever made you happy during your day, consider it a blessing and before you go to bed that night record it in some way. It doesn't have to be an elaborate description, just something to help you remember it.
Recording your blessings is another way of counting them. If they are not recorded they will soon be forgotten. Since they bring us happiness we should treasure them and want to keep a record of them. There are several ways one can do this daily.
Here are some ideas you may like to try:
- Make a "Blessing Box" or "Blessing Jar". This can be any container you choose, a box you make or purchase, or a glass jar or vase, just make sure it will be large enough to hold a blessing a day for each day of the year. Decorate the container as you like and label it "Daily Blessings". At the end of each day write down your blessing for the day and the date and drop it in the container.
Read more at hubpages.com
I Am the New Year
I AM THE NEW YEAR
I am unused, unspotted, without blemish,
I stretch before you three hundred
And sixty-five days long.
I will present each day
In its turn, a new leaf
In the book of life
For you to place upon
It your imprint
I AM THE NEW YEAR.
Each hour of every day, I will
Give you sixty minutes that
Have never known the use of man.
White and pure I present them;
It remains for you to fill them
With sixty jeweled seconds of
Love, hope, endeavor, patience
And trust in God.
I AM THE NEW YEAR.
I am coming –
But once past, I can
Never be recalled,
Make me your best!
Psalm 118:24
This is the day that Jehovah hath made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Ephesians 5:15-16
See therefore how ye walk carefully, not as unwise but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
From www.ircbeginner.com
The Children’s Corner
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Scripture Stories:
Matthew 1:18-25 tells about the Birth of Jesus the Messiah
Luke 2:1-20 tells about the birth of JesusAdvent Storybook: 24 Stories to Share Before Christmas by Antonie Schneider and Maja Dusikova
Bartholomew's Passage: A Family Story for Advent by Arnold Ytreeide
Good News of Great Joy by C. Michael Dudash
Jacob's Gift by Max Lucado
Jotham's Journey: A Storybook for Advent by Arnold Ytreeide
Mary's First Christmas by Walker Wangerin
My Birthday, Jesus' Birthday by Holly Davis
Tabitha's Travels: A Family Story for Advent (Jotham's Journey Trilogy) by Arnold Ytreeide
The Adventure of Christmas: Helping Children Find Jesus in Our Holiday Traditions by Lisa Whelchel and Jeannie Mooney
The Legend of the Candy Cane by Lori Walburg
The Legend Of The Three Trees by Catherine McCafferty
The Parable Series: The Pine Tree Parable by Liz Curtis Higgs
The Story of Christmas by Jane Ray
The Tiny Star by Art Ginolfi
Who Is Coming to Our House? by Joseph Slate
We’ve listed only a few of the hundreds of Christian books about Christmas here; click on this link to see more!
The Parent’s Resource Place
Unplug the Christmas Machine: A Complete Guide to Putting Love and Joy Back into the Season by Jo Robinson and Jean C. Staeheli
A Simple Christmas: A Faith-filled Guide to a Meaningful And Stress-free Christmas by Sharon Hanby-Robie
Advent Arts and Christmas Crafts: With Prayers and Rituals for Family, School and Church by Jeanne Heiberg
Expecting God's Surprises: Devotions for the Advent Journey by Robert E. Dunham
The Wonder of Christmas: A Family Advent Journey by Melody Carlson and Dan Brown
Sing-along Christmas Carols by Roger Priddy
The Shepherds' Prayer: A Christmas Novel by Richard M. Barry
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