Advent

I've been pondering how to make Christmas different this year.  Not different than last year, necessarily; but different than the consumer-driven, Santa-obsessed, tinsel-filled holiday to which the stores still in the back before Black Friday want us to succumb.  I can tend to get a little fired up about this (and it's a different post entirely), so I'll try to keep it short and sweet.  I want our kids to grow up loving Christmas for the awesomeness it represents: that True Love was born in a manger.

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.  John 15:13

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Romans 5:8

Here's one tradition - hopefully of many - that we're starting this year: a book Advent calendar.  The idea uses 24 Christmas books and starting December 1st, Ava opens one each night and we read it before bed time.  We started it tonight and she was pretty pumped.  I think it might be a fun family tradition, which promotes love for books in the meantime, so I'm excited.  (Hopefully after this, Jeff will become a reader.   Hehe.)

I'm on the hunt for other traditions that promote togetherness and a focus on our Lord Jesus Christ, so if you have them, send them my way, please.